Purdue University TRAILS

TRAILS 2.0 offers a place-based learning context that enables students to explore their local environment and connect with STEM professionals from their region.

TRAILS Lesson Plans

Bumblebot: Engineering a Pollination Solution

Students will model photosynthesis and energy transfer, examine human influence on pollinators, and learn bee behavior in order to understand why pollination is important to ecology and food production. Through the design process, using biomimicry and 3D printers, students will

Animal Architects

This unit takes biological phenomena such as transpiration of plants, laws of thermodynamics, animal behavior and regulation of body temperature, to create innovative, eco-friendly housing and landscape designs. This unit specifically focuses on the need for sustainable development by implementing

Clean Sweep

Students will describe and illustrate the feeding relationships of aquatic food webs. They will communicate environmental issues of plastic pollution in marine habitats in a mass media format. They will predict buoyancy of an object using mathematics and predictive analysis.

Drone Pollination

Students will be working in groups to create a 3-d printed drone pollination applicator that can be used to pollinate flowers. They will also develop a product and use a persuasive Shark Tank style presentation to try and convince a

Engineering Design

Biomimicry

Scientific Inquiry

3D Printing

Place-based STEM Education

TRAILS 2.0 offers a place-based learning context that enables students to explore their local environment and connect with STEM professionals from their region.

TRAILS Lesson Plans

Fishing Lure Design Contest

Communication

Campus

Information

Other