Introduction to Nanotechnology Lesson Plan
Created by UnderstandingNano.com

This lesson plan was created to help first year college science teachers provide an introduction to nanotechnology in a classroom setting, making use of the information provided on this Web site.

I.  Introduce the Concept of Nanotechnology

Provide this definition to your students: Nanotechnology is the study and use of structures between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers in size. 

Ask the students: Can you think of fields where size or weight of materials or products is important? Answers might include manufacturing computer chips or light weight aircraft.

Reading: Now have students read the Nanotechnology Introduction page (www.understandingnano.com/introduction.html).

Discussion 1: Hold a discussion about the basic concepts of nanotechnology, which might include these topics:

• You learned in this introduction that scientists had to imagine the characteristics of nanoparticles for years before they developed special microscopes that allowed them to see them. Can you think of other situations where scientists had to make assumptions because they couldn't see what they were studying? (Medicine, radioactivity, etc.)
• Natural or Man-made: From the chart in the Nanotechnology Introduction, compare the size of items in nature and man-made items.  Are nanotechnologists simply trying to unlock the key to how natural elements are designed and created? Discuss the implications if man were able to create things at the very small scale that they exist in nature. You can give examples such as nanorobots providing antibodies to the human body or fabrics that repel water like some plants and animals.

2. Explore an Application of Nanotechnology

Discussion 2: Some scientific fields focus on one type of material or process, such as biology that focuses on living organisms and meteorology that focuses on the weather. What does nanotechnology focus on? Remind the students of the definition of nanotechnology; this study of structures of small size can be applied in just about any field. Nanotechnology is currently being used in medicine, the environment, to add strength to materials such as fabrics, space flight, and so on.

Research and Report:  Have students read one of the applications pages found in the navigation bar on the UnderstandingNano Web site (www.understandingnano.com/nanotech-applications.html).  They may also follow links on the site for additional information. Ask them to write a brief report on the applications they studied. If you wish hold a discussion afterwards comparing the activities and progress in each field.

3. The Future of Nanotechnology

Explain that nanotechnology has the potential to be a disruptive technology, meaning that it could cause extreme change in our society that could have a variety of consequences. An example of this would be the industrial revolution, which changed the economy of most of our cultures from agrarian to manufacturing based.

Discussion 3: Have students pick one of these topics:

• The molecular replicator (www.understandingnano.com/molecular-manufacturing.html), once developed, could allow people to simply produce many items they need themselves with no need for a company to manufacturer those products. What would this do to our economy as we know it today? Discuss the potential impact on manufacturing, distribution channels (trucking, rail, and so on), and employment.
• In the world of medicine nanotechnology could change the human lifespan (www.understandingnano.com/medicine.html). Repairs at the cellular level could stop and even reverse aging. If everybody could live hundreds of years, what would happen to our world? Would only an elite few get such treatment and what consequences would that have? If nobody ever died, would people have to stop having children to avoid overpopulation? What would that mean to our society?

You can hold a discussion with the entire class, or break up into smaller groups with some groups making an argument for the benefits of these changes, and the other groups arguing the case that such changes would bring more harm than good to our society.

Optional Activity: Have the groups prepare a PowerPoint slide show for their arguments and present it to the class.

Wrap up the lesson by pointing out that nanotechnology offers great potential for advancement, and that, as with any scientific breakthrough, it also raises ethical and societal questions.