Professional Development
Animal Adaptations and Bioengineering
Challenge: Your team of engineers specializes in creating prosthetics for injured animals. You have been hired by a local organization that provides this service and need to create a prototype for a specific injured animal. Investigations include understanding prosthetics, what they are used for, and why they are necessary; exploring animal adaptations and using new knowledge to create a new species; researching a specific terrestrial or marine animal and creating a fact sheet for it; and the final Challenge.
The final Design Challenge requires participants to design and build a prototype prosthetic for an animal. Additionally, engineering teams must adhere to budgetary constraints as they plan and “purchase” materials for their prototype. Teachers will work in groups, as their students would, using the Engineering Design Process to complete both parts of the Challenge and present their solution to the rest of the groups. During the workshop, you will participate in all elements of the Challenge and have the opportunity to collaborate with fellow educators and Challenge experts.
Dates: Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 and Thursday, June 26th, 2025 (8:30 AM – 3:30 PM ET)
Location: Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, MA
Collaborating Partners: Buttonwood Park Zoo; Franklin Park Zoo; Lloyd Center for the Environment
Rise to the Challenge Focus Workshop Series Registration Info:
Registration Cost: $250 per workshop; $450 for both workshops
PDPs and Optional Graduate Credit for Each Workshop: 14 PDPs available without graduate credit.
22.5 PDPs and 1 graduate credit from Cambridge College/Bay Path University available for $75. Additional work is required for credit.
