Introduction to Nanotechnology Student Handout
Created by UnderstandingNano.com

This lesson plan was created to give you an introduction to nanotechnology.

I.  The Concept of Nanotechnology

Definition: Nanotechnology is the study and use of structures between 1 nanometer and 100 nanometers in size. 

Question: What is the smallest thing you can think of?

Reading 1: Read the Nanotechnology Introduction page (www.understandingnano.com/introduction.html).

Discussion 1: Discuss 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. What would it be like to work with a material you can't see? Are there other fields of science where you work with things you can't see? (Radio waves, gravity, etc.)
• Which is bigger: a nanoparticle, an atom, or a molecule? Discuss the fact that, depending on the composition and number of atoms in a molecule, it can vary from a few tenths of a nanometer in diameter to hundreds of nanometers in length. Similarly, different types of  atoms may have diameters ranging from a tenth of a nanometer to 5 tenths of a nanometer. Nanoparticles also vary in size, ranging up to 100 nanometers. All of these can be measured in nanometers, a measurement with a constant size of one billionth of a meter.

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?

Research and Report: Pick one of the applications pages on the UnderstandingNano Web site (www.understandingnano.com/nanotech-applications.html) to read.  Follow links on the site for additional information. Write a brief report on the application you studied.

3. The Future of Nanotechnology

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: 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? What if everybody could produce their own clothing, iPod, and shoes? Would it help poorer people or would it put people out of work? How would the world change?
• 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?

As directed by your teacher 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: Debate the above discussion topics between your groups .

Conclusion:  Nanotechnology offers great potential for advancement, and that, as with any scientific breakthrough, it also raises ethical and societal questions.