You might already know that Duke TIP has had to cancel this summer’s CRISIS program. CRISIS is our residential program for fifth and sixth graders TIPsters. It builds leadership and teamwork skills by asking students to assume the role of a professional on a research team, collaborating with team members to solve a community crisis.
A few years ago, the hypothetical crisis that CRISIS students tackled was, believe it or not, a virus outbreak! Students worked together to prevent, prepare for, and contain an influenza outbreak before it grew to pandemic proportions. Sound familiar?
We wanted to share one of the activities from that program. CRISIS is all about teamwork, so we recommend roping a parent into being your teammate.
Your Task
Biomedical engineers design face masks for different purposes and use different materials depending on the purpose and expected use of the face mask.
Your task is design your own face mask!
It needs to cover both your mouth and nose. And it needs to let you breathe normally in and out through the filter while capturing the particles in the air that you want to avoid. Comfort (easy to put on, stays in place, non-irritating) and repeated use are also considerations in designing a face mask filter.
Materials Needed
- A variety of materials from which you may select to make a face mask filter, such as white paper, cotton balls, coffee filters, cloth, felt, gauze, foam, cotton batting, string, rubber bands, tape, etc.
- Scissors
- Face Mask Design Handout
- Computer
Introductory Questions
You might not know the answers to all these questions off the top of your head. That’s okay. This is a good time to practice both your brainstorming and your research skills.
- What happens when air polluted by a virus enters your body?
- What happens to your lungs? What happens to your diaphragm?
- How does our respiratory system filter contaminated air? How can we help our respiratory systems filter air?
- What are important considerations about viral particles that might inform the design of a face mask?
- What are some important considerations about the respiratory system that might inform the design of a face mask?
Design Your Mask
The hardest part is the part with the shortest instructions:
Use the printable handout—and your imagination! That’s it!
Follow-up Questions
- Is your mask big enough?
- Can you still breathe in and out through your mask?
- Does it have any gaps where polluted air might still enter the airway?
- Does it capture the particles that you want to avoid?
- Is it comfortable to wear?
- How long would it last?
- How does it attach to your face?
- How does your design compare to this do-it-yourself guide from the Centers for Disease Control?
Head over to the Student Stars submission page and share your design with us!