What if everyday products could come from renewable forests instead of fossil fuels? Explore how nature-based biomaterials improve our lives, reduce pollution, and support sustainable economies. Engage with real examples, hands-on activities, and career insights as we imagine and design the future using the natural resources around us.
Athena Title
Forest BioMat for Sust Future
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will define core concepts related to forest biomaterials and circular bioeconomy.
Students will explain the importance of forest-based and sustainable biomaterials to human daily life, society and the environment.
Students will evaluate the sustainability benefits of forest-based products using lifecycle thinking (e.g., carbon storage, renewability, recyclability).
Students will identify career opportunities related to natural resources and sustainability.
Students will communicate the value of forest and sustainable materials to a broad audience, with focused learning, evaluation and revision on how to communicate with clarity, organization, use of evidence-based literature, visual effectiveness, and the ability to communicate technical concepts to a broad audience.
Students will compare competing material systems (e.g., forest products vs. concrete, plastics vs. bioproducts, “forever chemicals” tradeoffs) and evaluate benefits/limitations across applications such as shelter, insulation, transportation, and energy.
Topical Outline
1. Introduction and Course Overview
2. Made in the USA – Goods from the Woods
3. Forest and Sustainable Products & Shelter (Major construction types & their materials)
4. Forest and Sustainable Products & Shelter (Biophilic design, Health and Wellbeing)
5. Mass Timber Arena (Video & Case Study)
6. Sustainability Campus Tour
7. Forest and Sustainable Products & 3D Printing (a)
8. Forest and Sustainable Products & 3D Printing (b)
9. Forest and Sustainable Products & Insulation
10. Student lead presentation #1—How will we live in 2050?
11. Forest and Sustainable Products VS Concrete
12. Forest and Sustainable Products & Papers
13. Forest and Sustainable Products & Food
14. Forest and Sustainable Products & Transportation
15. Forest and Sustainable Products & Agricultural Wastes
16. Forest and Sustainable Products & Clothing
17. Forest and Sustainable Products in Musical Instruments
18. Forest and Sustainable Products or Forever Chemicals
19. Students lead presentation #2--Your lenses of sustainability
20. FSP & Energy
21. Plastics Plastics Everywhere
22. What can we do with plastic pollution? Bioplastic and Bioproducts
23. From Green to Blue Economy: Opportunities for Sustainability
24. Mysterious Materials in FSP
25. Looking Toward Your Future: Careers in Forest and Sustainable Products
Institutional Competencies Learning Outcomes
Analytical Thinking
The ability to reason, interpret, analyze, and solve problems from a wide array of authentic contexts.
Communication
The ability to effectively develop, express, and exchange ideas in written, oral, interpersonal, or visual form.
