The human-animal bond is a unique and powerfully motivating force. Empirical evidence is mounting for the effectiveness of animal-based pedagogy in many different topic areas. In this session faculty from Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University will demonstrate the use of an animal-based curricular unit as a tool for integrating science and engineering education within an active learning, problem-based model. The unit will be a hands-on interactive project to design a solution for a failure in a major body system in an animal. In this case the development of a prosthesis for a dog whose leg had to be amputated due to a malignant bone cancer (osteosarcoma). We will explore the idea that animal-based education approaches can be used within a school setting to both achieve science benchmarks and to foster long term interest in STEM careers in middle school children.