Designing from the Heart

All of our Collaboratory Cubs have been rolling up their sleeves and tackling some major projects this week!  

Our Pre-K students collected items to test to see if they would float or sink.  They even got to test the apples that we used in one of our previous challenges.  When the students realized that the apples could float, they used the apple pieces to make a boat that allowed all of the items they tested to float!  Their apple boats turned out so cool, and I'm so bummed that I forgot to take a picture of them!

Our kindergarten engineers have been learning all about how to work through each step of the Engineering Design Process, which of course led to us to reading one of my favorite books:  The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires.  The students loved seeing how the little girl in the story worked through the steps of the Engineering Design Process just like they do.  This book is also an excellent resource for teaching perseverance and lends itself to a discussion about what students can do if they start to feel frustrated or upset when they are working on a design.  After we read and discussed the story, the students were challenged to create something that would demonstrate something magnificent about them (a favorite hobby, interest, etc.) so that we could all get to know each other better while working through the steps of the Engineering Design Process.  The students imagined different possibilities of what they could make, sketched the "blueprints" of their ideas on our design tables, and got right to work creating and improving.  I was so impressed with their creativity and determination!  When the students finished their creations, they shared them with the class and we held a "Magnificent Thing Parade" to showcase their hard work!

Our first graders have started construction on their "Dream Neighborhood" project!  They have been learning all about neighborhoods in Social Studies, and they were excited to be able to dream up, plan, and build their version of what they think the perfect neighborhood would be.  Students discussed what they wanted to include in their neighborhood, and then they got to work designing and creating each location.  I was so proud of the students' smart thinking when they were choosing what to put in their neighborhood.  The first places they put on their list (after homes and places to live) were the police station, the fire station, and the hospital.  It's so important for our young ones to know the importance of those places, and it warmed my heart that the students knew to prioritize those places over different stores and restaurants.  I can't wait to see the finished neighborhoods!

Our second graders have been thinking about ways to help local farms.  One idea they came up with was designing ways to get apples from the trees to collection baskets without getting bruised or cut.  This way, more apples would be able to be successfully harvested even if they weren't actually hand-picked off the trees.  Take a look at some of their prototypes!

Our third grade engineers were investigating our very own TES Garden, and they discovered a huge problem: birds have been eating all of the seeds out of our sunflowers!  The students started doing some research, and they created an amazing way to solve the problem!  They are going to design and create scarecrows to put in the four corners of the garden to protect it from the birds!  Our third grade designers have already drafted their blueprints, and they are set to begin construction on the scarecrows this week!

Our fourth graders have been working hard on designing and creating apple display stands for local farms so that more customers will notice the different varieties of apples and want to purchase them!  Each team of students communicated different design ideas and drafted many blueprints.  When each team decided on a final blueprint, the teams created prototypes of their designs.  The students did a great job using the provided materials and incorporating many math concepts to ensure that their designs would be successful.

I can't wait to see what next week has in store for our Collaboratory Cubs!

Extraordinary Creations

Our Collaboratory Cubs are quickly becoming experts in working through the steps of the Engineering Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, and Improve)!  Since we will be following these steps for all of our projects and challenges this year, it is important that the students understand the meaning behind and the expectations of each step of the process.

The students are always presented with a question during the "Ask" step of the process that focuses on a problem that needs to be solved.  Next, the students communicate and collaborate with their group members to "Imagine" different solutions to the problem.  Then, the students move on to the "Plan" step of the process, in which they select one of their solutions and start drafting their blueprints for that solution.  During the "Create" step, students follow the blueprints they sketched to actually build their creations with the provided materials.  Along the way, they may have to "Improve" their designs to make them the best that they can be.  

Our favorite way to practice using the steps of the Engineering Design Process is through using our Design Studio Extraordinaires program.  In this program, students learn about a variety of characters and then select a task card which challenges them to design and create something that will help that character in some way.  The Extraordinaires program is a really fun way to help students become comfortable with the steps of the Engineering Design Process while also focusing on empathy.  Take a look at some of their creations:

Once the students felt confident working through the steps of the Engineering Design Process, they were given an additional challenge that also focused on empathy, but it hit more close to home.  Students were presented with the following challenge:  How might you create something to help a TES staff member?  Their ideas were AMAZING, and it was so heart-warming to see how deeply the students cared about making a difference in the lives of our staff members.  Take a look at just a few of the many creations that the students brainstormed:

These students created a "Cricket Catcher" for Mrs. Crilley!

 These students created a "Super Scoop" which made it easier for Mr. Bill to pick up trash in the cafeteria!

These students created a device for Mrs. Mundy that would allow her to wear her Smart Board remote so that it would never go missing!

These students created a Tiger Trinket box for Miss Vicky so that she has a place to keep small office supplies.

Our Pre-K students have also been very busy discovering all that the Collaboratory has to offer.  This week, the students have been working on an apple theme and counting to ten in their classroom, so it was the perfect time to read Ten Apples Up On Top.  After we read the story, the students were presented with the following challenge:  How might you build a tower that could fit all ten apples up on top?  Both the morning and afternoon Pre-K classes did an amazing job sharing their tools, working together as a team, and creating some really cool structures!  Take a peek:

 

And, of course, we couldn't help but try to ride bikes with our apples up on top like they did in the story!  A little extra fun is always a great reward for hard work!

We are already looking forward to our next adventures!

International Dot Day:  The Maker Way

Our Collaboratory Cubs have been busy reviewing everything they know about engineers and the technologies that they create, and they have learned so many new facts along the way!  

Our youngest Collaboratory Cubs are always surprised to learn that technology doesn't have to have batteries or wires or a fancy touchscreen and that technology can be anything that is designed to help people or solve problems!  Students explored some of the most underrated technologies that we use every day (pencils, cups, socks, etc.) and discussed how they helped people and how they have evolved and improved over time.

Our oldest Collaboratory Cubs got into some deeper conversations exploring ways that different technologies were combined and transformed into new technologies (flashlights, baby bottles, etc.).  All of the students love trying to compare technologies and decide which ones were created first and why.  They also learned about how the development of a new technology might solve one problem and also create another one that needs to be solved.  And, of course, we always discuss the quote about how "necessity is the mother of invention". 

After exploring different technologies, the Collaboratory Cubs rolled up their sleeves and tested out all different types of technologies.  In honor of International Dot Day (which is linked to the book The Dot which celebrates creativity and innovation), the students got to transform a dot-shaped technology (a bottle cap, lid, or button) and use the other technologies in the classroom makerspace to transform that dot into something completely new.  Students also had to be able to explain why each material they used was considered technology.  I was blown away by their incredibly creative ideas!  Take a peek:

 I can already tell that our Collaboratory Cubs are going to accomplish amazing things this year!

The Collaboratory is back open for business!

It was an amazing first week back at school!  The Collaboratory and I really missed our students and their creativity!  We spent this week exploring our updated learning studio.  It has some oldies but goodies, but it is also filled with lots of new and exciting additions!   Check out the pics below!

The students have already started taking charge of their own learning by setting some goals for the year as well!  Each class of students brainstormed some problems that that they would like to tackle and solve this year, and they already came up with great ideas for community-focused projects.  

I can tell that we are going to have another incredible year together!