Ready for action?
Resources
Tangible Resources
Craft materials, tools and building materials, equipment for working with craft materials (scissors, glue gun, etc.)
Preparation
Prepare materials and list of expected ‘deliverables’.
Goals, messages & concepts
Specific goals
- Developing ideas and iterating as a result of evaluation.
- Making a plan.
- Collaborating to build and test ideas.
Specific messages
- Research informs good design ideas.
- Collaboration improves a design.
- Failure is a valuable part of designing
Main terms
- concept development
- iteration
- sketch model
- product design
Practices & skills
STEM practices
- Analysing and interpreting data
- Constructing explanations and designing solutions
- Developing and using models
- Asking questions and defining problems
- Planning and carrying out investigations
Soft skills
- Dealing with uncertainty
- Learning failure is a part of learning
- Teamwork and collaboration
Management skills
- Planning
- Use of resources
Course of activity
step 1
Students will use insights gained during their research and analysis processes in LU 1-6 to inform their design solution for a more effective and engaging waste collection system in the school. They will start by discussing the process of previous activities and how it relates to this assignment, and formulate a timeline of ‘deliverables’.
step 2
Discuss design requirements (influencing strategy - positive/negative/nudging, electronic component, working model/prototype). Students will divide into working groups according to their preferred strategy. Developing ideas:
- What influencing strategy will the students work on?
- How will they use the survey, what have they learned from others answering questions?
- Come up with ideas and try to predict/explore what might work best
- Choose a promising idea to develop
step 3
Introduce the term sketch model and show examples (a simple and fast model of the design that doesn’t need to look good or actually work, it is solely used to support the students to make their story clear and point out what needs to be done and how it will possibly work. Making a plan:
- Develop a step-by-step production plan
- Divide task and roles
- Make a materials list
step 4
They will then create a simple yet effective sketch model of their design. Upon completion, the model will be presented to the teacher and include the process they intend to follow, a plan and a list of materials they will require. Based on the information that the students present, the teacher gives a GO (the students can start building) or a NO GO (students have to go back to the drawing board with feedback). Making a sketch model:
- Make a sketch of the design/solution
- Acquire materials
- Build the model to demonstrate the design idea
- Evaluate design idea within group
step 5
GO/NO GO moment with teacher – students present plan and model.
step 6
Students make a final plan and materials list.