As we prepare for the closing ceremonies of the 2018 Winter Olympics, our students have been busy crafting their own designs and modifications to make the events safer, faster, and more enjoyable for all.
Four weeks ago, Ms. Banton and I introduced our Olympic Makerspace project to every fifth-grader in our school during their library time. We mapped out specific tasks for each week that included building background knowledge about the various sports, pondering the “I Wonder” questions that filled our minds, then narrowing down our thoughts to one driving question:
“How can I improve the Winter Olympics?”
Friends, let me tell you… we were BLOWN away by their ideas and suggestions. With over 100 students participating in this project, their passions shined through as they dug deep into researching their topics. In addition to learning more about the Winter Olympic games as a whole, they discovered specific nuances of each sport, like how the bars work to guide a bobsled and what makes the blade of a skate glide faster over ice.
Our students became researchers, not simply Googling a sport, but asking more questions and searching for more answers. “How do athletes keep warm on the snow and ice?” sparked deeper research into fabrics and costume/uniform designs. “Where do athletes stay during the Olympics?” transformed into a conversation about architecture and interior/exterior design. Students started analyzing photos and replaying YouTube videos to hone in on specific details they wanted to improve.
In Week 3, students began designing their projects on paper, identifying what materials they would need to build their prototypes and sketching out models of their improvements. In Week 4, we set out all the materials and let the students GO!
Some students worked together in small groups. Others worked alone. All students were engaged and focused on their projects. They grappled with the logistics of how to make their visions come to life and when their prototypes didn’t quite work, they revised their plan and made adjustments to redesign.
We used Seesaw as our tool of choice to capture students’ projects, which allowed them as much time as they needed to explain their projects. We literally handed them the iPad and they did the rest on their own!
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| This snowboard includes straws on the bottom for smooth traction and additional safety over bumps. |
As we reflect on the success of this project, we are already swirling with ideas of how we can take this concept of making and apply it to other themes throughout the year. Having a dedicated space in our school with ready-to-use materials and flexible seating makes this style of innovation quick and easy for our students!
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| A new ramp complete with safety sled |
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| A redesigned ice skate to provide more stability with the country’s colors! |
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| Did you know you can learn about math with making? Lots of angles in this design! |
If you would like more information on how we redesigned our traditional computer lab space into an Innovation lab or various ways we have used flexible seating, please view the links below! We hope our Olympic Makerspace projects inspire you and your students to dream big!
