Our current design project got under way a few weeks ago and is intended to be on a grand scale. Initially we are teaming up with I&S again with the hope of including L&L at some point as well. The idea is for students to identify a global issue relating to sustainability that resonates with them, ideally on a personal level. Students will then be tasked with developing some type of solution to their specific problem. One of the inspirations for this unit is of course credited to Boyan Slat and his Ocean Cleanup project. We are challenging our kids to think big, encouraging them that even at their young age they might be able to make an actual difference in the world!
We are definitely taking our time with this as it is a massive undertaking and will be assessed on all four MYP Design Criteria. Thus far, the students have all identified their topics, and have just finished prioritizing their research. The next steps will be to create a design brief summarizing their problem and some of the pertinent information that they have found, then develop design specifications to help frame ideas for potential solutions. Presently, we are referring to this by using the boring nomenclature "Global Issues & Sustainable Solutions" but are in need of a more flashy title (already having thrown out "The Passion Project" as being too cliche and perhaps too done before). So, if you have any ideas on what to call our project, please suggest it in the comments!
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Just wrapped up another project with Ms. V in L&L! Students chose an aspect of CI that they wanted to promote by utilizing some positive propaganda techniques. The design side of things was focused on deciding what to Inquire & Analyze about; whether it be filming techniques, propaganda techniques, or anything else that students thought would help them be successful in making a propaganda video. Once the videos had been edited and our viewing party concluded, students spent time evaluating how they did and thought about how what changes could be made to improve their overall product. Check out a few of the examples below...
This project allowed us to join Mr. Tilly's Science class and be a part of his annual cardboard boat race. An ongoing tradition here at CI, this year's rule changes allowed for a greater level of creativity and led to some amazing designs! Students began by learning about buoyancy, then spent time creating small scale prototypes to test their initial ideas. On race day, teams were given ten minutes to paddle as many laps as possible in their boats made entirely from reused cardboard and held together with only packing tape. Please enjoy the videos, courtesy of Rolly Maiquez and Chris Willauer. |
Grade 8 Design (Steven Foster)Here's what we're doing in Grade 8 Design! Archives
March 2017
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