1. Create a Coat of Arms

Student-Facing Task:
"A family coat of arms is a shield with pictures that represent your family. For example, if your family lives in the mountains, loves baseball, and travels a lot, your coat of arms might include a mountain, a baseball diamond, and a car with suitcases on its roof. Think about what makes your family unique. Then design a family coat of arms."

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Design

• DOK: 4 (Extended reasoning).

• Tips: Use design-thinking steps (problem, brainstorm, reflect).

Free template by clicking on the Explore Heraldry image on the left: 

https://printabletemplates.com/graphics/coat-of-arms/#google_vignette

2. Build it Better

Student-Facing Task:
"Even things that are well designed can be improved. For example, wouldn’t it be nice if your lunch box had an alarm system to keep cookie snatchers away? Suppose your bike had wings so that you could fly over to a friend’s house? Well here’s your chance to make some changes for the better. Choose one of the items from list A and add as many practical and far-out features from list B—and your imagination—as you like. Draw a picture of your “super-object”.

A) roller skates, eyeglasses, skateboard, bike, book, bed, tennis shoes, lunch box

B) pockets, buzzer, music player, wings, mirror, parachute, flashing lights, motor...

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Engineering design, real-world application.

• DOK: 4 (Extended reasoning).

• Tips: Use design-thinking steps (problem, brainstorm, prototype, reflect).

3. 3D Model Design

Student-Facing Task:
“Build a model of a famous building using only shapes (paper, blocks, or digital). Calculate surface area or volume.”

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Geometry, modeling.

• DOK: 4 (Application, synthesis).

• Tips: Scaffold surface area formulas.

4. Escape Room Creator

Student-Facing Task:
“An escape room is an activity where you complete a series of puzzles and clues that leads a person on a scavenger hunt in order to "escape" the room.  Design your own escape room with at least 3 puzzles (math, reading, or logic). Write clear instructions and answers.”

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Logic, sequencing, problem design.

• DOK: 4 (Create).

• Tips: Encourage simple materials. Trade escape rooms among groups.

5. Mystery Builder

Student-Facing Task:
“Create a coded message or puzzle. Use math or reading clues to hide the solution. Challenge a classmate to solve it.”

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Encoding, problem-solving.

• DOK: 4 (Create).

• Tips: Provide examples of simple ciphers or riddles.

7. STEM Invention Journal

Student-Facing Task:
“Think of a real-world problem (like food waste). Design an invention that could solve it. Draw and label your idea, then explain how it would work using math or science.”

Teacher-Facing Task:

• Skills: Engineering design, real-world application.

• DOK: 4 (Extended reasoning).

• Tips: Use design-thinking steps (problem, brainstorm, prototype, reflect).