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VOL. 94 December 13, 2024
VOL. 94 December 13, 2024
Invention and Innovation with Design Cycle
Invention and Innovation with Design Cycle
By: Azzam Ataurrahman & Hilman Haikal 6B
March 17, 2025
What is the Design Cycle?
The design cycle is a structured process that many inventors and innovators follow to create and refine new technologies. It consists of four main stages, each with subcategories that add depth to the process.
Inquiring and Analyzing – This is the research phase, where designers explore problems and gather information to develop solutions.
Developing Ideas – In this stage, designers present their concepts using diagrams, documents, or presentations to showcase potential solutions.
Creating the Solution – This step involves constructing and testing the product based on the developed ideas.
Evaluating – Here, designers assess whether the project is successful, reflecting on strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.
Each step may not work, and you may have to go to the previous step or start from the beginning. This is why most innovations or inventions take much time to create. They have to experiment and test the product many times before and even in its final stages. Since the 1990s, the design cycle has been widely used by inventors and innovators to develop solutions to real-world problems.
What did the Year 6 learn in this unit?
Year 6 students explored inventions and innovations and their impact on society during Unit 4. As part of their learning, they conducted mini-research projects on selected inventions or innovations. This research led them to apply the design cycle when creating their own designs.
To deepen their understanding, students were divided into groups, with each group researching one of the four stages of the design cycle. They then taught their peers about their assigned stage, using real-world examples or hands-on demonstrations.
How will or did they Apply this to their Project?
As part of the unit Where We Are in Place and Time, Year 6 students explored the design cycle through hands-on projects. Their project is about creating a bridge and catapults using popsicle sticks and trial and error. Throughout the process, they documented how each step of the design cycle contributed to the development and functionality of their projects.
Example
In this unit, students undertook two major design challenges:
Building a Bridge – Using the design cycle, students researched, planned, constructed, and evaluated their bridge models.
Constructing a Catapult – Following a similar process, students designed and built catapults, testing different designs to improve their performance.
Through these projects, students gained hands-on experience with the design cycle, strengthening their ability to create and refine functional products.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this unit emphasized the importance of the design cycle in problem-solving and innovation. The design cycle is a combination of steps that help students create and evaluate solutions in response to challenges. By experimenting, collaborating, and reflecting, they developed essential skills in designing and evaluating solutions. The design cycle remains a powerful tool for invention and innovation, equipping students with a structured approach to creative problem-solving.
PYP Exhibition Journey
PYP Exhibition Journey
By: Hajun Kang 6B
March 18, 2025
A Journey of Inquiry and Discovery
Our Global Jaya Journey was filled with obstacles, challenges, and moments of discovery. At the start of our first PYP Exhibition (PYPX) session, we were asked to write about someone who inspired us and explain why. We reflected on figures like Romelu Lukaku, Muhammad Ali, and Prophet Muhammad, sparking inspiration among students. Then, we explored things we felt passionate about, which could be problems and issues in the real world, such as sports and music.
Next, we made a transdisciplinary theme and a central idea to guide us throughout PYPX. We also asked questions about each key concept: responsibility, perspective, reflection, change, function, connection, causation, and form. Then, we chose 3 of the best and most interesting questions as our lines of inquiry. These questions would now be our guideline.
Digging Deeper: The Research Process
Using our structure, we researched our topic and answered the lines of inquiry (and conceptual questions.) We researched its use, why it’s good, its effects, causes, and more, and compiled it in a single file along with the conceptual questions. Using our findings, we made a report about topics like “How Sports Affect Our Mental Health,” “Climate Change in A Nutshell,” and “Binary.” This part of the journey was breathtaking, with most of the reports at least around 2000-3500. The students cited all their sources using the Modern Language Association's style guide 9th edition(MLA9).
Once we finished our rough copy, which took around 2-3 days, our group teachers checked our work, and we finalized it for the “Final Research Report.” Once we were done, our lovely PYP Coordinator checked all of our reports for plagiarism and AI using a website called Turnitin, which is linked with Managebac by FariaOneSchool. Everyone showed a clear understanding of the reports, and it was awesome. Students were engaged in their topic.
Beyond Research: Taking Action
Research is valuable, but it becomes truly meaningful when we use it to take action. After completing our research, we shifted our focus to planning our exhibition—the heart of the PYPX project. This was the project's core, and we devised activities and materials. We even made a Google Doc table of what we needed from school to keep ourselves organized. Some even went out to buy free souvenirs for those who visited their booth.
Some of the students also made a layout of how the room would look, where it would be, the script, and how the presentation and the activities would go and started to make the presentation. Our projects also involved real-world connections. One group interviewed Faizal, a professor from Universitas Terbuka, while another team encouraged sustainability by collecting recycled materials to create musical instruments. Step by step, we brought our ideas to life.
Students also created early posters to ask for recycled materials for their activity. For instance, a group of students put up a poster in school asking for recycled materials to make an instrument for their activity. While others created, after their plan, they started collecting the materials/data.
Overcoming Challenges
A project wouldn’t be perfect or successful without any challenges. Students faced many obstacles throughout their delightful process, but they overcame them in many different ways.
Revisiting ideas and brainstorming solutions
Organizing our work and fixing mistakes
Asking teachers for guidance
Collaborating with group members
Seeking support from mentors
Throughout PYPX, the teachers knew that we would stumble into challenges, so when we started PYPX, we had mentors who were teachers; they could be anyone in the school. The mentors helped kids stay organized and on track. They also helped with materials and challenges. They helped us defeat the obstacles and continue.
Presenting Our Work
Our work leads up to this exact situation, presenting our work. Before PYPX, we practiced, did roleplay, and created a presentation and outline checklist. We paired up and presented our work to others, giving each other feedback. This all paid off because, during the d-day, everyone’s presentation was astonishing as they poured their heart and tears into this project.
Students presented, teachers supervised, and visitors listened. This was the perfect cycle to learn even more. The booths were also great and filled with creativity, like Senna and Rava’s basketball arcade and meet & greet with basketball players like Coach Arkey, Hilman, who made a book about business, Azzam, and Seon, Kang, who made football cards, Hajun, who made a bicycle-powered light bulb generator, and Bianca, Akya, and Michelle who let visitors create their instruments.
Lessons That Will Stay With Us
Looking back, this journey has taught us valuable lessons:
Never stop learning.
Stay curious and explore new ideas.
Follow your passions.
Take risks and believe in yourself.
Teaching is harder than it looks!
For some students, PYPX was something they had anticipated for years—and now, they had finally experienced it. It was fun, engaging, and unforgettable.
Goodbye, PYPX! 🎉
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