How We Organize Ourselves
Transdisciplinary Theme: How We Organize Ourselves
Central Idea: Products can be created and developed by following a process
Lines of Inquiry:
- Form: Products are derived from a variety of sources.
- Causation: Products go through a process of creation.
- Responsibility: Products can be used, reused and repurposed responsibly.
The expert groups have finished their products. Please ask your child to share their product and process with you.
Machine Expert Group
The machine expert group have been designing and creating small robots that use vibrating motors and LED lights. The machine expert group have developed rich understandings about the scientific concepts of magnetism and electricity. In order to apply and expand on this knowledge, they visited one of the science labs in ICS. Mr. Healey kindly set up a variety of experiments and worked with the children to support their working theories as they explored polarity, magnetic fields, charges and switches in circuits and the elements that make up everything in our world. They also had the opportunity to ask some questions to help them finalise the design and creation of their individual mechanical products.
Trip to the Holzbau
As part of their research, the children in the wood expert group visited the Holzbau in Zumikon. Herr Hardmeier answered our many questions and showed us a variety of wood and explained the different characteristics and purposes of the wood types. Additionally, Herr Hardmeier demonstrated how some of the machines worked to change the wood. The children have chosen groups, birdhouse or bird feeder, which they collaborated on a design and will work together to build. Additionally, the children are creating their own wood products and documenting their process.
Sewing Expert group visits from experts
The sewing expert group children extended their understandings with a visit from Ms. Dixon Clark, a design teacher at ICS as well as an upcycling expert. Her visit provided an opportunity for the children to consider different types of projects. The children posed questions about her work to deepen their own understandings of how each of her products was made responsibly. She answered the children’s questions about their projects and how products can be used, reused and recycled. This built upon their understandings from the expert vist from Ms. G
Machine Inventions
The children began using the pieces they had found inside the machines to make something new, connecting to the line of inquiry : products can be used, reused and re-purposed responsibly. They applied their understanding about how machines are powered and how the parts are connected together, combining their rational understandings with their imaginations to create something new and wonderful.
As we continue our discussions about wood, the children shared ways we can change wood to make products. We saw how various tools are used in the process to a create wood product. Children were invited to work in small groups to learn about various parts of a hammer and nail and how to use them. Then they created rules we should follow to be safe. We will continue to use other wood working tools and create a Tool Safety book and build the children's wood working skills.
31st January
As we prepare for our Expert Groups next week, Mrs G who works in Grade one came to share her expertise about the upcycled products she creates. The children looked at some of the products she has made and asked questions in preparation for next week when they will design, make and evaluate a product of their own.
The children's explorations when taking apart machines led to many ideas and theories about the things they were discovering, particularly about magnetism and circuit boards. An engineer expert was invited in to answer some of their questions and to work in the Machine Lab with them. Our primary IT integration specialist worked with the children to explore how simple circuits work using the Makey Makey invention kit.
An important part of working in the Machine Lab is ensuring that they are all working safely and understand the risks and their responsibilities throughout their explorations. Before they could begin working at the Machine Lab they collaborated with their peers to develop a set of safety rules and regulations which were made into posters. Their developing theories about electricity, tools and safety are evident in their ideas and inform our planning for the next phase of the Unit of Inquiry.
In the Rainbow room, children have begun to explore the material, wood. Here are photos and conversations from their initial encounters.
