The design thinking process forms the foundation for all projects that we do in the classroom. Finding ways to solve complex problems and creative challenges is an amazing way to meet outcomes across the subject areas. Here are a few of the projects that I have designed for students in my classroom that feature the use of the design thinking process for long term projects.
Working together and learning new tools
A work in progress
Measure twice...
Testing our prototype
Inside bottom of the planter
Filling them up!
Students presenting work at the Mayor's Expo
Giving Back to the Land: A project of reciprocity
In this project, students were challenged to design an automated irrigation system. Students in grade 5/4 used micro:bits to code a timed system that watered plants at a time determined by the students. Students in grade 6 designed and built powered fans to enhance the growing environment of the seedlings.
Attaching fans and working together
Determining volume
Testing, testing and retesting
Debugging code
In this project, students designed ice cream trucks that represented either a geographical region of Alberta or Canada. They then used the things they were learning in science to motorize the trucks. Using micro:bits, students then coded the trucks to play music and use AI to recognize the area of the province or country in which their were "authorized" to run (matching the geographical region they chose).
Learning about and programming AI
Creating circuits
Experimenting with materials