Projects

January 2024

Students in Grade 8 have been learning trigonometry. Their skills were put to the test: rather than being asked to use the inverse tangent when given a simple diagram of a triangle, students came down to the Kol-lab and stood face to face with some dinosaurs and other figurines. 

The challenge: Place the animal on the table so that the height of its shadow will be the goal height.

Without the use of the flashlight (until it came time to test) students had to calculate where the animal should stand so that the shadow was the correct height. The activity perfectly assessed the students' ability to use the inverse tangent to find the angle given the opposite and adjacent side length, then use that angle and the new opposite side length to determine the placement of the figurine. Plus, who doesn't want to spend math class playing with dinosaurs?

December 2023

Grade 7 students had the opportunity to hear from and work with NewBridge resident, Nathan Bourque. After a life-changing accident that left him paralyzed, Nathan became an artist. He shared the different ways he is able to create art with his limited mobility. Students learned pouring paint techniques that Nathan uses and created their own art.

December 2023

Students in Grade 5 used their paper techniques to create GIFs of plants. In just one block students decided which part of plant life to model through paper, then photographed their work and uploaded it to a GIF-making software. Students got a taste for stop-motion animation and reflected on the process to improve in their future projects. 

December 2023

We were back at the farm for another design challenge. After students in Grade 1 built workspaces for cows in a previous challenge, the story continued in Doreen Cronin's "Giggle, Giggle, Quack." Communication is still the focus for this community, where the animals use letters to voice their opinions and needs to the farmer. After reading the story, we shared that the animals had called an electrician and installed a "Do not disturb" light on their new workspace. The problem was that the light switch was too high for the animals to reach. The students used their new knowledge of closed circuits to understand how to turn the light on with a paper clip. After a lot of ideating, students outlined three possible routes to close the circuit, then created a prototype. Through this activity, students were able to combine what they've learned about working with paper in three dimensions, circuitry, and the design thinking process, as well as their ever-growing understanding of community and communication. 

Beautiful example of experiential learning:

One student chose to create a device that would allow the animals to reach the switch from the ground. He used a piece of card stock rolled tightly to create a pointer. He quickly realized that reaching the opening in the circuit would not, on its own, turn on the light. He said, "It would work if I had a piece a foil." He added foil and it worked. Then, he began testing different things (scissors, staple) and stapled the other end a bunch of times, so he could use both ends of the pointer. While we threw some technical terms at him as he worked (conductor, insulator), this young child discovered so much about circuitry through his exploration.

November 2023

Students in grade 7 were tasked with adapting toys and games to meet the needs of clients with physical differences. They were assigned popular games and asked to think about how people with blindness, deafness, mobility issues, and tremors or shaking hands might be limited in their ability to play the game as advertised. Some games needed simple adjustments, while others needed to be completely re-thought. Students sometimes found that the assigned game needed no adjustments at all for the given client. While working through the design thinking process, students focused on Empathy and Ideating. 

November 2023

Students in Grade 1 are learning all about light with their classroom teachers. To extend that learning, we built light-up Chanukah cards in the Kol-lab. We learned about circuits and that electricity needs to travel in a continuous circle for a light bulb to connect to a battery. Students created their own circuits using copper tape, an LED diode, and a coin battery.  They left the circuit open so that the receipients of the card could turn the light on and off using a simple push switch. Students decorated vellum paper with beautiful images and messages. They were so excited to bring the cards home to loved ones.

November 2023

When asked if anyone knew what empathy meant, all the hands shot up. A student in Grade 2 answered, "We all know about empathy because we talk about it in class all the time!" While we often make curricular connections in the Kol-lab, the social-emotional skills practiced here are also aligned with what happens developmentally in each grade. Through classroom social-emotional learning, formal and informal, students are often thinking about the perspective of others. Empathy is critical to navigating life as a second grader, and it is also the first step in the Design Thinking Process. So often we solve our own problems, but the Design Thinking Process is all about solving problems for others. 

November 2023

We often talk about innovation with students and the idea seems so abstract. Innovations like solar panels, self-driving cars, geothermal energy systems for home, these all require the inventor to create new technology. During this lesson, we focused on how to innovate without inventing. Often innovations use existing creations in new ways to create something new. Students were first told to research for a few minutes online to find the funniest useless innovations around. The students delivered...

Next, they returned to their online searches, but this time looked for innovations that made the world better. Examples students found included a textured Rubik's cube with different three-dimensional symbols to make Rubik's cubes accessible to blind people, a drone pollinator, a belt that detects oncoming seizures, a walker that adjusts angles for stairs, a PS5 controller with large buttons, and a reusable straw that opens lengthwise to make cleaning more thorough. 

November 2023

Students in this Middle School elective learned to use point and shoot cameras. During some sessions students went around the school capturing classes in action. These photos will be used for the yearbook. Other sessions were spent completing specific challenges or goals. One such challenge was a still-life photo inside a shoe box. Students learned about light and how to use the natural light available and the best angles to get the perfect shot.

November 2023

Students in this Middle School elective planned a party from start to finish. Our client was the Rashi PreK. Students interviewed the PreK class about interests and compiled the data to come up with a theme: Under the Sea. For six weeks they worked within a budget to create a party. Tasks to complete included invitations, decorations, food, activities, and favors. Some students called vendors to find the perfect cupcakes that fit our budget and the dietary restrictions of our clients. Others worked to map out the space and lay out a floor plan to make sure we had space for all the things we planned. Everyone crafted to produce on-theme, handmade decorations. Some of our initial builds did not work as planned and students had to reiterate and try again. In the end, the middle school students built a party they loved and the PreK students had a fun day with their older friends!

November 2023

Charged with sending Chanukah activities to displaced children in Israel, Rashi responded! Students in all grades participated in creating and assembling these kits. First, everyone participated during Tribes, which you can read about here. 

Next, every grade visited the Kol-lab to create one of four other kits:

1. PreK, Kindergarten, and Grade 1 created magnetic fishing games where children will fish for latkes in the frying pan.

2. Grade 2 and Grade 3 designed Lego chanukiot (menorahs) and Grade 6 created the photo instruction manuals to go with them so children can build a chanukiah and add Lego candles each night. 

3. Grade 4 and Grade 5 created felt tic tac toe boards with gelt and dreidels (instead of Xs and Os) for children to enjoy during Chanukah.

4. Grade 7 and Grade 8 created lace-up dreidel pillows that will be sewn and stuffed by the children receiving the kits.

Rashi is so excited to help spread light and love by sending kits to over 220 families in Israel this Chanukah. 

Click here to see photos!

November 2023

Students in Grade 1 spend the year focusing on community and communication. Our first design challenge focused on a community of animals and a farmer whose story is told by Doreen Cronin in her book, "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type."  After reading the book, we looked at how this story relates to their study of different communities and what makes a community. In this story, the animals and the farmer work out their problems by typing notes to each other. We spoke about the importance of communication in this plot and in all communities. Since communicating openly is so important to the cows, in order to allow the animals to continue to type notes, the cows needed a better work space. But what does a work space for a cow look like? 

Our students came to the rescue and designed offices for these cows. They used the design thinking process, collaborated with peers, and were reminded of the safety rules around scissors and tape dispensers, as well as learning about how to use materials with less waste. 

November 2023

PreK students had their first introduction to Robotics and Coding! We took our Bee-Bots, our screenless robots. Together we explored the commands and how to think sequentially (sequencing is a critical computational skill needed for all coding) about how to make the robot go where we needed. We also talked about how to take care of this type of material. After, students created targets and obstacles for the robots and explored what they could create. Our newest programmers had so much fun!

November 2023

Students in Grades 7 and 8 worked on a design thinking challenge called "Pop-Up Playground." The concept is that children who live in the city of Providence are not all within walking distance to a local playground, so the city decides to convert parking lots used during the week by businesses into pop-up play areas for the weekend. The concept allowed for a discussion of empathy and defining the problem, the first two steps of the design thinking process. Students were tasked with designing five structures, but were restricted by inspiration words that helped define the look and feel of their space. Using only paper, rubber bands, string, tape, glue, and a few more simple materials, students brought their proposals to life in very clever, innovative ways. 

A snapshot of interdisciplinary learning: A student approached a STEAM educator and asked, "How do you make a four-sided pyramid out of paper?" To which the STEAM educator replied, "I don't know. I'll get the scissors and meet you at the table." The next five or so minutes were spent failing forward together until we built a three-dimensional pyramid with a square base and four congruent isosceles triangle faces. Once done, the footprint of our creation was too big for the structure, so another two minutes were spent discovering that we did not need to rebuild the pyramid with different dimensions, but rather discard a cross-section to shorten the pyramid that would also decrease the footprint. The mathematical skills, vocabulary and visual-spatial reasoning needed to work through this challenge were evident in every step. While humanities was directly highlighted in this lesson through the inspiration words and the story-telling nature of this build, it was impossible to implement that story without math. Math is everywhere, math is everything!

October 2023

In Kol-lab, kindergarteners were reintroduced to the Design Thinking Process, specifically empathy for a client. As makers, a lot of what we design is for our own use, but we asked kindergarteners to step outside themselves and think about the needs of our poor animals in the rain. After reading a book about the animals in Noah's ark, we asked students to design shelters for the many animals we have. Our animals hate being in the rain, but still want to be able to see their surroundings. After a brief lesson on how to use tape dispensers safely, effectively, and without waste, students used only paper, tape, and scissors to construct these rain shelters. 

October 2023

Grade 3 students began a unit of study focused on electricity. After learning about atoms (through diagrams and discussion), students actually became model of neighboring atoms transferring electrons. After learning about what happens at the atomic level, students traveled to different stations to see static electricity in action. 

Next, students moved from static to current electricity. In two exploratory lessons, students learned about open and closed circuits, then used their knowledge of a circuit to test many different materials for electrical conductivity. 

October 2023

In Kol-lab, we are focusing on the Design Thinking Process, specifically empathy for a client. After a quick exploration about different drawing tools and how to use them safely and effectively, we shared the challenge: create a design for a button that your classmate can put on their backpack. We guided the students through client interviews where they learned about what their partner liked. Using this knowledge, they designed multiple options for the client to peruse and ultimately created a beautiful button for a classmate.

October 2023

When we announced that teachers had issues, there was no surprise among the middle school students. But, we further clarified: specific teachers had inconvenciences in their lives that needed to be addressed. The teachers were our clients. Through interviews, students empathized with the client and defined the problem that needed to be solved. After drafting proposals, students created prototypes for the teachers in need.

From a participating teacher: "It was clear they were listening to my needs and asked thoughtful questions with the intention of designing what I needed. Their proposal gave multiple ideas, some of which had never occurred to me."

October 2023

Students in Grade 5 explored a few paper techniques and then built sculptures based on increasingly more difficult inspiration words. Building with paper is an important skill for makers as prototyping is a critical part of the design process. It allows engineers to understand the design, communicate solutions, test and improve designs, and advocate for their ideas. When we can create our designs first out of paper, we can see some of the potential challenges and adjust as needed before beginning the final build, saving time and resources. Students learn the versatility of a simple material, like paper or cardboard, and see the value of a prototype in their future projects.

October 2023

Empathize: Students conducted an interview with a classmate. 

Define the Problem: The classmate was attending an event with a certain vibe (they were assigned these events and vibes from online spinners; ex. abstract canoe trip, wiggly car ride, nervous sleepover). The classmate needed a carrying system to hold a wallet, phone, and keys that was optimized for their event.

Ideate: Students wrote a proposal and presented it to the classmate for feedback, iterated, presented the proposal again, etc.

Build: Students built prototypes of their designs on a smaller scale.

October 2023

In Social Studies class, students researched the history of an invention (the invention, the inventor, and the impact).  The students nominated their inventions for the "Invention Hall of Fame," and argued their case in front of the board (a panel of teachers).  In the past these projects included a poster advertising the invention. This year, to accompany their persuasive speeches,  students came to the Kol-lab to build a model. Many students challenged themselves to add multiple making techniques and include moveable features. Models used magnets, gears, paper cutting, spring-loaded mechanisms, electronics, lights and more to wow the panelists. We were thrilled to see so many making skills come together for one exciting project.

September 2023

In Grade 7 Makermath, students did a project called "Two Windows and One Door." Students were each given the outer walls for a model home and given the directions to create 2 windows and a door for their house. They were given latitude in terms of how they defined a window or a door. After completing a smaller version of the house, they measured their creations in order to scale it up to a larger cube that was twice the size. They used proportional reasoning and directly applied the yearly theme of small and large scale.

September 2023

In Jewish Studies class with Rabbi Clevenger, each student chose a social justice issue that is important to them, then designed a sukkah to inform people about the issue or help with the issue in some way. With the building taking place in the Kol-lab, students had access to a variety of materials and tools. Each finished project used many different maker techniques.

September 2023

Challenge: You are a nomad and you’re sick of carrying your gear. You were able to round up some creatures, but they’re not your typical beasts of burden.... they're dinosaurs. Design a humane carrying system for your dinosaur that carries the items you need transported without infringing on the safety and comfort of your dinosaur. 

In this challenge, students worked collaboratively through the design thinking process. They also paused midway to share their designs and participate in See, Think, Wonder.

This challenge was immediately followed by a similar challenge where students added empathy: design a carrying system for a partner's needs. With each challenge students become more comfortable moving cyclically through the design thinking process. To learn more about this process, visit the About section of our site.

September 2023

Students in Grade 2 created covers for their siddurim (prayer books), which they received last spring. With teacher support, students operated a sewing machine. They thought deeply about symbols and words that should be on their siddurim, made a rough draft, and then copied the beautiful design onto the fabric. They will use these covers for years to come!

September 2023

As a way to engage students fully in the mitzvah of tzedakah, kindergarten students learned about how and why we give. Then we brainstormed about how a tzedakah box should look, and how it differs from an ordinary piggy bank. Students spent time in the Kol-lab learning about how to use acrylic paint and paint brushes responsibly, how to use a paint pen, and about how to layer paint colors successfully. Students will donate weekly and look proudly on their work as they perform this important mitzvah.

 September 2023

Grade 1 approached the STEAM Team with a challenge: How can we make our Writer's Notebook covers more personal and build ownership over the notebook and the work it will contain?

Before beginning work on the covers, students explored the many types of glue we can use and discussed the differences between them. Like any project in the Kol-lab, we hope to build new maker skills during the process and this was the perfect opportunity to teach the proper technique to using liquid glue. Students decorated their covers with ripped paper collages, then sealed the collages with mod podge. We hope looking at this reminder of their creativity will encourage their unique voices during Writing lessons this year.

August 2023

Throughout this year, middle school students will be asked to engage in a process of feedback called, "See, Think, Wonder." By using very direct statements about what the observers see and wonder, designers are able to hear and see how someone interacts with a product. It allows for purposeful, nonjudgmental peer critique.

To introduce this protocol, students were hired as graphic designers by a company creating a new pixelated video game.  Students were tasked with using a simple grid to create a hero, then a villain. The twist: the characters were not labeled. We used see, think, wonder to examine some of the characters. The original artists learned quickly how their work was perceived by an audience. In some instances, their intentions were readily understood: "I wonder if those middle squares represent a frown." In other instances, the intentions were misunderstood: "I see two points on the top. I wonder if those are horns, (they were, in fact, meant to be kitten ears on the hero). This protocol will allow us as designers to iterate our designs to clearly communicate what we intended.

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To see projects from 2022-2023, click here.