Squishy Circuit Stories

A Maker Ed Project

The Squishy Circuit Story Maker Ed lesson started with just a tool, Squishy Circuits. After experimenting with the technology, a plan began to evolve and some questions began to rise, which I noted in my Maker Journal. How could I use this with my 5th graders? What kind of lesson can I create that would engage students? How will students engage with this activity? How can I allow students to question and create freely? With these questions I was able to proceed through the Design Thinking Process, starting with Emphasizing and Defining the challenge I was faced with. From there, my plan began to ideate as I moved further into the Thinking Process. In this stage, I was able to come up with multiple ideas that could work in my specific context of 5th grade. Through brainstorming and a mind-map, I was able to see the other variations that could be presented with the Squishy Circuit tool. Once I had thought through my options and experimented with the tool, I came up with the Squishy Circuit Story lesson where students would build a model with a working circuit and then write a story about their product. With the maker ed technology of the circuits, I developed my lesson plan that would incorporate all aspects of TPACK. The Squishy Circuits would encompass the technology while incorporating a writing lesson spread the content from science to English Language Arts. Creating a maker ed activity and lesson for 5th graders would align with my personal teaching pedagogy of creating an engaging, project-based lesson.

This activity will allow students to build experiences and models while using a technological tool. My 5th graders need opportunities to inquire and build. They also need more practice with writing in an engaging environment. As a teacher, I want to integrate more project-based learning to increase engagement within my classroom. Using a hands-on activity for a writing unit will provide something different and a more fun way for students to create and write. Through this lesson, I hope to engage students in a metacognitive approach to learning. As the author states in How People Learn, this "approach to instruction can help students take control of learning," while also making sure that "schools and classrooms are learner-centered" (Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning with additional material from the Committee on Learning Research and Educational Practice, 2022). Acknowledging students' creativity and incorporating all the aspects of TPACK allows for better engagement and learning in all students, which can be found in my Squishy Circuit Story lesson plan.