Step 1: Unplugged
Objective: To introduce a process of design that starts with talking to one another. Whatever you build with code should serve a purpose or fill a need. Sometimes what you build will make the world more beautiful, or help somebody else. Our design process, based on a process called design thinking, can give students a specific framework for thinking purposefully about design.
Overview: In this activity, we will take some private reasoning time to gather our thoughts. We will also use partners to help us flush out ideas and strengthen our ideas that we have been collecting.
Materials: Pairs of students, something to take notes on
5 Minutes
Getting started: Grab your empathy maps from your guide. You will see two copies. The first is for us to gather empathy for what an engaged student processes and feels in the classroom. The second is for the disengaged student. Examining both will help us further solidify our ideas moving forward.
If you finish early, then begin to think about the type of bird you wish to build that will represent your solutions to help save the engaged student.
5 minutes: Student A interviews Student B. The goal is to find out what Student B considers to be their ideal engaged and disengaged student. Student A should mostly listen, and ask questions to keep Student B talking for the entire time. Here are some questions to start with:
- What do you empthasize with an engaged student?
- What do you empthasize with an disengaged student?
- What type of birds do you associate with these students?
- What movement patterns relate to the descriptors?
- What colors connect?
- What habitat represents the classroom of these students?
5 minutes: Student B interviews Student A, as above.
The goal is to find out more about your partner by asking questions. Try to ask “Why?” as much as possible. Your partner will tell you about his or her ideal pet, but you are really finding out more about your partner’s likes and dislikes. When we design, we create real things for real people. So we need to start with understanding them first.
5 minutes: Student A and Student B review their notes, and circle anything that seems as if it will be important to understanding how to create the ideal bird to help save the endangered species of the engaged student.
“I will design and make a __________________ because __________________.”
This definition statement should draw some conclusions about the goal moving forward based on the conversation they have had with that person.
Student A and Student B sketch at least 3 ideas of bird designs on chart paper that would meet their needs. Stick figures and diagrams are okay. At this point, quantity is more important than quality.
On the chart paper begin to label symbols and metaphors of the body parts, colors, movement, background, scenery, etc. to begin to flush out ideas to be shared with the group.
Bird diagrams have been shared with you to help you dive into some further learning of birds.
5 minutes: Gallery Walk
I Like, I Wonder, Next Steps
Read the posters and using 3 different color stickies leave feedback on the posters
- I like the fact that...
- I wonder if...
- A next step might be...