Day 6: Create Prototype

Turn plans into something students can learn from.

Day 5 gave students an opportunity to think like designers.

They examined evidence, considered constraints, evaluated possibilities, and developed a plan.

Now it's time to bring that plan to life.

Day 6 of our 10-Day Recipe is about creating a prototype.

This is often the moment students have been anticipating since the challenge was introduced.

They finally get to build, write, design, produce, or create.

But Day 6 isn't simply about making something.

It's about creating a first version that helps students learn whether their ideas are working.

Day 5 develops the plan. Day 6 puts that plan into action.

The Goal

One question should guide our planning:

What can students create that will help them test their thinking and move their solution forward?

Depending on the challenge, students might construct a physical model, develop a digital design, draft a written proposal, produce a preliminary video, build a simulation, or create an initial version of a product.

Not every project needs a physical prototype.

What matters is that students create something tangible enough to examine, discuss, and improve.

The first version should help students answer an important question:

Does our idea work the way we thought it would?

A Prototype Isn't a Finished Product

This is an important distinction.

Students sometimes believe that once they've built something, they're finished.

Teachers can unintentionally reinforce that belief when we place too much emphasis on the appearance of the product.

But a prototype is not supposed to be perfect.

It's supposed to help us learn.

A model might reveal that a structure isn't stable.

A draft might expose an unclear explanation.

A simulation might show that a proposed solution doesn't produce the expected results.

These aren't necessarily failures.

They're information.

The purpose of a prototype isn't to prove that the idea is perfect. It's to discover what the idea can actually do.

Keep the Momentum Going

One challenge with PBL is that creation can expand to fill every available minute.

Students become absorbed in details.

They want to decorate, redesign, add features, and perfect their work.

And before we know it, one day of creation has become an entire week.

That's why Day 6 needs a clear boundary.

What is the smallest meaningful version students can create that will allow them to test their thinking?

Perhaps they don't need to build the entire structure.

Maybe they need to test one mechanism.

Perhaps they don't need to produce the finished documentary.

Maybe a storyboard and one sample scene will reveal whether their message is clear.

The goal is progress, not polish.

We can always return to refinement after students receive feedback.

The Teacher's Role: Protect the Learning

Day 6 may look like students are doing most of the work.

That's intentional.

But it doesn't mean the teacher steps away from instruction.

Teachers still model techniques, clarify expectations, teach necessary skills, establish safety procedures, and provide feedback.

One of the most valuable teacher moves is helping students connect their actions to the learning.

Ask:

"What part of your plan are you testing?"

"What are you noticing as you build?"

"Is your prototype behaving as you expected?"

"What might you need to change?"

"How will you document what you've learned?"

These questions keep the experience focused on learning rather than simply completing a product.

Make the Thinking Visible

Students should capture what happens during the creation process.

This doesn't require a complicated engineering journal.

A few photographs, a short observation, an annotated sketch, or a brief reflection can be enough.

Encourage students to record:

• What they created.

• What worked as expected.

• What didn't work as expected.

• What they learned.

• What questions remain.

These observations become especially valuable when students begin receiving feedback and revising their work.

Portrait of a Graduate Connections

Critical Thinking: Identify problems, test ideas, and make decisions based on observations.

Creativity: Transform ideas into tangible products and explore alternative approaches.

Collaboration: Coordinate responsibilities, share resources, and solve problems together.

Communication: Explain design choices, document progress, and describe what was learned.

Again, these competencies aren't separate from the project.

They're developed through the work itself.

A Simple Day 6 Recipe

Keep the creation process manageable with four moves.

1. RECONNECT

Review the plan, success criteria, and constraints.

What are we trying to create?

2. CREATE

Build, write, design, produce, or develop a first version.

What can we make today?

3. TEST & OBSERVE

Try the prototype and examine how it performs.

What works? What doesn't?

4. DOCUMENT

Capture observations and identify questions.

What have we learned that will help us improve?

That's it.

The prototype doesn't need to be polished.

It needs to provide something meaningful to learn from.

The Small Bite

If you're trying this tomorrow, give students a simple challenge:

Create the smallest version of your solution that can be tested or examined.

Then ask them to complete three statements:

"Our prototype was designed to..."

"When we tried it, we noticed..."

"One thing we still need to figure out is..."

That's Day 6.

Day 1: Launch the Challenge
Day 2: Build Background Knowledge
Day 3: Deepen the Learning
Day 4: Investigate the Problem
Day 5: Plan the Solution
Day 6: Create Prototype

Next, students will share their developing work and learn from the perspectives of others.

Day 7: Feedback & Critique.

In TAPAS terms, we've followed our recipe and prepared our first dish.

Now we need to find out how it turned out.

Because the first attempt is rarely the final version.

Small bites. Big impact.

Real problems. Real learning. Real impact.