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Meet the Maker: James Slonac
Meet the Maker: James Slonac
My name is Jim Slonac and I am a 5th grade teacher at Elmwood. Maker culture is important because it offers students a great opportunity to be creative and explore new ideas.
My name is Jim Slonac and I am a 5th grade teacher at Elmwood. Maker culture is important because it offers students a great opportunity to be creative and explore new ideas.
Provocation: Imagine that you are opening a new company and you are the owner. One of the challenges is maintaining your business in the future because it is difficult for companies to succeed long term. Think of a product or service that has a positive effect in the world and that will sustain long term growth. This idea can be something completely new or an innovation to a product or service that exists.
Provocation: Imagine that you are opening a new company and you are the owner. One of the challenges is maintaining your business in the future because it is difficult for companies to succeed long term. Think of a product or service that has a positive effect in the world and that will sustain long term growth. This idea can be something completely new or an innovation to a product or service that exists.
Maker Plan: (Social Studies - Economics)
Maker Plan: (Social Studies - Economics)
MAKER PLAN: Tying our social studies unit on economics to curriculum related to Junior Achievement and our field trip to JA Biz Town, where students run and work at a business.
MAKER PLAN: Tying our social studies unit on economics to curriculum related to Junior Achievement and our field trip to JA Biz Town, where students run and work at a business.
What we are making, Why we are Making, Who we are Making for:
What we are making, Why we are Making, Who we are Making for:
We are making Inventions & Innovations.
We are making Inventions & Innovations.
We are making this product or service to impact customers in a positive way.
We are making this product or service to impact customers in a positive way.
These ideas will be for all people.
These ideas will be for all people.
Maker Skill Builders & Highlights:
Maker Skill Builders & Highlights:
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
To spark interest and ideas we read this book as a group.
Sphero
Sphero
To show an example of a great invention we used coding to develop programs.
Reverse Engineering
Reverse Engineering
To help with the creative process we looked at taking apart things to see how they were made.
Disruptus
Disruptus
This creative game challenges students to approach things differently and develop innovations.
Student Product Samples
Student Product Samples
Brainstorming and figuring out how to take apart during Reverse Engineering.
Brainstorming and figuring out how to take apart during Reverse Engineering.
Additional Student Product Samples
Additional Student Product Samples
Using Padlet to collaboratively work, input prototype sketches and upload data results from surveys.
Using Padlet to collaboratively work, input prototype sketches and upload data results from surveys.
Additional Teacher Resources & Reproducibles:
Additional Teacher Resources & Reproducibles:
A video of Sphero in action from a coded program and a slide show to use for your lessons.
A video of Sphero in action from a coded program and a slide show to use for your lessons.
Mr. Slonac Teacher Tips:
Mr. Slonac Teacher Tips:
1. Have fun with the overall Making experience.
1. Have fun with the overall Making experience.
2. Try offering specific criteria and constraints to keep things less open ended and at times more challenging. (This can be for skill builders as well)
2. Try offering specific criteria and constraints to keep things less open ended and at times more challenging. (This can be for skill builders as well)
3. The prototyping phase can be tedious and time consuming, think about condensing or adjusting.
3. The prototyping phase can be tedious and time consuming, think about condensing or adjusting.
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