Kinsey Schneider & Kate Stinson
First Grade
Meet the Makers:
Kinsey Schneider, 1st grade teacher
Kate Stinson, Literacy Coach
My name is Kinsey Schneider and I am a 1st grade teacher at Ronald Reagan Elementary.
My name is Kate Stinson and I am a literacy coach for Ronald Reagan & Elmwood Elementary Schools.
We feel maker culture is important because it promotes the ability to think flexibly while combing student skills sets in order to create new perspectives or learning.
Provocation: How will you teach your partner a reading strategy in order for them to become a stronger and more confident reader?
Maker Plan: First Grade Reading (teaching reading strategies)
MAKER PLAN Please view our maker plan to see step by step break down for rolling out this project. Prior to this experience students engaged in the following skill builders to help build background knowledge and availability of resources: Scratch Junior, Clips, Sphero, Ready-Set-Design, & mini-maker experience creating new ways to communicate using light.
What we are making, Why we are Making, Who we are Making for:
We are making a product to help young students learn reading strategies.
We are making this to help students be able to have stronger reading skills in order to access more literature.
We are making this for students who struggle to independently use a strategy to solve tricky words when reading.
Maker Skill Builders & Highlights
Introduction of Scratch Jr. & Clips
Scratch Jr: We introduced the idea of coding and getting your Sprite to move from point A to point B. Students had time to explore in this session and in other learning experiences.
Clips: Students were taught how to upload a video/photo, add stickers, voice, and labels in order to create a short video.
Check out these photos of student learning experiences: Scratch Jr. Clips
Introduction of Sphero
Students learned how to set up and start the Sphero by locating the tail. This helped them to program and control the Sphero to go to a desired destination.
Check out these photos of student learning experiences Sphero
Ready-Set-Design
Students were given a small bag of supplies. Within small groups, students were given the task to carry a Hershey kiss across the room by creating a new invention.
Learn more about Ready-Set- Design here
Check out these photos of student learning experiences
Mini Maker Experience
Students previously learned about light within their science curriculum. Students were given a challenge to create a new invention that used light in order to communicate. Student solutions included:
- Lights to let teacher's know students can enter intervention groups
- Lights to warn a shark is in the area
- Lights to communicate a friend is able to play
- Lights to communicate to stop running in the hallway
- Lights to communicate lunch is ready to be served
- Lights to warn of helicopters landing
- Lights to warn of a pedestrian walking at night
Access the Foss Science using your science log-in
Check out these photos of this student learning experiences
Student Product Samples
Introducing the Mission
Determining the Problem:
Individually Brainstorming Solutions:
Deciding on one Group solution:
Brainstorming the Prototype:
Building the Prototype
Testing the Prototype
Reflecting and Evaluating Prototypes
Students tinkered with their prototype to make adjustments and improve their design in order to better fit the learning outcome.
Final Prototypes
Students shared their prototype.
Additional Teacher Resources & Reproducibles:
Must know tips for Teachers:
Introducing a variety of skill builders is key to allowing students to know of the available resources for possible solutions.
Collaborate with the digital learning coach for guidance.
Strategically plan skill builders with end goal in mind. Help students think of creative ways they could use each skill builder for multiple purposes.
Think out side of the box, out loud, and with others to bounce ideas off of one another.
Plan small sessions to complete steps within maker projects.
Reach out for support when feeling overwhelmed.