Autumn “Maker” Challenges

This year we are developing our maker curriculum to incorporate units of study for each grade level from K-4. Our team consists of the media specialist, the educational technologist,and the director of technology working together and we meet monthy to collaborate.
I started with grade 3 which studies simple machines. To kick off the unit, I made up a story with a building/design challenge. Using a pumpkin and ghost as my guests, students had to design a way to get them to the Halloween party on time. Working in groups and using a box for their building along with the supplies provided at each table, students needed to design a safe way to move the guests from the bottom floor to the top floor where the party was being held. It was very exciting to see how each group and each class tried to solve this challenge. At the end of the class period, each group demonstrated how their design worked and also discussed what did not work.

In K, I used another design idea of creating the tallest pumpkin tower using candy corn pumpkins and toothpicks. They also worked in groups and had rulers to measure the height and width of their structure. It was amazing how many different approaches were used and watching the students work together to build one structure. Each group presented their final design and it was recorded.

First graders enjoyed their time in the maker space as they individually created pumpkin launchers using real “small” pumkins as their base. Each child worked at a station using a bag of rubber bands, a plastic spoon, a real pumpkin, and a bucket of various size pom poms. I made targets and had yard sticks for them to shoot at to measure how far their pom poms would launch. They also had to test different size pom poms and track if their size was related to the distance they traveled. Each child was recorded as they did a demonstration and reported on what their tests revealed.



I  started with grade 3 before they started their unit on simple machines. To kick off the unit, I made up a story with a building/design challenge.  Using a pumpkin and ghost as my guests, students had to design a way to get them to the Halloween party on time. Working in groups and using a box for their building along with the supplies provided at each table, students needed to design a safe way to move the guests from the bottom floor to the top floor where the party was being held. It was very exciting to see how each group and each class tried to solve this challenge. At the end of the class period, each group demonstrated how their design worked and also discussed what did not work. 

In conclusion, I love working this into the curriculum units and believe that the students learn so much more with a "hands on" approach. When some of the students left the room they said,"This was fun." Isn't this the goal we are all trying to achieve??? Continue to make the learning fun...

May all of you enjoy the holiday season ahead with good health and surrounded by those you love.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *