Classroom Snapshots: ‘Not A Box’ Design Teams
"My name is Lila Armstrong (previous) and I am a Teacher Librarian in Campbell River, British Columbia. This was our first experience with Makedo over a two week period. Our K - 2 students began by reading "Not A Box" by Antoinette Portis. We started with a scaffolded literacy activity whereby students wrote a sentence (or more) about their “Not a Box” design. After each student created an original drawing, students made their own design teams based on what they wanted to build.
We had two sessions to build which gave them time to step away and think about what they needed to work on when they came back.
I had collected a huge mountain of cardboard and students had so much fun using the open-ended tools. It would have been better to have more time for the project, but for a first go, it was a really positive experience. I love Makedo. It's so fun and such a good way to teach concepts to students."
Lila linked the project to the following BC Curriculum for Canada objectives:
"Another big win is that Makedo projects allow for so much differentiation. I liked being able to give students tips, but otherwise let them figure it out, help each other out, and also struggle a bit. I don’t jump in at the first hurdle, but a "quick tweak" of the project for those who need it increases interest and and success. For example, the plane design team started out with a design for a cheetah! When this project stalled, I stepped in with a few new box pieces and we brainstormed something else that was easier to visualize. With a bit of guidance, this group really got the hang of it. The "quick tweak" was showing them that a few key screws were all they needed to be able to see how the project could come together."
Thanks to Lila for sharing her Makedo classroom experience. You can find more from Lila on Twitter: @Lila_TL_EWP
Are you an educator using Makedo in the classroom? We'd love to hear all about your creative learning adventures.
Educators are invited to upload here.
