These are projects I'd like to do Someday...
With Kindergarten, I'm excited to introduce them to simple, basic ideas and let them explore. Developing that "Maker Spirit" and the traits of perseverance, determination, and the celebration of failure are more important in the long run, than the actual teaching of skills.
.
.
Squishy Circuits
That being said, I'd really like to try some Squishy Circuits with them to develop the beginning level understanding of electricity. My challenge will be to do it safely with BIG non-swallowable batteries, or with AC circuit boards
School-wide Challenge
Planning and participating in school-wide challenges are big projects. As a Maker coach at my site, I'm helping plan our end-of-year challenge.
Last year, we did a Maker city, including scale and limits on how much space each class can take up on the floor of the cafeteria. It was very successful and showed a wide range of skill levels and difficulty, as is to be expected on a K-6 campus. The students loved the brainstorming parts of a city part of the project as well as the actual construction. We learned a lot as a staff that month about letting go of expectations. The uncertainty is really hard for many of us, but it was a worthwhile experience.
This year, we are planning a Carnival/Amusement Park. We have taken away scale, but opened up the idea of using motors and batteries (extension cords can be provided to classes who ask for that access). It should be really fun to see what the kids all come up with. We are expecting some carnival rides, midway games, food booths, and maybe a petting zoo.
Last year, we did a Maker city, including scale and limits on how much space each class can take up on the floor of the cafeteria. It was very successful and showed a wide range of skill levels and difficulty, as is to be expected on a K-6 campus. The students loved the brainstorming parts of a city part of the project as well as the actual construction. We learned a lot as a staff that month about letting go of expectations. The uncertainty is really hard for many of us, but it was a worthwhile experience.
This year, we are planning a Carnival/Amusement Park. We have taken away scale, but opened up the idea of using motors and batteries (extension cords can be provided to classes who ask for that access). It should be really fun to see what the kids all come up with. We are expecting some carnival rides, midway games, food booths, and maybe a petting zoo.