Interactive Innovators: 
STEM Learning by Design
By:  Kari Stranberg

Project at a Glance :

This is a legacy project for 6th grade students where they will use what they've learned throughout their time in STEM (including 3D printing, coding, Spheros, LEGO robotics, and the Engineering Design Process) to create something that teaches and inspires others.  This unit will take 4 weeks (seeing students every other day for a total of 10 days). 

Driving Question:

How could we design and prototype an interactive exhibit or game that teaches others about a STEM topic (ie. 3D Printing, Coding, Spheros, Lego Robotics, Engineering Design Process)?

Standards:

• Engineering & Design Process:
• MS-ETS1-1 – Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution.
• MS-ETS1-2 – Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints.
• MS-ETS1-3 – Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics.
• Technology
• 1.1 Empowered Learner – Students use technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency.
• 1.4 Innovative Designer – Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems.
• 1.6 Creative Communicator – Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively using digital tools.
• ELA standards as well

Team / Culture Building:

• Teams were build  through the following protocols:
• Create ChatGPT Avitar
• Create a movie Trailer
• Value Cards
• Creative DNA ​

Entry Event:

• Mystery Station Gallery Walk: 4-5 Mini stations for students to interact with a simple demonstration (for example: mini robot maze, 3D printed puzzle, Scratch game, LETO lift mechanism)
• Board games and iPad games were also included 
• Whole group discussion follow-up to get students brainstorming toward driving question

Stakeholders:

• 5th grade students
• STEM teachers and school administration
• TinkerCad and Lego Education
• Code.org

Empathy Building:

• Stakeholders Map
• Pains and Gains ​

• Students chose a stakeholder and created a detailed profile 
• Students created a stakeholder profile poster including pains and gains

Inquiry / Need to Knows:

• Think Like a Child
• Sentence, Phrase, Word protocol was used to dive deeper into the article, "Why Do We Learn STEM in School". ​

Gaining Insights:

• When considering specific stakeholders for their projects, it allowed them to understand different perspectives and think about how their designs could meet the needs of real people in the community 
• Students presented their stakeholder profiles to the class and shared insights about their chose person's needs and perspectives

Incubation:

• Inspiration Board (Mood Board) for an idea-generating warm-up​​

• Draw the Problem
• How would _______ solve this?
• Brainwriting followed by Crazy 8 sketches​

 Checking in:

• Two Stars and A Wish Feedback allowed students to move toward making improvements 

• Use We Engage Cards icebreakers - what quote of picture best describes how you are feeling or where you are at with the project right now - this will provide some feedback on the students' projects so far

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Solution Building:

• Dot Voting was a quick way to narrow down students' ideas from their Crazy 8's sketches. They re-shared those sketches to discuss strengths and possibilities of each concept. ​​

Critique and Revision: 

• NUF Test was used to evaluate top ideas from Dot Voting. Ratings were based on how new, useful, feasible, and fun the solution was.
• Poster Session Protocol was used where students took their top idea from NUF Test and turned it into a visual display. They then shared their posters and explained how it worked. 

Authentic Audience:

• 5th grade science class​
• Principals

Solution Examples:

• 6th graders hosted a STEM fair where they showcased their final projects and shared their innovative solutions with 5th graders. ​

Building a prototype

STEM Fair

• The STEM Fair was inspiring to future STEM learners through creativity and problem-solving in action.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.
Reflection and Feedback:

• Students were assessed using the 4 C's of STEM Rubric (Collaboration, Communication of Ideas/solution, Critical Thinking (original idea), Creativity (is it engaging and teaches a STEM concept)
• 5th graders (authentic audience) used emoji faces as a fun and supportive way to share feedback to the groups

Giving Feedback

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:
Kari Stranberg is a 5th and 6th Grade STEM Teacher at White Pines Intermediate School, Grand Haven Areas Public Schools.

     "Using futurePREP'd Design thinking sequence and protocols within my PBL projects have allowed students to think deeper about a problem and looking at it from a variety of perspectives to create a more diverse solution."