The Design

We started by looking closely at different structures. As the students shared their observations, ideas and connections, we wrote these down on chart paper.

The students helped create questions to help them think deeply about the concepts:

• Purpose – Why do we NEED this structure? (Sky/Hannah)
• Connection –
  • What connection does the structure have to our (someone’s) lives? (Chanwoong)
  • How are the materials connected? (Sky “Like the foundation and the glue.”)
• Function – How does it work? How do the materials work? (Kavel)
• Causation – What causes something to happen? (Hannah “Because of what…something happens…”

As the discussion continued, we began to see common ideas that were important to consider when designing and creating structures.  Some of these included:

• the purpose
  • if the structure served a functional purpose (used for or to do something)
  • if the structure was to share a memory (keep a memory alive, remember something)
  • if the structure creates beauty
• the weather conditions
• materials and how they are connected to the structure and each other
• the place – the location
• details such as colour and patterns

Next, the students were invited to think, design and create. The Task:

If you could design any structure in the world, what would it be?

The students began to create their sketches, labelling and providing important information about who, why and what their structures were about.

Conceptual Understandings:

• we solve problems during the creative process by thinking critically and imaginatively
• designs grow out of natural curiosity