The last month has been full test mode but the after school program has been launched. Writing the units has involved a significant time investment. The research of similar types of projects is a starting point. It seems easier to find a collection of similar projects that can be adapted than to start from scratch. There were so many playground design projects available online that it became the first area to focus unit development.
Meanwhile the after school classes have begun and a few lessons were put together to get things started. Students are meeting twice weekly for their STEM project classes. In the first few sessions the projects were discussed and some basic mathematical concepts were presented in the context of the project. The playground group will study basic geometry concepts with solids and polygons before moving into how to create a blueprint for their playground design.
The goal of the unit will be to create a playground using basic polygons and geometric solids as design elements. We will review basic math concepts to help students understand the project requirements a little better. We will try to divide the time up between a math lesson and some work on the project. As the weeks go by we will shorten the time spent reviewing geometry concepts and allow more time for the project which will be application of those concepts.
Students will research different playground equipment online then use a basic draw program to create a preliminary layout that will be finalized with more accurate measurements. If there is time, physical 3D model or digital 3D rendering would also be included. An important aspect to consider for both the model and the actual playground is the materials used to construct the equipment. The equipment listed online come with specifications and other data that can be used to help decide what will be safe and durable.
The school grounds design team (5th grade after school) began with a survey they administered to students, teachers and more importantly, parents and neighbors from the surrounding community.Each student was responsible for giving the survey to 10 different people with an equal number of community versus student or school personnel. They combined their surveys to come up with three areas that received the most interest. They were gardens or trees, a playground, and some multi use athletic field. Students are now researching these possibilities as they prepare a design proposal for the exterior school grounds. We are still trying to determine which free CAD software would work for an architectural landscape type of design.
The sixth grade afterschool project is the one I have been most involved in. We work with the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) through a partnership with the Notebaert Nature Museum. They have provided a curriculum around three environmental science units - recycling, water conservation, and energy efficiency. Mathematics and language arts have been integrated into each unit, but we will not be able to get to all three.this year. I am getting more teacher buy in and hopefully we will be able to continue this next year.
Meanwhile the after school classes have begun and a few lessons were put together to get things started. Students are meeting twice weekly for their STEM project classes. In the first few sessions the projects were discussed and some basic mathematical concepts were presented in the context of the project. The playground group will study basic geometry concepts with solids and polygons before moving into how to create a blueprint for their playground design.
The goal of the unit will be to create a playground using basic polygons and geometric solids as design elements. We will review basic math concepts to help students understand the project requirements a little better. We will try to divide the time up between a math lesson and some work on the project. As the weeks go by we will shorten the time spent reviewing geometry concepts and allow more time for the project which will be application of those concepts.
Students will research different playground equipment online then use a basic draw program to create a preliminary layout that will be finalized with more accurate measurements. If there is time, physical 3D model or digital 3D rendering would also be included. An important aspect to consider for both the model and the actual playground is the materials used to construct the equipment. The equipment listed online come with specifications and other data that can be used to help decide what will be safe and durable.
The school grounds design team (5th grade after school) began with a survey they administered to students, teachers and more importantly, parents and neighbors from the surrounding community.Each student was responsible for giving the survey to 10 different people with an equal number of community versus student or school personnel. They combined their surveys to come up with three areas that received the most interest. They were gardens or trees, a playground, and some multi use athletic field. Students are now researching these possibilities as they prepare a design proposal for the exterior school grounds. We are still trying to determine which free CAD software would work for an architectural landscape type of design.
The sixth grade afterschool project is the one I have been most involved in. We work with the Chicago Conservation Corps (C3) through a partnership with the Notebaert Nature Museum. They have provided a curriculum around three environmental science units - recycling, water conservation, and energy efficiency. Mathematics and language arts have been integrated into each unit, but we will not be able to get to all three.this year. I am getting more teacher buy in and hopefully we will be able to continue this next year.
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