Grade 4 Students Explore Real-World Solutions Through Design Thinking

Grade 4 students unveiled their final projects at the Third Annual Makers Faire last Tuesday. Students showcased their design prototypes to faculty and visiting family members and explained the concept behind their inventions.
 
A culmination of a six-week inquiry, the project focused on the PYP transdisciplinary theme of How the World Works. Based on the central idea of how products evolve through Design Thinking, the 4th graders were tasked with the problem of addressing a real-world need and then creating a solution for it.
 
The group studied various scientific concepts (electrical circuits, forces, and simple machines) and were introduced to a number of tech resources. Using different types of machines (a Makey Makey, 3D printers, Cameo, and Lego Mindstorms), the students were given two weeks to design their project and create the prototype.
 
Fourth grader Cooper Whittle provided some insight into the ingenuity behind the creations. “We can do cool things,” he said. “We’re not stuck in a box like some of those old scientists.”
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