Recycling game: where do you throw it away?

Title: recycling game: where do you throw it away?

Cristina Martín Higarza, José Ramón Álvarez Salgado, Verónica Neuman González

C.P.E.B Cabañaquinta, Cabañaquinta – Asturias – Spain

Introduction What is it about (topic) Sustainable cities and communities.

Who is it for (age group) 15-16 years old

Short outline of what will happen during the course/project:

In this project the students will design and fabricate a board game with which they will easily learn to identify the type of waste that goes in each container. The objective is to design a game that teaches how to recycle by playing, therefore raising awareness on environmental issues.

The students will work in groups and follow the phases of the Design Circle. In the ideation phase they will consider different possible solutions for a game and make some sketches. Students will have to agree on one design that will be manufactured in the fabrication phase. Using a laser cutter, vinyl cutter and 3D printer the different part of the game can be executed. In the end the students also will elaborate the game’s instructions.

Link to other subjects/courses? Biology / Scientific culture/ English

Pre-knowledge What knowledge do you expect from your students at the start of the project? (Soft skills, knowledge)

– Working in a team towards a common goal.

– Previous knowledge about a vector based drawing program (such as Illustrator, Inkscape or Sketchup) and also about a 3D CAD design tool (such as Tinkercad).

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

Knowledge:

–   Recognize the importance of recycling as a solution to some environmental problems.

–   Understand descriptions and opinions and express yourself in an informal conversation in a foreign language.

Research & information fluency:

–  Locate, organize, analyze and synthesize information from a variety of sources and media.

–  Evaluate and select digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

–  Process data and report results using Information and Communication Technologies.

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–  Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

–  Plan activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

–  Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

–  Critique, evaluate and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

Communication and collaboration:

–  Communicate information effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media, languages and formats.

–  Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Creativity and innovation

–     Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

–   Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and developing skills in order to design and make prototypes and products.

–   Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Time Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 7 lessons of 50 minutes)

6 lessons:  5 lessons of 110 minutes and 1 lesson divided in 4 lessons of 220 minutes.

Assessment How will the students be graded (what instrument will you use?)

–       Personal reflections at the start and the end of the project.

–       Research, production and presentation of a project proposal (group work)

–       Production of a final portfolio.

 

Resources

Human (how many teachers/assistants are needed)

– Biology teacher / English teacher

– FabLab assistant.

Facilities (what do you need in terms of rooms, equipment etc.)

– FabLab workshop with 3D printer, vinyl cutter and laser cutter.

– ICT classroom with PCs.

Materials MDF board

Vinyl in four colours

Cardboard

A3/A4 size paper

Post-its

 

Pencils and marker pens

Meter rule / Calliper

Glue

Scissors

Brass fastener

 

PC with Internet Access

(Instructables/Pinterest)

Tinkercad

Inkscape

MakerCase

Printer

3D Printer + filament

Vinyl cutter

Laser cutter

Camera / Voice recorder

 

Lesson 1

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

Students frame a real-world problem. In this case, they work with the 11 SDG (Sustainable Development Goal): sustainable cities and communities.

They also understand what they have to do  and plane the design process.

Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

2 lessons of 55 minutes
Phase of the DBL model DESIGN BRIEF
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Understand the task.

–       Find out students’ previous knowledge about sustainability.

–       Define the steps to complete the project.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Brainstorming: on A3 size paper, all members of the team record any thoughts that they have about the question or issue (this can be done with each member having a small post-it note pad to record their thoughts).

–       Answer a survey with the following questions:

1.     Generally speaking, how would you explain the meaning of the word “sustainability”?

2.     What does it mean to be an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city?

3.     Are cities in the world sustainable?

4.     Do you consider air pollution to be a major risk for human health?

5.     Is there a need for more public resources to be devoted to the protection of nature?

6.     Would you introduce stricter controls and more stringent penalties for those who damage nature?

7.     What could be done in your school or city?

–       Plan the exact steps of the project with the students.

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc)

A3 and A4 size paper

Post-its

Pencils.

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–  Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

Tips from an expert – Make students focus on general ideas (not to go into details)

– Brainstorms should absolutely be open ended but that doesn’t mean that a brainstorm should have infinite scope. It’s easy to get lost if your brainstorming session doesn’t have a clear goal.

 

Lesson 2

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

 

Students develop new insights about sustainability searching for information on the Internet.

 

Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

 

2 lessons of 55 minutes

 

Phase of the DBL model FIELD STUDY
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Search for information on the Internet to produce new knowledge about sustainability.

–       Produce a document with their research findings.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Choose a group to be the target audience and get to know them a bit by doing some interviews.

–       Search information about what an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city is and share the findings.

–       Write a document with the conclusions and suggest what could be done in our city. It should include:

1.     Generally speaking, how would you explain the meaning of the word “sustainability”?

2.     What does it mean to be an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city?

3.     What could be done in your school or city?

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc)

 

 

PC with Internet Access.

A4 size paper.

Pencils.

Voice recorder.

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

 

Research & information fluency:

–  Locate, organize, analyze and synthesize information from a variety of sources and media.

–  Process data and report results using Information and Communication Technologies.

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–  Plan activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

Tips from an expert It is important that students are able to find reliable sources of knowledge.

 

Lesson 3

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

Students try to come up with many possible design ideas and sketch them. They decide the final product.
Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

2 lessons of 55 minutes
Phase of the DBL model IDEATION
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Generate lots of visual ideas to solve the task.

–       Illustrate their ideas making some sketches of the product and explain its functions.

–       Choose a final design.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Create some quick hand-drawn paper sketches of an object which should increase the sustainability of our school or village.

–       Reach an agreement and determine what to build. In this case a board game about recycling.

–       Elaborate the game instructions.

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc)

 

A4 size paper.

Pencils.

Marker pens.

Meter rule.

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

Creativity and innovation:

–   Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–  Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

Knowledge: To engage students in learning about the environmental benefits of recycling.

Tips from an expert

 

There are no wrong ideas. All team members should feel free to express their ideas, no matter how unusual.  It is important not to discard the list of ideas that are not being taken forward to prototyping. These ideas may still be valid and can be used at another time.

Give pupils enough freedom to choose the solution.

 

Lesson 4

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

 

Students transform their digital designs into mockups and prototypes.

 

Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

4 lessons of 220 minutes.
Phase of the DBL model FABRICATION
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Use digital technology to design the game.

–       Transform their designs into physical products using different materials and machines.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Design the boxes, the stickers, the die and the arrow using Inkscape and Tinkercad.

–       Choose suitable tools and materials.

–       Cut the boxes where we will keep the board game with the laser cutter.

–       Cut the stickers in triangular vinyl pieces for the roulette in different colours (orange, blue, yellow and green) using the vinyl cutter.

–       Fabricate the die and the arrow of the roulette using the 3D printer.

–       Cut the board and the cards using the laser cutter.

–       Print the photos of the recyclable products on paper and glue them on the cards.

–       Test and modify prototypes.

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc)

 

Computer with Internet access (Instructables/pinterest)

Tinkercad

Inkscape

MakerCase

Vinyl in four colours

Meter roule / Calliper

Printer and A4 size paper

Paper / Cardboard

Marker pens

Laser cutter

MDF board 3mm and 5mm

3D printer + filament

Glue

Scissors

Brass fastener

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

Research & information fluency:

–     Evaluate and select digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

Creativity and innovation:

–   Build and apply a repertoire of knowledge, understanding and skills in order to design and make prototypes and product.

–    Develop the creative, technical and practical expertise needed to perform everyday tasks confidently and to participate successfully in an increasingly technological world.

Knowledge:

–     Recognize the importance of recycling as a solution to some environmental problems.

 

Tips from an expert

 

–       Special attention to the fitting pieces must be paid in the construction of the box. They may need to be modified until they adjust perfectly.

–       It is important to make different prototypes with different materials.

 

Lesson 5

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

Students stage, communicate and test the game (themselves and with others). They get feedback.
Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

 

2 lessons of 55 minutes

 

Phase of the DBL model ARGUMENTATION
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Ask themselves specific questions about what worked well and what still needs improvement.

–       Improve communication skills.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Test the game with other schoolmates.

–       Twinning with other students.

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc) 

Camera.

PC with Internet access.

Recycling board game prototype.

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

Research & information fluency:

–       Process data and report results.

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–       Critique and test their ideas and products and the work of others.

Communication and collaboration:

–       Communicate information effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media, languages and formats.

Knowledge:

–       Understand descriptions and opinions and express yourself in an informal conversation in a foreign language.

Tips from an expert –       Twinning sessions must be prepared in advance to prevent technical problems or any other complications. The number of students that are going to participate should also be previously agreed on in order to avoid unnecessary disruption.

–       Try to be self-critical and do not be afraid to show your points of view.

–       It is important to note that after critiquing the plan, the team may recognise that the plan that they have developed is not going to work at this phase. This is where you can return to the other ideas listed at the ideation phase and develop a prototype around another idea which may be a more effective solution.

Lesson 6

Introduction

Brief description of what the lesson is about

Students think about what they have learned in the design process and how they can transfer their learning experience to other subjects and contexts.
Time

Amount of lessen + minutes per lesson (i.e. 2 lessons of 50 minutes)

2 lessons of 55 minutes
Phase of the DBL model REFLECTION
Lesson goals/design output

What will the students have achieved after this lesson?  For instance: the student will have 12 new ideas

–       Reflect on the work they have done.

–       Get feedback.

–       Know which aspects can be improved in future projects.

Activity

Description of what the students will be doing

–       Personal reflections.

–       Collaborative dialogue among them and with the partners twinning.

Materials

Overview of what materials needed (also think about powerpoints etc)

A4 size paper.

Pencils.

Learning goals

●      Soft skills (21st century skills?)

●      Knowledge (theoretical skills)

●      Practical skills

 

Problem solving & critical thinking:

–  Evaluate their ideas and products and the work of others.

Communication and collaboration

–  Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Video, files and presentation available in drive:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1LhKccsG46Klxfi7V3juncw6gUhMAyI6i

https://drive.google.com/open?id=18BR32gKCNgA92orKIPNIRGFlaXONttsc

 

REFLECTIONS AT TEACHER LEVEL

DESIGN BRIEF
SUCCESS CRITERIA – The students are able to understand the task.

– The students are able to see the problem from their perspective.

 

CHALLENGES

– Give students concrete, real life situations to analize.

– Be able to find out students’ previous knowledge about a problem or situation.

 

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING

– Communicate expectations.

– Real-world based learning.

– Brainstorm individually and collaboratively.

 

FIELD STUDY
 

SUCCESS CRITERIA

– The students are able to produce a document with their research findings.

– The students are able to find solutions to a problem.

 

CHALLENGES

– Search for information to produce new knowledge.

– Redefining and focusing the task based on found insights.

 

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING

– Develop cooperation among students.

– Activate learners’ background knowledge.

IDEATION
SUCCESS CRITERIA – The students are able to draw designs.

– The students are able to work collaboratively on a task.

CHALLENGES – Generate lots of ideas to solve the design thinking problem or challenge.

– Illustrate the design to resolve the task.

 

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING

– Use multiple tools for communicating ideas.

– Work in cooperative groups.

FABRICATION
SUCCESS CRITERIA – The students are able to understand that different materials have various properties and are used to produce different products.

– The students are able to transform digital designs into physical products.

CHALLENGES – Make prototypes and use both the software and the machines themselves.

– Know the different materials and their possible uses.

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING – Encourage active learning.

– Test and refine.

ARGUMENTATION
 

SUCCESS CRITERIA

– The students are able to communicate with one another to gain feedback and refine solutions.

– The students are able to ask specific questions about what worked well and what still needs improvement.

CHALLENGES – Listen to and consider other students’ opinions.

– Accept and learn from one’s own errors in the final product.

– Improve communication skills.

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING – Develop reciprocity among students.

– Give prompt feedback.

REFLECTION
SUCCESS CRITERIA – The students are able to reflect on the process in a way that works best for them.

– The students are able to try new projects.

CHALLENGES – Develop self-assessment and reflection.

– Know which aspects can be improved in future projects.

 

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING

– Respect diverse talents and ways of learning.

– Be critical and reflective.

– Encourage contact between students and teachers.

 

REFLECTION AT A PERSONAL LEVEL

WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THAT CAN DEVELOP MY PROFESSION? The application of this methodology develops empathy, entrepreneurship, creative and critical thinking as well as collaborative and social skills. It also increases students’ motivation. It expands students academic and professional experience beyond the official curriculum and outside the conventional school environment.
HOW WILL I IMPLEMENT THIS IN MY DAILY WORK? Working in projects on a regular basis. Integrating design thinking processes within the curriculum of ordinary school subjects. Applying this methodology to tackle real problems and challenges in the classroom and in the school.
HOW WILL I SHARE THIS KNOWLEDGE WITH MY COLLEGUES AND STUDENTS? Sharing documentation of learning and final reflections with them in personal communications and through social media. Organising working groups and workshops to introduce and work on this methodology. Presenting the project to the school community both in regular meetings and through social networking. Include the project in school official documents.

 

REFLECTIONS AT STUDENT LEVEL

POINSTS OF INTEREST –       Everyone’s ideas count.

–       We can provide specific solutions to real problems.

–       We are able to use trial-and-error approaches.

–       The work is interesting, rewarding and challenging.

–       We are able to build physical, tangible objects.

–       The final design is presented to the users for their feedback.

CHALLENGES –       Be able to efficiently search for relevant information.

–       Be able to reach a compromise between different viewpoints.

–       Be able to autonomously use graphic design software.

–       Be able to correctly determine the materials that are most appropriate for the design, as well as the machines that will be used.

–       Be able to apply logic in solving or finding solutions to problems.

PRINCIPLES FOR GOOD LEARNING –       Learning in groups.

–       Learning anytime/anywhere.

–       Listen, consider and respect others’ ideas.

–       Develop one’s own initiative and creativity.

–       Increase students’ participation and motivation.