The project is designed for a 6.th grade, and the aim is to create a more inspiring PLC (School library), and therethrough to motivate kids from 1st. to 5th. grade to read more.

Who is it for (age group):

From 5-6^th grade and up.

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

The goal for the students is to learn to “read” a room and its functions, and come up with alternative ideas. To help discover and define a problem, and through a scaffold design process, to come up with their own version of an augmented solution.

After a field study at the school library and an ideation phase, the students will create a new way to look at and to use the library. You can either make the products that we ended up doing, or you can take your students through the whole process and see what designs and ideas YOUR students will come up with.

Link to other subjects: Craft and design, language.

It would be recommended if the students have some knowledge about the technologies that they will be using. We ended up using laser cutter and vinyl cutter. But you could do the project with other – or without technologies.

·         Soft skills (21^st century skills?)

·         Knowledge (theoretical skills)

·         Practical skills

The goal for the students is to learn to “read” a room and it’s functions, and come up with alternative ideas. To help discover and define a problem, and through a scaffold design process, to come up with their own version of an augmented solution.

We spend 18 lessons of 45 minutes – again it depends on the use and the pre-knowledge of the technologies.

The students will be implementing their work at the library and there through receive feedback from both students, teacher and the librarian. We had no other assessment for the course.

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

For a whole class it would be nice to have an assistant with you. The assistant could be a student that knows the technologies well.

This presentation in Google Slide

See more inspiration from course on this Blog

Brief description of what the lesson is about

The design brief – Class conversation. The students were told that they had to help solve a real problem. The national tests in reading, shows that our students don’t read as much as they should. We want to help other students to read more by creating a more inspiring atmosphere in the school library.

We have also just worked with the UN’s 17 sustainable goals, so this would also be a way for them to contribute to the goal “Better education”.

The students were “forced” into the learning pit, to try to define the concept of reading. Through different activities they came up with the definition “understanding symbols and signs”. The time they spend in the learning pit, they talked about things like “reading a situation, reading body language, can you choose NOT to read?, can you read a symbol?, can you read a language you don’t understand?”.

They also had to do an experiment about finding a book that they would like to read. It had to be a book that they didn’t knew exist. They had to look for things that helped them find the book and also come up with things that could have helped/inspired them if the library were different.

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

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

To have a wide understanding of the concept of reading.

To have done some field studies at the library.

Description of what the students will be doing

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

PC

Access to the library

Mobile phones

·         Soft skills (21^st century skills?)

·         Knowledge (theoretical skills)

·         Practical skills

To define a wide concept, like “reading” – what is it? What does it mean?

To do a field study of a room and analyze its functions.

To collect data.

Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average

Brief description of what the lesson is about

In the field study, it became clear to several of the students that they were missing some visual help to find books at the library. They also thought it was easier and faster to read symbols rather than words.

These lessons are about moving from words to simple easy to read icon, and how to implement them in the library.

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

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

Description of what the students will be doing

Activity 1)

To give their products some kind of content, that were linked to literature that they have read throughout their school time from 1st. to 6th. grade, we did a brainstorm. The idea was to give them content that they could put into a visual effect/product as a part of the solution. A common data bank where everyone could pick ideas from.

Activity 2)

Pick either a book , an author or a character from our data bank, and draw something that could be a visual inspiration. You can think in book covers, silhouettes, quotes or something complete different.

Share your drawing in a group and give each other feedback. In the feedback focus on:

1. Is the choice (book, genre, character etc.) suitable for the age group 1st. -6th. graders?
2. Is it clear what book it’s from?
3. Does the idea/drawing inspire you to read the book?

Choose the best idea in the group and present it for the class in a short pitch.

In class – we choose the one idea we would like to go with – it can be a combination of several ideas.

We will do ideation on the idea till we come up with a clear idea of a product.

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

·         Soft skills (21^st century skills?)

·         Knowledge (theoretical skills)

·         Practical skills

Being able to give and receive feedback to/from other students.

Creating icons that simplifies more or less complicated content.

Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average

Brief description of what the lesson is about

If you have come up with different ideas the rest of the lesson plan is only for inspiration.

The Vinylcutter project:

The group on the vinylcutter will be working on dots for the floor that will lead visitors in the library in the right direction. The dots will create 3 lines on the floor, placed in the shape of a fan.

1.st line: Will lead the visitors to the left, finding nonfiction literature. Inside the dots there will be words like “Travel”, “Sports”, “History” ect.

2.nd line: Will lead the visitors straight ahead, finding small children’s books. Because the youngest students can’t read yet, the dots will show small pictures of characters from children’s books like “Winnie the Pooh”, “Peter Pan” ect.

3.rd line: Will lead the visitors to the right, finding fiction. The dots here will say things like “Harry potter”, “Lord of the rings”, “Robinson Crusoe” ect.

The laser cutter project:

The groups working on the laser cutter, will create symbols and icon in acrylic and wood to place between the books on the shelves. The idea is that all these figures is sticking out of the books in the whole library, helping visitors to quickly navigate through themes and well known book series.

The laser cut icons will be placed mainly in the nonfiction and the fiction section.

In the nonfiction section there will be icons like “a globe” between the books about countries, “an elephant” between the animal books etc.

In the fiction section there will be small silhouettes of book characters.

After the fabrication the students will be implementing their work in the library and receiving feedback from student users, teachers and the librarian and reflect upon their work and the process.

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

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

Finishing their products and placing them in the library.

Description of what the students will be doing

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

·         Soft skills (21^st century skills?)

·         Knowledge (theoretical skills)

·         Practical skills

Drawing vector.

Operating vinyl cutter and laser cutter.

Challenges and help you can provide students with who are either faster or slower than average