During Earth Week this past spring, Gr. 1 students at Wentworth were presented with an exciting open-ended challenge: make something you think would be useful out of materials already on hand in the classroom.

A Maker-Space Approach

Employing a maker-space model, this project was designed to be a student-led learning experience, with teachers providing support and guidance when needed.

For many students, the shift from their usual structured environment was a bit daunting at first. There were lots of questions. What should I make? What materials should I use? How will I put it together? What if it doesn’t work?

“Students at this age need more time and space to create and explore and take risks,” said Gr. 1 teacher Katherine Chin. “As educators, if we create the time and space to try new things, the skills they learn extend into other areas of their education and benefit them in so many ways.”

Introducing the Design Cycle

Introducing foundational elements of the design cycle, students were encouraged to formulate a design plan, sketch out their ideas and brainstorm potential materials.

Along the way, students were encouraged to help each other with troubleshooting or fine-tuning designs, planting the seeds of collaboration. While many students were initially afraid to fail, a big part of the project was learning that mistakes are an important part of how to move things forward.

As students began to see their creations come to life throughout the design process, they started to feel more and more comfortable making choices.

“The more opportunities we give students to feel uncomfortable, the better they learn how to cope with the unknown and the discomfort of uncertainty.”

- Ms. Chin

The Make-It Expo

The Make it Expo concluded with an actual exposition that gave all three Gr. 1 classes the chance to enthusiastically share their projects with students from the other classes.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Make it Expo was the diversity of projects students created—everything from a flying car to a stuffy house.