Search

Class Details

The Social > Middle School Make Lab
Description

Middle School Make Lab

Can your middle schooler think outside the box? Our middle school program provides students with hands-on projects that encourage all types of skill building and problem-solving. Everything from printmaking to coding to 3D CAD, many cool activities are introduced and explored as they are challenged to build real world skills.
  • Teacher
    Kim Kuiper
  • Category
    Middle School PBL
  • Cost
    $89/Month Two Morning Program or $64/Month One Morning Per Week (per child)
  • Register

Class Description

The first half of the year, students will be led through various hands-on skill building projects that include art, prototyping, and STEAM-like principles. The second half of the year students will work through an awesome Project-Based Learning challenge that will put their skills to the test. This 18 session project will include a blend of technology tools + hands-on making as each student dives into the world of product development. Each student will present their project and supporting artifacts at Middle School Presentation Day at the end of the year.

Objectives:

Business exploration: Students will be able to understand and practice the steps needed to create a company that produces a product and evaluate the pricing concepts like costs, margin and profit.

Computer program skills: Students will be able to use various web-based apps to support the creation of their business and product. (programs may include: Canva for graphic design, TinkerCAD for 3D CAD, various coding programs)

Craftsmanship: Students will be able to develop a reasonably high quality end product and prototypes, knowing the differences between ideas, rough “drafts," and final result.

Application Math: Our PBL projects will include the use and understanding application math like measurement, conversion, fractions, decimals within the context of their projects.

Follow a process: Students will be able to follow a process that leads to the result of a finished product.

Problem solving: Students will be able figure out solutions to the challenges they encounter with their ideas. This includes navigating failure and how to use failure as a part of the process.

Product development: Students will be able to create a unique product that is supported by multiple artifacts that align with their overarching idea.

Entrepreneurship: Students will be able to create a product for the market that is supported by research and pricing at an introductory/exploratory level.

Activities: Supporting learning activities will be a mix of hands-on and computer focused solutions. Technology literacy is an important skill for students to explore as the future of work is moving more and more into a digital world. The other learning activities will be focused on physical making and crafting with the purpose of testing ideas and models to validate the student’s idea.

Requirements

Students should be prepared to be challenged and ready to have fun while they learn new skills

  • Equipment and Supplies
  • Students are required to have a laptop/chromebook
  • There are limited classroom computers available
  • There are no other costs for materials and supplies

Good to know

PBL is a popular delivery method and can be fun for students as it provides flexibility in their learning experience. Often there is no right answer as we model our projects after real world and work situations. There are no worksheets with predetermined answers. We see tremendous growth in confidence and public sharing as students learn to trust their judgement and decisions. We encourage trying and failing but also practice recovering through the problem solving process.