The tools and resources available to students in our library makerspace enable our students to design, create, build and have fun on projects of their choice outside of lesson times. However, teachers can also use our space for any KLA.
Year 6 Geography curriculum invites students to understand the connection Australia has with neighbouring countries in the South East Asian region. The last couple of years our students have researched, investigated and made connections through social, economic and environment to gain a better understanding of our relationship with these countries.
To engage our students and make the learning meaningful we have incorporated ‘Room to Read World Change Challenge’ as part of our assignment. Last year our students selected one Asian country to research and compare it to Australia presenting their information in an infographic.
This year our students focussed on Nepal. They were particularly moved by the video of Suma’s Song and the Kamlari practice. The students once again researched and investigated the social, economic and environment of Nepal and presented the information in an infographic using Piktochart. The students designed and created an artefact in the Makerspace, in response to their Inquiry Question which they had formulated during research which would enhance or impact the Nepalese community. These were presented to the parents. As part of the challenge the girls worked and raised money by doing chores for their families and sharing Suma’s story. They raised $300 which will now be sent to Room To Read. During our ‘Impact Day’, when parents were invited to share their daughters learning, we were fortunate to have the ambassador, Tristan Bancks, for Room to Read World Chance Challenge Skype in and chat to us. Tristan has also posted about our involvement on his website
Tristan chatting and entertaining the girls!
The creativity and resourcefulness of the girls was incredible. It is impossible to document all the wonderful artefacts but I have include a selection to show the diversity.
These girls made a box with products to improve the health and welfare of stray dogs in Nepal. The boxes would be given to people to encourage adoption and lead to fewer stray dogs which can cause health problems.
Our 3D printer was used by these girls who designed a container to hold make-up which could be used by teenage Nepalese girls to uplift their spirits after last year’s earthquake.
These students made Trading Cards from Read, Write and Think website to raise awareness of how important it is for girls to receive an education. The cards had stories of successful women from Nepal.
These girls made a website to explain the situation of education in Nepal. They also made QR Codes which led to their site and other sites of interest. They made a light box which could be used by children to stimulate fun in learning!
These students had built a forklift with NXT Mindstorm and programmed it to lift rubble from the earthquake!
Living on less than $3 a day is challenging! These students made Nepalese dishes which were nutritiously sustaining.
These students printed a map of Nepal and used the Parrot Minidrone to show how a drone could be used to identify areas without electricity after an earthquake. They used the Tickle App to program it.
This is a photo taken from the drone.
And, of course, the girls had to take one of themselves!!!!
Tourism is 50% of the economy of Nepal so this student designed a safe seat for elephant rides after hearing how unsafe a visitor to Nepal felt!
There were so many more amazing artefacts and objects of interest…..tellagamis, Aurasmas, Scratch interactives!
Children are so creative, inventive and inspiring!
I have to just mention the surprise I got when a group of girls who had used Minecraft….. had made ME a cake to thank me for the unit of work!!!
A Minecraft cake 🙂
The next day our library became very busy with grandparents also enjoying the wonderful work of our grade 6 girls
Many grandparents loved our minidrones!!
Two great days of sharing in our Library Makerspace!