Family Finder: Design Your Dream Hub!

High School Grade Project 4 weeks

Family Finder: Design Your Dream Hub!

Lisa C

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Content Expertise

Collaboration

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Purpose

Students will work collaboratively to design and propose a family resource center layout that enhances community interaction and service delivery. The project invites students to explore real-world challenges in architectural design, deepen their understanding of the interplay between space and social dynamics, and create tangible innovations that respond to community needs. By engaging directly with experts and community members, they develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and content expertise, while fostering meaningful collaborations and leadership skills.

Learning goals

Students will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills by exploring innovative architectural designs for community resource centers and assessing how these influence functionality and atmosphere. Through collaborative efforts with peers and community partners, students will refine interpersonal communication and conflict resolution abilities, promoting teamwork and shared decision-making in real-world settings. They will gain content expertise by applying mathematical concepts to create scaled models and employing language arts to articulate design narratives, ensuring comprehensive research and effective communication of their vision.

Competencies

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving - Students consider a variety of innovative approaches to address and understand complex questions that are authentic and important to their communities.
Content Expertise - Students develop key competencies, skills, and dispositions with ample opportunities to apply knowledge and engage in work that matters to them.
Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.

Products

Students will create a virtual reality tour of their proposed family resource center layout using VR headsets, allowing participants to experience the space during the Exhibition event. They will also produce a 3D printed model of a family resource center that incorporates student-led innovations, showcased at the Design Expo Night. Additionally, students will construct an interactive ‘walk-through’ booth using cardboard and simple materials, which mimics the spatial layout and welcoming features of their proposed center, providing attendees with a tangible navigation experience.

Launch

Ignite the learning experience with a "Field Expedition Adventure," where students visit diverse family resource centers alongside community leaders. Utilize guided tours to explore how design influences service delivery and community interactions. Complement this with a "Community Makers Summit," inviting architects and advocates to lead design workshops, where students collaboratively brainstorm and sketch potential layouts. These immersive activities will stimulate engagement and curiosity, setting the stage for innovative thinking in community-based design projects.

Exhibition

During the "Design Expo Night," students will set up interactive booths showcasing their meticulously crafted models, digital VR presentations, and layout narratives of the proposed family resource centers. Attendees, including families, architects, community partners, and peers, will explore these innovative designs and engage in meaningful dialogue about their community impact, highlighting elements like welcoming atmospheres and functionality. Through live demonstrations and walk-through experiences of the cardboard prototypes, students will articulate the influence of architectural design on service delivery and community engagement.

Rubric

Mastery-Based Rubric Standards-first rubric

Category	Standard	Beginning (1)	Developing (2)	Proficient (3)	Exceeding (4)
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	Analyzing Architectural Design Influence - Students will evaluate how architectural design features impact service delivery and community interaction in family resource centers.	I can identify specific architectural design features in family resource centers and explain how these elements influence the interaction between community members and service delivery, using examples from my observations during the Field Expedition Adventure.	I can identify and explain how specific design elements of my proposed family resource center layout could enhance or challenge community interaction and service delivery, by examining real-world examples and gathering input from peers and experts.	I can describe how specific architectural design features improve the functionality and atmosphere of a family resource center and offer ideas on how these designs can enhance community interaction and service delivery.	I can critically analyze architectural design features and clearly explain how they enhance service delivery and community interactions in my proposed family resource center by utilizing real-world observations and expert feedback to support my ideas.
Collaboration	Collaborative Design and Decision Making - Students will work collaboratively in teams to brainstorm, create, and refine a proposed layout for a family resource center, demonstrating skills in teamwork and shared decision-making.	I actively participate in team discussions and contribute original ideas to our design project, sharing responsibility in decision-making processes to refine our proposed family resource center layout.	I can effectively participate in group discussions, contribute my ideas for the family resource center layout, and listen to my peers, while helping to make decisions that incorporate different perspectives and suggestions from the team.	I can effectively contribute to group discussions and decision-making processes by listening to my peers' ideas and building on them to enhance our proposed family resource center layout, ensuring that it addresses community needs and incorporates diverse perspectives.	I can actively contribute ideas and help my team make shared decisions to design an innovative family resource center layout that meets community needs, ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard and valued during brainstorming sessions.
Content Expertise	Applying Mathematical Concepts in Model Making - Students will accurately use mathematical concepts such as scaling and geometry to create a 3D printed model of a family resource center.	I can accurately apply mathematical concepts like scaling and geometry to design and create a 3D printed model of a family resource center, demonstrating my understanding by ensuring the proportions and dimensions are precise and reflective of the real-world space.	I can use basic mathematical concepts like scaling and geometry to create a 3D printed model, making sure my design accurately represents different parts of a family resource center.	I can use mathematical concepts, like scaling and geometry, to create a detailed and accurate 3D printed model of a family resource center that reflects our collaborative design ideas.	I can expertly apply scaling and geometry to create a precise 3D printed model of a family resource center that showcases detailed, student-led innovations, and articulately explain the mathematical processes used in my design.
Content Expertise	Expressing Innovative Design Narratives - Students will articulate their design processes and innovative solutions through written and oral presentations, demonstrating effective communication and research skills.	I can effectively express my design ideas and innovative solutions by creating detailed written narratives and engaging oral presentations that clearly communicate my research and understanding of how architectural design influences community dynamics and service delivery.	I can explain my design ideas clearly by using detailed descriptions and supporting my ideas with research I use feedback from others to improve my narrative and include specific examples to show how my design solutions are innovative and effective.	I can clearly communicate my design ideas and solutions through detailed narratives and presentations, using accurate research to explain why my proposed layout enhances community interaction and service delivery.	I can effectively communicate my design narrative through clear and well-researched presentations, showcasing my innovative solutions for community resource centers My explanations highlight the influence of architectural design on social dynamics and service delivery, utilizing precise vocabulary and organized ideas to engage my audience and inspire dialogue.
Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	Creating and Presenting Interactive Prototypes - Students will build and present an interactive cardboard booth to communicate the spatial layout and welcoming features of their proposed design at the Exhibition event.	I can create an interactive cardboard booth that effectively demonstrates the spatial layout and welcoming features of my proposed design, using creative problem-solving to ensure functionality and appeal I engage in thoughtful reflection and make informed decisions to improve the layout based on feedback from peers and community partners during the Exhibition event.	I can effectively construct an interactive cardboard booth that clearly demonstrates the key spatial and welcoming features of my proposed family resource center design I work to address challenges that arise in creating the booth and take conscious steps to improve its functionality, focusing on how well it engages and communicates with the audience during the Exhibition event.	I can effectively build an interactive cardboard booth that clearly communicates the spatial layout and welcoming features of my proposed design During the Exhibition event, I am able to present my booth and articulate how the design decisions enhance community interaction and functionality, while responding to feedback from attendees.	I can design and construct a detailed cardboard model that accurately reflects the layout and welcoming features of my proposed family resource center, ensuring that it is understandable and engaging for Exhibition event participants I can effectively explain the design choices and their impact on community interaction and service delivery during the presentation at Design Expo Night.

Learning Journey

Empathize

Students will visit local family resource centers to observe and interact with community stakeholders, using empathy maps and guided reflections to capture insights that highlight the diverse needs and challenges faced by users.

Days 1 - 4