GoalBench & Fence: Kick-Off Project!

High School Grade Project 4 weeks

GoalBench Kick-Off Project!

Rafael B

Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

Content Expertise

Academic Mindset

Collaboration

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Purpose

Engage in an innovative project that merges your architectural interest with a tangible community benefit by designing and fabricating a bench that transforms into a soccer goal. This endeavor challenges you to apply design principles and problem-solving skills while working collaboratively with peers and local artisans. Through hands-on experience, you build a deeper understanding of how thoughtful architectural solutions can address real-world issues and enhance shared public spaces.

Learning goals

Enhance your metal and woodworking proficiency by engaging with community partners to master safe measurement, cutting, and assembly techniques. Apply architectural design principles to address real-world community challenges through innovative solutions. Foster collaboration and leadership skills by co-designing with peers and local artists, participating in shared decision-making and conflict resolution. Strengthen your academic mindset by critically reflecting on your project's impact and your role in the community, building a sense of belonging and self-efficacy.

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.
Academic Mindset - Students establish a sense of place, identity, and belonging to increase self-efficacy while engaging in critical reflection and action.
Collaboration - Students co-design projects with peers, exercise shared-decision making, strengthen relational agency, resolve conflict, and assume leadership roles.

Products

Collaborate closely with local artists to design and build a versatile park bench that seamlessly doubles as a soccer goal, perfectly blending artistic flair with functional engineering to enhance community spaces. Throughout the project, create detailed architectural design plans and prototypes, allowing for iterative feedback and improvements. By project completion, present both the final bench-soccer goal and a comprehensive portfolio showcasing design sketches, working processes, and collaborative efforts with the community partners.

Launch

Initiate your project with a 'Design Challenge Day', where you and your peers collaborate to brainstorm and sketch preliminary designs for the bench-soccer goal. Engage local artists for creative guidance, integrating both structural and aesthetic elements from the start. This collaborative kick-off session will set the tone for a dynamic, community-connected learning experience.

Exhibition

Create an 'Innovation Gallery Walk' where you present your bench-soccer goal alongside peers’ projects. Use this exhibition to share your reflections and the development of your design-thinking process. Invite attendees to engage in discussions about how your creative solution addresses community needs and incorporates architectural design principles, enhancing their understanding of your project’s real-world impact.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	I can explore and generate creative solutions for designing a bench that doubles as a soccer goal by brainstorming with peers and drawing inspiration from community experts I seek multiple perspectives and try new ideas to understand how my design can effectively serve multiple purposes, benefiting my school and community.	I can contribute ideas and ask questions that help my team explore different ways to design our bench and soccer goal I collaborate with peers to consider what materials and shapes will make our design both functional and artistic, and I work through any challenges we face during construction, ensuring the finished product is safe and meets the needs of our community.	I can design a multi-purpose bench that transforms into a soccer goal by creatively using architectural principles to solve real-world challenges I explore different ideas and choose the most innovative solution, applying my understanding of community needs and aesthetics to my design I also reflect on how my design affects my school community and make thoughtful revisions based on feedback from peers and community partners.	I can effectively combine my architectural design skills and artistic creativity to create a unique, functional multi-purpose bench that serves as both seating and a soccer goal I can brainstorm and prototype innovative solutions, assess and refine them through feedback, and ensure my design meets the community's needs while highlighting cultural aesthetics.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Content Expertise	I can identify the basic principles of architectural design and apply them to create an initial concept for a multi-purpose bench I can explain the purpose and function of my design and identify areas for improvement after receiving feedback from peers and community members.	I can combine artistic concepts with architectural principles to create a versatile design idea for the bench-soccer goal that shows understanding of its functionality and aesthetic appeal I can work with my group to sketch a prototype and discuss how these artistic and architectural elements will serve our community's needs.	I can skillfully apply architectural principles to design and construct a multi-functional bench that also serves as a soccer goal, ensuring it is both sturdy and visually appealing I actively involve local artists to incorporate unique cultural elements into my design, demonstrating an understanding and appreciation of the community's artistic values.	I can skillfully blend artistic design with architectural principles to create a multi-purpose bench that functions effectively as a soccer goal, ensuring that my design is both visually appealing and structurally sound I confidently collaborate with local artists to incorporate community-inspired aesthetics and can articulate my process and design choices when sharing my work at the community showcase event.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Academic Mindset	I can identify ways my project enhances the school's environment and community by reflecting on how my designs integrate artistic elements and solve practical challenges I understand how collaborating with local artists and community partners shapes my sense of belonging and personal growth.	I can reflect on how my design of the multi-purpose bench impacts both the school community and my personal learning, identifying what I did well and pinpointing areas for potential improvement I share insights with my peers and community partners, enhancing my sense of belonging and contribution to a group endeavor.	I can confidently share my thoughts and ideas with my peers and community partners, showing how my work connects to our community's needs and values I can reflect on my design choices, discussing how they impact the community, and I recognize how working collaboratively has strengthened my sense of belonging and identity.	I can confidently articulate the impact of my bench design on our school community, demonstrating how my choices reflect both aesthetic and functional goals I can explain how I integrated feedback from San Diego FC representatives and local artists into my design to enhance its cultural significance I feel proud and connected to my community through my contributions, reflecting on how this project has strengthened my identity as a collaborative, innovative thinker.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Collaboration	I can actively contribute to group discussions by sharing my ideas and listening to others I work with my peers to make decisions about our design, taking into account different perspectives and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard I help resolve any disagreements by suggesting compromises that keep our project moving forward.	I can actively participate in group discussions and contribute ideas to help my team design the multi-purpose bench/soccer goal I work well with classmates by listening to their suggestions and offering constructive feedback, and I take initiative by helping to organize tasks and coordinate with local partners like San Diego FC and artists for our project.	I confidently collaborate with my peers and community partners by actively contributing ideas and participating in shared decision-making I take on leadership roles, facilitate team discussions, and help resolve conflicts constructively to ensure our project meets its goals and reflects our collective vision and creativity.	I can effectively collaborate with my peers and community partners by co-designing the project, engaging in shared decision-making, and taking on leadership roles to ensure our multi-purpose bench meets community needs and reflects local culture I actively resolve conflicts and leverage everyone's strengths to create a unified, innovative, and functional design.

Learning Journey

Empathize

You will conduct town hall-style interviews with local community members, soccer enthusiasts, and architecture experts to gather insights on needs, desires, and design preferences for the dual-function park bench and soccer goal you plan to create.

Days 1 - 2