About Us Impact News Pricing Contact Us Explore
Make a copy
About Us Impact News Pricing Contact Us Explore
Tools
Project-Based Learning Performance Assessment Student-Led Conferences Digital Portfolios
Framework
Loading
Loading
All grades  Project 18 weeks

Float Down Memory Lane: New Mexico's Story

Izaih A
Apr 1, 2026
Updated Apr 1, 2026
1-pager

Purpose

The purpose of this learning experience is to engage students in a deep exploration of New Mexico's history through the creative process of designing and building parade floats. This project fosters historical understanding, artistic expression, and community engagement, allowing students to connect with their cultural heritage. By collaborating on this project, students develop critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills while making history come alive for themselves and the Albuquerque community.

Learning goals

Students will explore and understand key events and figures in New Mexico's history, developing research skills to gather and analyze information. They will apply creative problem-solving and design thinking to construct parade floats that visually represent historical narratives. Through collaboration, students will enhance communication skills and teamwork, engaging with the community to share their insights and creations.

Products

Students will design and construct parade floats that creatively represent significant events or figures in New Mexico's history. Throughout the project, they will also produce research reports, sketches, and prototypes that document their design process and historical findings. By the end, students will compile a portfolio showcasing their float's development, including written reflections and visual documentation.

Launch

Kick off the project with a field trip to the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, where students can explore exhibits and gather inspiration for their parade floats. Alternatively, invite a local historian to give an engaging presentation on key events and figures in New Mexico's history. Conclude the launch with a collaborative brainstorming session where students discuss their initial ideas for the float themes.

Exhibition

Students will showcase their parade floats during a local parade in Albuquerque, highlighting different aspects of New Mexico's history. Each float will be accompanied by a student presentation explaining the historical significance and creative process behind their design. Community members will be invited to view the floats and engage with students, offering feedback and celebrating their achievements. Additionally, a gallery walk can be organized post-parade for those who want a closer look at the floats and to hear detailed stories from the students.
Rubric
Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric
Category
Learning Goal
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Research Skills
Historical Research and Analysis - Students will conduct thorough research on a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history, analyzing and synthesizing information from various sources to support their float design.
  • I can gather information from different sources about a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history and explain how this information will help me design my parade float.
  • I can gather information from multiple sources about a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history and summarize the key points to support my float design.
  • I can effectively gather information from multiple sources about a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history, and I can explain how my research supports the design elements of my parade float.
  • I can effectively gather detailed information from multiple sources about a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history, analyze the information to understand its historical context, and use this understanding to create a well-informed and accurate representation for my parade float design.
Design and Innovation
Creative Design and Problem Solving - Students will apply design thinking principles to create a visually compelling parade float that effectively communicates a historical narrative.
  • I can use my creativity to design a parade float that tells a story about New Mexico's history, showing my understanding of the historical event or figure through my design choices.
  • I can use design thinking to create a parade float that includes multiple elements reflecting key historical events or figures in New Mexico's history, showing an understanding of how these elements work together to tell a cohesive story.
  • I can use design thinking principles to create a detailed sketch and prototype of my parade float that clearly communicates a historical narrative about New Mexico
  • I can explain how my design choices effectively represent the historical event or figure I chose.
  • I can effectively use design thinking to create a parade float that visually tells a clear and engaging story about a significant event or figure in New Mexico's history, incorporating detailed elements that reflect my research and creativity.
Interpersonal Skills
Collaboration and Teamwork - Students will work collaboratively in teams to plan, design, and construct their parade floats, demonstrating effective communication and cooperation.
  • I can actively listen to my teammates' ideas and contribute my own thoughts during our float planning and design discussions, ensuring everyone feels heard and valued.
  • I can contribute ideas during brainstorming sessions and listen to my teammates to help plan our parade float design.
  • I can actively participate in team discussions by sharing my ideas and listening to others, ensuring that our group makes decisions together and everyone contributes to the float design process.
  • I can effectively collaborate with my team by actively listening to others' ideas, contributing my own thoughts, and helping to resolve any disagreements to ensure our parade float project is successful.
Communication Skills
Presentation and Communication - Students will present their parade floats and historical research to an audience, clearly explaining the significance of their chosen theme and the creative process behind their design.
  • I can share my float design with others, explaining the main idea and some details about the historical event or figure it represents.
  • I can explain the main idea of my parade float and describe a few key historical events or figures related to my theme using simple language and examples
  • I can answer basic questions from the audience about my design and the history it represents.
  • I can confidently present my parade float to an audience, clearly explaining the historical significance of my theme and the creative decisions I made during the design process.
  • I can confidently present my parade float to an audience, clearly explaining the historical significance of my chosen theme and detailing the creative process behind my design, while engaging the audience with eye contact and responding thoughtfully to their questions.
Civic Engagement
Community Engagement and Reflection - Students will engage with the community during the parade and reflect on the feedback received, articulating insights gained from the project experience.
  • I can share my float with community members during the parade and listen to their feedback, then think about what I learned from their comments and how it helped me understand New Mexico's history better.
  • I can share my parade float with community members during the exhibition and listen to their feedback
  • I can reflect on what I learned from their comments and describe how it helped me understand New Mexico's history better.
  • I can confidently present my parade float to community members, explaining its historical significance and creative process
  • I actively listen to feedback and reflect on how it enhances my understanding of New Mexico's history and my role in sharing it with others.
  • I can confidently present my parade float to community members, clearly explaining its historical significance and creative process
  • I actively listen to feedback from the audience and reflect on their insights to understand different perspectives and improve my future projects.
Plan
By Phase By Day Calendar
Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test/Present
Empathize
Students will investigate how different members of the Albuquerque community experience and understand New Mexico history in order to ground their future parade float designs in real stories, needs, and misconceptions. Through direct interviews, observation, and structured empathy tools, students will gather evidence from at least two real users and translate that evidence into empathy maps and personas that will guide problem definition in the next phase.
Days 1 - 14
🎉 Meet Parade Stakeholders
Launch 65m
🧠 Empathy Mapping Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🎤 Interview Protocol Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🎭 Practice Interviews & Feedback
Project Work 65m
👥 Second User Interviews
Community Experience 65m
🏘️ Community History Interviews
Community Experience 65m
🔎 Observation & Parade Context Walk
Research 65m
🗂️ Empathy Map Drafts
Deliverable 65m
🔄 Empathy Map Peer Critique
Deliverable 65m
👤 User Persona Creation
Deliverable 65m
📚 Source Triangulation Mini-Lesson
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🧾 Research & Interview Synthesis
Research 65m
🛑 Empathy Evidence Checkpoint
Assessment 65m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

Loading...
Define
Students will synthesize their New Mexico history interviews and source research into a focused, user-centered problem statement that will guide the design of their parade float. They will identify patterns across multiple users, define a clear "How Might We" question grounded in evidence, and refine it through peer critique before advancing to ideation.
Days 15 - 28
🧩 Clustering Community Interview Quotes
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🗺️ Affinity Map Evidence Wall
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🎭 Evidence-Based User Persona
Deliverable 65m
🌳 Problem Tree of Misunderstanding
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
✏️ Drafting Parade Float HMW Statements
Deliverable 65m
🔍 Assumption Check Protocol
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🧠 Converging on One HMW
Project Work 65m
📜 Writing the Design Brief
Deliverable 65m
🗣️ Design Brief Peer Critique Round
Deliverable 65m
✅ Problem Definition Milestone
Assessment 65m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

Loading...
Ideate
Students will generate a wide range of float concepts grounded in real user evidence, push beyond obvious first ideas using structured ideation strategies, and converge on 2–3 strong concepts supported by documented rationale tied directly to community needs and historical accuracy.
Days 29 - 46
🧠 Rapid Float Idea Sprint
Deliverable 65m
✏️ Crazy-8s Float Sketches
Deliverable 65m
🔍 SCAMPER the Historical Float
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🌎 Analogous Inspiration Gallery
Research 65m
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
📣 Peer Concept Feedback Round
Deliverable 65m
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🗳️ Converging on Top Concepts
Deliverable 65m
🖼️ User Journey Storyboards
Deliverable 65m
👥 Community Concept Critique
Community Experience 65m
🔁 Concept Revision Log
Deliverable 65m
✅ Concept Approval Pitch
Assessment 65m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

Loading...
Prototype
Students will build, test, and revise increasingly sophisticated parade float prototypes that communicate a specific New Mexico historical event to a real audience. They will move from rapid cardboard mockups to detailed scale models, document user feedback, and produce an iteration log showing how community input improved historical clarity and audience engagement.
Days 47 - 68
🛠️ Durable Float Engineering Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
📏 Scale Model Math Studio
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
📦 Rapid Cardboard Float V1
Project Work 65m
🔍 Peer Feedback Protocol Round 1
Deliverable 65m
🔄 Prototype V2 Revision Build
Project Work 65m
🧪 Community Walkthrough Testing
Community Experience 65m
📝 User Testing Synthesis Log
Deliverable 65m
🏗️ Detailed Scale Model V3
Project Work 65m
🎤 Peer Critique Round 2
Deliverable 65m
🔧 Final Prototype Refinement
Project Work 65m
📚 Prototype Iteration Portfolio Check
Assessment 65m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

Loading...
Test/Present
Students will validate their refined parade float designs with new community users, make final evidence-based revisions, and publicly present their full-scale Community-Centered Historical Parade Float during the Albuquerque parade, clearly tracing design decisions back to user research and documented iterations.
Days 69 - 90
🗣️ New User Testing Protocols
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
👥 Fresh Eyes Float Testing
Community Experience 65m
🔁 V3 Float Revisions
Project Work 65m
📝 Design Journey Storyboard
Deliverable 65m
🎤 Presentation Craft Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
🎥 Peer Feedback Roundtables
Deliverable 65m
🛠️ Final Float Build & Safety Check
Project Work 65m
🎙️ Dress Rehearsal with Guests
Community Experience 65m
🎉 Albuquerque Parade Exhibition
Assessment 65m
🏛️ Design Solution Presentation
Assessment 65m
No activities have been added to this phase yet.

Edit Phase

Loading...
Empathize Days 1–14
Day 1
🎉 Meet Parade Stakeholders
Launch 65m
Day 2
🧠 Empathy Mapping Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 3
🎤 Interview Protocol Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 4
🎭 Practice Interviews & Feedback
Project Work 65m
👥 Second User Interviews
Community Experience 65m
Day 5
🏘️ Community History Interviews
Community Experience 65m
Day 6
Day 7
🔎 Observation & Parade Context Walk
Research 65m
Day 8
🗂️ Empathy Map Drafts
Deliverable 65m
Day 9
🔄 Empathy Map Peer Critique
Deliverable 65m
Day 10
👤 User Persona Creation
Deliverable 65m
Day 11
📚 Source Triangulation Mini-Lesson
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 12
🧾 Research & Interview Synthesis
Research 65m
Day 13
🛑 Empathy Evidence Checkpoint
Assessment 65m
Day 14
Define Days 15–28
Day 15
🧩 Clustering Community Interview Quotes
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 16
🗺️ Affinity Map Evidence Wall
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 17
🎭 Evidence-Based User Persona
Deliverable 65m
Day 18
🌳 Problem Tree of Misunderstanding
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 19
✏️ Drafting Parade Float HMW Statements
Deliverable 65m
Day 20
🔍 Assumption Check Protocol
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 21
🧠 Converging on One HMW
Project Work 65m
Day 22
📜 Writing the Design Brief
Deliverable 65m
Day 23
🗣️ Design Brief Peer Critique Round
Deliverable 65m
Day 24
✅ Problem Definition Milestone
Assessment 65m
Day 25
Day 26
Day 27
Day 28
Ideate Days 29–46
Day 29
🧠 Rapid Float Idea Sprint
Deliverable 65m
Day 30
✏️ Crazy-8s Float Sketches
Deliverable 65m
Day 31
🔍 SCAMPER the Historical Float
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 32
🌎 Analogous Inspiration Gallery
Research 65m
Day 33
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 34
📣 Peer Concept Feedback Round
Deliverable 65m
Day 35
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 36
🗳️ Converging on Top Concepts
Deliverable 65m
Day 37
🖼️ User Journey Storyboards
Deliverable 65m
Day 38
👥 Community Concept Critique
Community Experience 65m
Day 39
🔁 Concept Revision Log
Deliverable 65m
Day 40
✅ Concept Approval Pitch
Assessment 65m
Day 41
Day 42
Day 43
Day 44
Day 45
Day 46
Prototype Days 47–68
Day 47
🛠️ Durable Float Engineering Lab
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 48
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 49
📏 Scale Model Math Studio
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 50
📦 Rapid Cardboard Float V1
Project Work 65m
Day 51
🔍 Peer Feedback Protocol Round 1
Deliverable 65m
Day 52
🔄 Prototype V2 Revision Build
Project Work 65m
Day 53
🧪 Community Walkthrough Testing
Community Experience 65m
Day 54
📝 User Testing Synthesis Log
Deliverable 65m
Day 55
🏗️ Detailed Scale Model V3
Project Work 65m
Day 56
🎤 Peer Critique Round 2
Deliverable 65m
Day 57
🔧 Final Prototype Refinement
Project Work 65m
Day 58
📚 Prototype Iteration Portfolio Check
Assessment 65m
Day 59
Day 60
Day 61
Day 62
Day 63
Day 64
Day 65
Day 66
Day 67
Day 68
Test/Present Days 69–90
Day 69
🗣️ New User Testing Protocols
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 70
👥 Fresh Eyes Float Testing
Community Experience 65m
Day 71
🔁 V3 Float Revisions
Project Work 65m
Day 72
📝 Design Journey Storyboard
Deliverable 65m
Day 73
🎤 Presentation Craft Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building 65m
Day 74
🎥 Peer Feedback Roundtables
Deliverable 65m
Day 75
🛠️ Final Float Build & Safety Check
Project Work 65m
Day 76
🎙️ Dress Rehearsal with Guests
Community Experience 65m
Day 77
Day 78
Day 79
Day 80
🎉 Albuquerque Parade Exhibition
Assessment 65m
Day 81
Day 82
🏛️ Design Solution Presentation
Assessment 65m
Day 83
Day 84
Day 85
Day 86
Day 87
Day 88
Day 89
Day 90

April 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
13 Day 1
Empathize
🎉 Meet Parade Stakeholders
14 Day 2
🧠 Empathy Mapping Workshop
15 Day 3
🎤 Interview Protocol Lab
16 Day 4
🎭 Practice Interviews & Feedback
👥 Second User Interviews
17 Day 5
🏘️ Community History Interviews
20 Day 6
21 Day 7
🔎 Observation & Parade Context Walk
22 Day 8
🗂️ Empathy Map Drafts
23 Day 9
🔄 Empathy Map Peer Critique
24 Day 10
👤 User Persona Creation
27 Day 11
📚 Source Triangulation Mini-Lesson
28 Day 12
🧾 Research & Interview Synthesis
29 Day 13
🛑 Empathy Evidence Checkpoint
30 Day 14
1 Day 15
Define
🧩 Clustering Community Interview Quotes

May 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
4 Day 16
🗺️ Affinity Map Evidence Wall
5 Day 17
🎭 Evidence-Based User Persona
6 Day 18
🌳 Problem Tree of Misunderstanding
7 Day 19
✏️ Drafting Parade Float HMW Statements
8 Day 20
🔍 Assumption Check Protocol
11 Day 21
🧠 Converging on One HMW
12 Day 22
📜 Writing the Design Brief
13 Day 23
🗣️ Design Brief Peer Critique Round
14 Day 24
✅ Problem Definition Milestone
15 Day 25
18 Day 26
19 Day 27
20 Day 28
21 Day 29
Ideate
🧠 Rapid Float Idea Sprint
22 Day 30
✏️ Crazy-8s Float Sketches
25 Day 31
🔍 SCAMPER the Historical Float
26 Day 32
🌎 Analogous Inspiration Gallery
27 Day 33
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
28 Day 34
📣 Peer Concept Feedback Round
29 Day 35
📊 User-Need Decision Matrix

June 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
1 Day 36
🗳️ Converging on Top Concepts
2 Day 37
🖼️ User Journey Storyboards
3 Day 38
👥 Community Concept Critique
4 Day 39
🔁 Concept Revision Log
5 Day 40
✅ Concept Approval Pitch
8 Day 41
9 Day 42
10 Day 43
11 Day 44
12 Day 45
15 Day 46
16 Day 47
Prototype
🛠️ Durable Float Engineering Lab
17 Day 48
🎨 Symbol & Storytelling Workshop
18 Day 49
📏 Scale Model Math Studio
19 Day 50
📦 Rapid Cardboard Float V1
22 Day 51
🔍 Peer Feedback Protocol Round 1
23 Day 52
🔄 Prototype V2 Revision Build
24 Day 53
🧪 Community Walkthrough Testing
25 Day 54
📝 User Testing Synthesis Log
26 Day 55
🏗️ Detailed Scale Model V3

July 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
29 Day 56
🎤 Peer Critique Round 2
30 Day 57
🔧 Final Prototype Refinement
1 Day 58
📚 Prototype Iteration Portfolio Check
2 Day 59
3 Day 60
6 Day 61
7 Day 62
8 Day 63
9 Day 64
10 Day 65
13 Day 66
14 Day 67
15 Day 68
16 Day 69
Test/Present
🗣️ New User Testing Protocols
17 Day 70
👥 Fresh Eyes Float Testing
20 Day 71
🔁 V3 Float Revisions
21 Day 72
📝 Design Journey Storyboard
22 Day 73
🎤 Presentation Craft Workshop
23 Day 74
🎥 Peer Feedback Roundtables
24 Day 75
🛠️ Final Float Build & Safety Check
27 Day 76
🎙️ Dress Rehearsal with Guests
28 Day 77
29 Day 78
30 Day 79
31 Day 80
🎉 Albuquerque Parade Exhibition

August 2026

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
3 Day 81
4 Day 82
🏛️ Design Solution Presentation
5 Day 83
6 Day 84
7 Day 85
10 Day 86
11 Day 87
12 Day 88
13 Day 89
14 Day 90
Share
Activities
Loading
Loading
Loading
Get it on Google Play
© 2026 Inkwire Inc
Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Service