Learning Goals
Students will be able to gather and record information from Pre-K buddies to identify toy preferences and needs.
Students will be able to analyze class data about colors, characters, textures, and play preferences to define a design problem for a toy.
Students will be able to use toy-centered mentor texts and guided drama to identify story elements such as character, problem, and feelings.
Students will be able to generate and sketch multiple toy ideas that respond to a Pre-K buddy's needs and preferences.
Students will be able to prototype a low-tech toy with clear features that support play, joy, and learning for a younger child.
Students will be able to revise a toy and a companion board book based on feedback from peers and Pre-K buddies.
Students will be able to communicate design choices and story decisions in a toy-and-book presentation for an authentic audience.
Products
Pre-K Buddy Toy Research Portfolio and Prototype
Each student creates an individual research portfolio with interview notes, a simple empathy map or data chart, one toy concept sketch, and a labeled low-tech prototype. The portfolio must show how firsthand evidence from a Pre-K buddy informed one clear design improvement.
Class Toy-and-Story Showcase Display with Shared Board Book and Improved Toy Prototype
Teams synthesize individual research into one shared problem statement, a refined toy prototype, and a final board book that explains the toy's character, problem, and solution. The display includes a short presentation for Pre-K buddies and families that explains how feedback shaped the final design.
No rubric has been generated yet.