8th Grade  Project 1 week

Silent Structures: Building Bridges to Positivity

Carl Landegger
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Purpose

This project engages students in a collaborative, hands-on exploration of structural engineering and nonverbal communication, fostering creativity and teamwork. By designing and constructing a freestanding structure with a positive message, students develop critical thinking and branding skills. The project culminates in interactive exhibitions, allowing students to share their innovations and insights with the community while reflecting on their collaborative experiences.

Learning goals

The learning goals for this project are to explore and apply principles of structural engineering, such as balance and stability, in a collaborative setting. Students will develop nonverbal communication skills through silent teamwork, enhancing their ability to solve problems collectively. They will also cultivate creative thinking by designing a brand and mission statement that reflects a positive societal impact, and engage in reflective practices to gain insights into their collaborative experiences.
Standards
  • Common Core - CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
  • NGSS - MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • Common Core - CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.8.G.A.1: Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations, which can be related to understanding structural stability and balance.

Products

Throughout the project, students will collaboratively build a freestanding structure and develop a brand identity, including a logo and mission statement that reflects the structure's positive impact. They will also create a reflection journal documenting their experiences and insights from the nonverbal collaboration process. By the end of the week, students will present their structures and brand concepts at the 'Silent Showcase' and 'Design for Good Fair,' where they will engage the community in interactive, nonverbal communication activities.

Launch

Begin the project with a 'Silent Brainstorming Workshop' where students explore various materials and tools they can use to build their structures. Encourage them to communicate ideas through sketches and gestures, fostering an atmosphere of creativity and curiosity. Set up stations with inspirational images and tactile resources to spark imagination and guide initial design concepts.

Exhibition

Invite students to participate in a 'Silent Showcase' where they present their structures and branding concepts to family and community members. Encourage visitors to engage with the exhibits through nonverbal communication activities, fostering an interactive experience. Additionally, organize a 'Design for Good Fair' where students host booths that demonstrate the positive impact of their structures, offering hands-on activities aligned with their brand's mission.