A while back, I mentioned how, based on a suggestion from teacher Lisa Daley, I set up STEM min-challenges in the library for our upper-junior and intermediate students. This past week, we had a doozy of a challenge and many individuals joined in to try and help.
\I'm busily preparing for our school's upcoming concert. The Grade 1 and 1-2 classes are performing a shadow puppet play. I needed a contraption to hold a large white screen that the students could sit behind to project their shadows. Dean Roberts, a former teacher who is now retired, made a puppet theatre out of PVC pipes and fabric and donated his creation to the school. I found where it was stored, thanks to Lisa Daley and our caretaker, Michael Dumlow, but there was a small problem. There are no instructions on how to assemble the puppet theatre.
I set out the PVC pipes and explained to each of the classes that arrived in the SLLC on Friday morning my dilemma. I was amazed at what happened next.
Many of the students decided to try to solve the problem, despite the magnitude. Not only did they work together on the complex problem, they persevered. The Grade 6-7-8 library time is only 20 minutes and many of the students begged to be allowed to return to the library to continue to work on the build.
I invited my school principal in to assist, and he enthusiastically joined in. The would-be architects and engineers asked for any clues I could provide on this puzzle. I found a photo of the completed theatre on an old blog post of mine, but the only help that provided was the shape and the location of one of the poles, as the rest of the structure was covered in fabric. I texted Dean to get clarification on some of the codes written on the pipes. My principal enlisted the help of the caretaker and the special education teacher after the students had to return to class to continue to tackle the project. By lunchtime, we had a decent frame up and ready to go.
These are just some of the photos of the students, working alongside adults as equal partners, as together they planned, pondered, tested and tried to build a large structure with no directions.
The big build challenge continued on the weekend, albeit with a more artistic angle and different participants. The Grade 1 and 1-2 students had made puppet prototypes for the play but sturdier, clearer puppets were needed. This is where my own children saved me. My daughter, a university grad with a degree in English, creative writing, and media studies under her belt, has already been helping me write the script adaptation of the book / folk tale. She, along with her brother, who is a Game Arts student in his last year of college, were conscripted into helping me build the puppets out of cardboard. We based it on both the illustrations from the book and the student designs. Here are some of the students' prototype puppets and the process of constructing the puppets we will actually use for the play.
I really enjoyed watching the different ways everyone approached these tasks. Some compared and measured pipes with their eyes and hands. Others talked with people around them. My own "kids" sketched and talked and examined the drawings. They used a lot of thinking and collaboration skills. I know for myself that I had to leave my comfort zone to go to Home Depot to purchase dowels, a standing flashlight and a utility knife as part of the project. (Hardware stores make me feel stupid, so I don't like shopping there, but I was successful this weekend!)
I promise to share some photos of the puppets and working theatre in action. Thank you to everyone
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