TAG Tidbits

How is living on Earth similar to and different from living in the environment in space?

In Our Universe this week, we kicked off our day by finishing up our toilet paper solar system scale models. We had so much fun taking our toilet paper "measurements" into the hallway to demonstrate the distance of the planets from the sun. One important student takeaway from this activity was that the planets are so much further apart that we think they are. We discussed how it is difficult to truly capture this in pictures that we see in books, in videos, and online.

Next, we spent some time learning about how astronauts live on the International Space Station and carry out daily tasks, like brushing teeth, sleeping, and washing their hair. It was so interesting to see how different this looks in space from here on Earth. Using this newfound knowledge, students completed a Color-Symbol-Image thinking routine, in which they were challenged to share their thinking and feelings about space exploration in nonverbal ways using a color, a symbol, and an image to capture the essence of the idea.

We have a fun design thinking project planned for our space explorers next week and can't wait to share that update with you in our next newsletter!

This week, space explorers began a 3-week unit-ending creative problem-solving project about establishing a colony on Mars. To begin the day, we had an opportunity to watch a TED Talk from Stephen Petranek, who introduces the possibility of creating a colony on Mars in the near future. We connected the ideas he presented, especially those in the ways in which we must plan to adapt to the harsh Martian environment, to the work we did last week in designing a new space suit that would work for exploration on Mars. Over the course of the Mars Colony project, students will learn about current efforts to colonize Mars and work together to research and brainstorm solutions to keep the colonists alive and happy. While this week was all about brainstorming, students will begin designing their colony with their group next week. We are so excited for this work!

How can we design a museum that showcases what we’ve learned about Ancient Civilizations?

This week’s Design Thinking Challenge was focused on designing a museum to share what we have learned about Ancient Civilizations. To begin, we went straight to the experts and interviewed some third grade classmates. In order to understand our visitors’ needs, we asked questions about their experiences at museums and the types of things they’d like to learn about ancient civilizations. Our third grade friends gave us great feedback about the types of things they’d like to see, do, and learn when they visit our museum in a few weeks.

After these inspiring interviews, each group selected three goals to guide the creation of their museum. We discussed some core projects that will build the foundation for our museum, and each group added some new, creative project ideas to form a Project Plan. As we begin to work, these Project Plans can grow and change to help us meet our goals. They help us divide tasks and organize our work so that we can design fun, interactive museums that expose visitors to lots of interesting information. We can’t wait to continue our research and begin building and creating our exhibits next week!

This week, we wrapped up work on our One-Pagers about pioneering immigrants. One-pagers are a great strategy for synthesizing learning and representing newly acquired knowledge in a creative way. Each one-pager has required components - such as a symbolic border, a Q&A section, vocabulary that's important to the topic, and pictures - but students get to decide how they want to arrange the information in their own way. Our finished projects are amazing and will be proudly hanging up in the classroom!

How can I use the design thinking process to create the perfect toy for my user?

The first half of our TAG Day was spent finishing up our design thinking project from last week, in which students were learning the components of the design thinking process in order to design the perfect toy for their user (partner). We had so much fun creating our toy prototypes! After they were complete, students tested their prototype with their partner to gain feedback on their design. We discussed how the feedback from their user would give them a new opportunity for design if they were to make a new iteration of their toy.

How do architects create bridges that are sturdy and safe for people to travel on?

In the afternoon, we turned our attention back to architecture as we discovered the structural components of different types of bridges. Architects use different elements, such as decks, piers, tresses, and suspension cables to design bridges that are both strong and safe. We also began a new design project using the book Iggy Peck, Architect. Once we got to the point of the story where Iggy's class became stranded due to a bridge collapse on the way back from their picnic, we stopped reading and began working with the design thinking cycle to come up with some ideas for bridge designs that could be built to help get Iggy's class across Blue River Pass. We will continue this work on our next TAG Day!

Our prototype supply stations are in need of some supplies to support some of our design thinking and creative problem-solving projects. We would be happy to rescue the following items from your trash/recycle if you have them hanging around at home (pictured below). All items would need to be clean and dry before bringing them to school.

Email: andersondL@fultonschools.org
Website: andersontagonline.weebly.com
Location: 3055 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 254-2800
Twitter/X: @Ms_AndersonTAG

Email: craigs1@fultonschools.org
Website: craigtag.weebly.com
Location: 3055 Kimball Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA, USA
Phone: (470) 254-2800