Shorecrest's Upper School Introduction to Engineering, Programming, and Robotics course completed a design thinking project with first grade buddies. Upper School STEAM students interviewed their first grade buddies about how they would go up to the clouds and designed a prototype of what their buddy ideated. This experience helped Upper School students understand the importance of having a customer focus by following the Design Thinking Process (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test).
Read more about how the project first started here.
After interactions and chats on multiple days, Upper School students designed an experience or product for their buddies that captured the spirit of the Design Thinking process. Some examples include rockets, airplanes and a jetpack. One Charger built an interactive game for their buddy who wanted a dolphin-shaped rocket, another student designed a 3D model home with Pokemon characters and balloons attached. One student made outer space slime; and one made a flying castle!
The first graders loved the items created just for them, and all the students really loved working together. The Upper School students gained some real-world experience in product design by practicing the Design Thinking process steps.
View buddy project photos here.
