WHAT DO YOU DO IN A MAKERSPACE?
1) MAKER PROJECTS WITH REUSABLE MATERIALS
These projects are the 'make it and break it' kind of projects. Students make the project with reusable materials such as blocks, gears or k'nex. At the end of the time students share their creations then break them apart and put materials back into the correct bins.
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One of the advantages of these kinds of challenges is that they are low prep. Your materials are waiting in the makerspace, you just need to present the challenge.
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Scroll through the Padlet below to see a collection of maker projects from around the web.
2) MAKER PROJECTS WITH CONSUMABLE MATERIALS
These challenges are 'make it and take it'. Students make the projects using consumable materials like paper tubes, paper, sticks, cardboard and duct tape. Once, they are finished they can take the project home.
An advantage to this is that there is no need to break it apart, since more of these supplies can be stocked. Students can show their parents what they made, increasing the size of their audience.
A disadvantage is having to restock, but this is made easier when the parent community is involved. Click here to download a request letter and a thank you letter, that can be sent home with students whose families donate. The letter can be modified how you like in google docs.
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Creating procedures around using consumable materials may also help conserve them, so restocking is not needed as frequently. Wendy and Cheryl, from Get Caught Engineering, suggest that student be required to submit a design prior to being able to use the supplies.
​Scroll through the Padlet below to see a collection of maker projects from around the web.