Connecting Curriculum Content Through Makerspace Challenge Cards

Birdville ISD is launching a Makerspace initiative to promote a strong student centered and interactive environment, providing exploratory and active learning experiences. Through the process of guided discovery learning activities, learners encounter real world scenarios incorporating Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) subjects, systems thinking, critical thinking, and design thinking. Students apply hands on techniques to design, build, and create learning artifacts to share or publish to a larger audiences. Birdville ISD is dedicated to developing innovative thinkers who engage in natural curiosity, explore, engage in risks, and identify solutions from past mistakes. How do you get started? Begin by reaching out to your librarian or campus digital learning specialist to identify if you have a Makerspace program in place.Elementary and middle school students incorporate a four workstation project based learning method during Makerspace to think like an artist, scientist, engineer, or journalist using challenge cards connected to curriculum content.

What is a challenge card? Challenge cards are short and targeted project based learning activities in which students access prior knowledge, continue research to curriculum topic, and make an artifact serving the career role of an engineer, artist, journalist, natural scientist, or social scientist. Challenge cards connect to the Texas TEKS. Activities should be short. An example challenge card, created  and submitted by a 5th grade GT student,  can be seen below.

Check out the BISD Makerspace Website, which includes resources, view example challenge cards, and the ability for students and teachers to submit a challenge card.