Design Innovation and Technology
St. John's Design Innovation and Technology class combines project based learning with media presentations that integrate major grade level units into tangible reflections of those lessons. Additionally, elements of the grade level core classes will be presented as part of a narrative that students are independent contractors working for the fictional ‘Cardinal Construction LLC’.
Overall, this class aims to equip students with the ability to solve problems by the way of the ADDIE Method:
- Analyze their problem(s) thoroughly
- Design an answer based on research
- Develop their solution under specific criteria and constraints
- Implement their plans
- Evaluate their solution honestly and critically
By introducing the many different fields of engineering to students in grades 1-8, they may be inspired to pursue those interests beyond St. Johns’.
Lower Elementary
First Grade
“What is Design?”
Students will discover and experiment with the basics of 2D design and its influences on communication from the dawn of civilization to today’s computer programming language.
Second Grade
“What is Innovation?”
Building upon the foundation they learned in their design class, students will construct a model home they must innovate and adapt to survive simulated natural disasters.
Upper Elementary
Third Grade
“Our Marketplace”
How is commerce affected by design and innovation? Students will develop their own business focused not solely on profit, but built on our Cardinal Character Traits and serving their school community: market their company, and share their designs at the year’s end small business fair.
Fourth Grade
“Journey Through the West”
Parallel to their core classes’ journey through the American West and California Missions, students will use their innovation and design skills to craft one of man’s greatest inventions: The Wagon Wheel... and more.
Fifth Grade
“American Revolutionary”
While students walk through the history of the American Revolution in their core class work, they will design and construct their own model frigate (sailing ship) while learning about buoyancy. Student Teams will also participate in a mock naval battle relying on teamwork, cartography, and innovation to attain victory.
Middle Division
Sixth and Seventh Grade:
"Intro to Engineering"
No longer students, independent contractors for Cardinal Construction LLC will be tasked with surviving on an island, building a model city and mining for resources. Students will be introduced to the ADDIE problem solving method and sharpen their understanding of three dimensional design, accurate scale modeling, tension and compression.
Eighth Grade
"Intermediate Engineering"
Continuing their ‘employment’ for Cardinal Construction LLC, students must defend their island using mechanical engineering in addition to scaling up their designs from models to life sized constructs that perform work. At the end of the year, students will pitch their ideas for a class project to construct and leave behind to the future SJES community before graduating.
