“Save the Usable!”

How our 2nd/3rd-grade class made

our “conservation inventions”

 


On this web page, Will and Calder share some “how-to” tips and summarize how our class created our “conservation inventions.”


**Be sure to visit our project website here to learn the full story.**



Title: “Save the Usable!”--How to Make “Conservation Inventions” that Avoid Waste


Introduction and Description:

Materials:


  1. 1.10 MaKey MaKeys (1 for every group of 2 students);

  2. 2.(optional) 10 PicoBoards (1 for every group of 2 students);

  3. 3.miscellaneous objects--found at home/school, or from second-hand stores

Time:

Step-by-step:


  1. 1.Learning about Scratch


















  1. 2.Learning to Use the MaKey MaKey

















  1. 3.   Brainstorming

       

       What are some ways in which humans waste things?


















Here are a list and a summary of some of our ideas about ways in which humans waste materials and resources.


4. Choose problem


















  1. 5.Brainstorm Possible Solutions


















Here is a sample of students’ brainstorming.


Here is a blank template for brainstorming.




  1. 6.Invention Planning


















Sample of student work.


Blank template.



7. Building and Debugging



















  1. 8. Videos and Website


















Here is a template that helped students write scripts for their videos.



**Please visit our project website here.**



Final Thoughts