Tiny Tiny Houses: A Not So Tiny Endeavor!

This year 6th grade students embarked on a true Project Based Learning (PBL) unit:
TINY HOUSES!

6th graders worked collaboratively between Artovation and Innovation class.  Our Middleton students have the opportunity to experience TWO different innovation classes.  Innovation teacher, Mrs. Deeley, and I took advantage of that privilege by working together on this unit...
and it was a doozy! 

The first step was introducing the project to the students.  This served as the information gathering or  sustained inquiry section of the project. 6th graders researched and brainstormed together, created a google survey for their client (their family), and developed questions for tiny house experts. 

Take a look at some of our client survey results!

Every class also had the incredible experience of attending a virtual tour of a real tiny house.
During these live virtual tours, students had the opportunity to ask tiny house owners about their benefits and challenges of tiny house living!

Then it was time to truly understand the project.  6th graders were challenged to create a scale cardboard model of their design with a 1:12 ratio with no more than 200 sq. feet.   It is hard to truly imagine what living in a tiny house is truly like - but we wanted to try anyway! All classes got a chance to see first hand what a 200 sq. ft floor plan looks and feels like...take a look!

From there students started working on designs. They were able to replicate their experience creating the actual square footage of their house using the 1:12 ratio with 1 in. tiles and grid paper. 

This was definitely a trial and error process!

Students even had a chance to use 3D modeling program, Sketch Up
to see what their design would look like in 3D. 

I know, we packed ALOT in!

Finally it was time to start building! At this point we divided the project into interior design which took place in Innovation class and exterior design which took place in Artovation.

Each student was given a 40x40 in. piece of cardboard. 
They definitely needed to find creative spots to work around the room! 
All external walls were laid out on the cardboard.

Once cut, students started to plan where to place doors, windows, porches, any external feature.  This is my favorite part because it is where the creativity starts to come out!  When all the features were cut out students began adding in details like window boxes, shutters, siding, textures, and more.

Meanwhile in Innovation class 6th graders were created 1:12 scale models of furniture and all interior elements. Students began by researching tiny house features and used information from their surveys to begin planning. All furniture and interior features had to be to scale, so we had a reference list of standard measurements of common items. After the construction of interior features came placement. This is where the expert advice came in. 

We also had the amazing experience to work with nonprofit, Education Now 2.0 (EN2), who has created their own tiny house curriculum.  Carmel Viliante, executive director with EN2, helped a great deal by providing us with their curriculum to help strengthen this project, connect us with many experts, and advise us as we chartered through this project! We even had the opportunity to bring 5 students to EN2's fundraising event to show off their work. Thank you Carmel!

Part of the PBL process is to receive expert feedback.  Well, we built that into this project too.  About three quarters of the way into the project, we held 3 days of feedback sessions with experts in the field.  Community builders, EN2 staff, architects, tiny house designers, town administrators, and school administration came to offer out students guidance and advice.
 It was a rewarding experience for everyone!

Finally students reached the final steps of this project.  In the weeks following the feedback sessions they finalized their layout, finished adding details, painted, added their roofs....basically did anything they could to prepare their tiny tiny house models for the culminating event:
The Tiny Tiny House Festival!  

Unfortunately, the festival was set to be held on Friday, March 13th, the same day schools all over the state were closed due to safety concerns over COVID-19.

Even though we couldn't hold the festival, Mrs. Deeley and I wanted to acknowledge the incredible preseverance and diligence that went into this project.  6th graders were asked to bring together challenging concepts and skills as they took on this Tiny House Challenge.
These Artovators and Innovators spent 5 months or 14 classes bringing their designs to reality
and we couldn't have been prouder of them!

The Year of the Podcast!

This year I had the privilege of being interviewed for not ONE but TWO podcasts! Phew!
Have you ever been on a podcast before? It was a wonderful experience!  If you haven't had a chance to listen yet...take a peek!

My first podcast was with Nic Hahn, also known as Mini Matisse, on Everyday Art Room for the Art of Education University. Nic and I talked about how important it is to be a risk taker as a teacher.  I loved talking with Nic about the crazy and sometimes overambitious things I do with my students.  I hope I inspire you to be a risk taker too!

TAKING RISKS IN THE ARTROOM (Ep. 108)

Just this January I had the chance to do another podcast, GetaCue, with Brandon Hall and Masscue.  Brandon and I talked all about my Artovation class and all off of the ways that class has inspired what I do everyday!

Artovation Circuit Challenge

5th grade Artovation students have just finished a new challenge.

How can you integrate lights into a work of art using simple paper circuits?

I designed this challenge to use Chibitronics circuit kits and a WHOLE lot of creative thinking!
Do you know about Chibitronics yet?  If not, you have to check them out.  Not only do they have all the materials you need to create a successful project but they have tons of tutorials and project examples.

Artovators started out by learning about how circuits work and the different styles of circuits available to them for this project.  They did an internet search using the key words such as Chibitronics, paper circuits and art, and LED lights and art to generate ideas for their project. They recorded all of their ideas on a planning sheet and then had a conference with me to talk through their ideas.  I was overwhelmed with their ideas and creativity. Students brought so many different approaches, 2D and 3D, to their conferences, it was so exciting to see where they wanted to go with their project.

This was a true student driven and student choice project.

Once they got the ok, they were ready to get to work!

First step, make a strong piece of art.  We discussed the importance of have strong craftsmanship for this project in order to best show off the lights.  Some students created larger sketches before moving onto their final project and some moved right into final paper.  This process was totally up to them!

 

Now comes the hard part.

Once their artwork was finished students needed to create a circuit template based on the type of circuit they were using in their work.  They could use one already designed by Chibitronics or they needed to design their own.  If it worked, I encouraged them to use a Chibitronics template, like the one below.  Click here to find many more options!

However, those templates often didn't fit their art work designs.
After much trial and error, here is our template design process

1. Lay a paper, roughly the size of the artwork, overtop of your artwork and mark where you want the lights to go with a small pencil dot.

2. Place/Trace the battery ports.

3. Draw the circuit tape lines from the batteries to each light dot.  Make sure lines are 1/4 in apart.

4. Place circuit tape on pencil lines.

4. Hook up the battery 

5. Place LED stickers on template

Voila!

The best of this process is hearing all of the oohs and ahhs and each student gets their circuit to work.

Don't get me wrong, there was ALOT of trial and error and trouble shooting, 

but we managing to get each student's circuit working!

Students then attached their circuit to the back of their work see the 

magic of creating a LED enhanced work of art!

Help my Artovation Students have a Sensor-ational Experience!

Artovation is a Howe Manning specialist class where students 

see the integration of art and innovation at work.

I want to make sure my students have what they need to succeed, so I just created a DonorsChoose.org classroom request.

Follow the link below to learn more about how this project will teach Artovation students all about sensors.

Sensor-ational Art Projects

Give to my classroom within the next seven days and your donation will be doubled thanks to DonorsChoose.org. Just enter the code LIFTOFF during checkout and you'll be matched dollar for dollar (up to $50).

In return, you'll get awesome photos of your gift in action and our heartfelt thanks.

Thank you so much,

Catie

P.S. If you know anyone who might be interested in supporting public schools, please feel free to pass this post along.

Artovation: Miniature Building Challenge

Does constructing a minature building sound hard?  

How about if you have to make it to scale? 

How about if you can only use cardboard?

Challenge Accepted!

That's what 6th grade Artovators were challenged with in the "Miniature Building Challenge"!

This is truly Project Based Learning at its best.  Want to know more about PBL? Click Here!

We started off this challenge with a discussion and exploration about neighborhoods.  Specifically, 6th graders compared and contrasted a neighborhood or block across three settings; urban, suburban, and rural.  After creating sketches of their houses and buildings, Artovators learned about ratio and scale and how they can use these concepts to create a realistic miniature house.

This great PBS video gives a wonderful explanation of scale and ratio in model buildings.

Finally students got to work.  They first chose the correct ratio (based on door heights) for the style of their building.  For example a single family house might be a 1:3 ratio where as an apartment building might be a 1:9 ratio or higher!

                                                 

Then these 6th grade artovators set out to create structures, textures,

 unique features all in cardboard.  

They needed to finish all sides of their buildings before assembling the structure.

Their attention to detail is what really got me!

The two buildings below feature a roof top pool and a 

falling apart structure inspired by the Irish countryside.

Here are a few images of finished buildings. 

I am so impressed with their work!

Many Artovators assured me that even though this project was a LOOOOONG one, 

they would do it again!

Next year I'm thinking of having them research a building or home from a culture totally different than where we live. 

What would you like to see in a cardboard building challenge?!