a scalable, student-centered approach to STEM learning

Spacekittens & Superstars

Schoolwork wasn’t the origin of their interest.

LOOK MA...I’m an

entymologist!

REVERSE-ENGINEERING THE OUTLIERS

Self-motivation to learn: the ultimate success. How to foster it??

Three components to spur the active motivation to learn:

1. Vehicle - any learning experience (Coursera & Khan)2. Trajectory - compelling destination, believable path3. Ignition - tap into existing taste & interests

Tell the student a fascinating, believable, positive story about her own future, and give her tools to finish the story herself.

Goal: to spur young students around the world to actively pursue STE(A)M fluency, educations, and careers. And to do it in a scalable way.

Method: Tell young students interesting, believable, positive stories about their futures. Give them tools to begin writing the story for themselves.

Thematic anchor: space & space exploration

Channel: Facebook, YouTube, web, classroom

Ignition: Cool stuff… where they’re looking for it!

Trajectory: Superstars. Cool, young people actively pursuing meaningful STE(A)M roles related to space.

EXAMPLES…..

Vehicle: Spacekittens. "Online hands-on" educational experiences for self-learners AND classroom teachers

interactive content● Scalable hands-on STEM learning. Pixels > atoms.

Minimum investment of resources but maximal results. ● narrative-driven experiences. ● transferrable skills & competencies. (better than a

video game)● foster curiosity and self-driven learning● mapped to NGSS and other relevant standards

WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE?

A Narrative-Centered, NGCC approach to STEAM Learning & 3D Design

Spacekittens to Mars

Spacekittens to Marsnarrative simulation conceived for Autodesk 123D suite.

10-part episodic series of serialized, animated video shorts tells story of four characters journeying to Mars in the early 2030s. Student is a character, and they use 123D to participate in the story.

Cliffhanger dilemma. Mission Control… send help!

Use 123D apps to create novel solutions, sending a design to the characters to print using one of the three 3D printers onboard the craft.

Each challenge is modular and poses progressive difficulty, and each challenge mapped to NGCC standards.

MOODBOARD

Supporting contentLesson plans, objectives, assessments - facilitate classroom usage

How-to videos - teach 123D App usage directly relevant to each challenge

Context videos - feature astronauts and other professionals provide anecdotes, discuss real-life challenges being solved through 3D design

External links - relevant 3rd party content

Design templates - objects “on the spacecraft” that students tweak or incorporate into their designs

Social media - Facebook pages where fictional protagonists post relevant background details and engage with participants

Gene Therapy for Radiation Protection Challenge:● Challenge in a Nutshell

o Students are to design a 3D model of a viral vector for gene therapy using Tinkercad, Design or Creature.

● Narrativeo We’re running out of radiation cream! Someone has been slathering

himself! Need to make more using 3D nanoprinter.

Sample challenge: Space medicine

Sample challenge: Design it, Share it, Print it

Design it! - 123D App

Share it! - Social media

Make it! - 3D Printer

Challenge: Design a Polyhedral Viral Capsid and Outer Proteins● Use 123D Design or Tinkercad or Creature● Adenovirus Viral Vector

o Capsid: Dodecahedron, Icosahedrono Cell Receptor Proteins

● Bacteriophage T4 Viral Vectoro Head: Bipyramidal hexagonal prismo Body & Tail Proteins

Sample challenge: Space medicine

3D Modelling for Deep Conceptual Understanding● Online Downloadable and Editable 3D Templates of Virus Structures● 3D templates as models to learn about intricate structures and functions of

the virus● Instructors and students can access the templates to edit structures

Sample challenge: Space medicine

Sample challenge: Space medicine

Subject Related Standards Learning Objectives

Science Life Sciences● MS-LS1 From Molecules to Or

ganisms: Structures and Processes

Physical Sciences● MS-PS1 Matter and its Interacti

ons

● Develop and use a model to describe the various structures of bacteria and virus and ways they contribute to the function.

● Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of viruses and bacteria

● Observe and understand differences between viruses vs bacteria (shapes, roles in ecosystem, life cycle)

● How viruses and bacteria spread and why it is dangerous in space

● (Supplementary) Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple drug molecules such as ibuprofen

Related standards and learning objectives

Sample challenge: Space medicine

Subject Related Standards Learning Objectives

Engineering &

Technology

Applicable Apps:● Tinkercad● 123D Design

● Create more complex 3D shapes using 1) Tinkercad or 2) 123D Design

● Observing structures of organisms, make prediction about their functions, and constructing explanations

● Design your own germs: create a new virus or bacteria and try to explain functions of various parts

Mathematics 6th Grade: Ratios● CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.1● CCSS.Math.Content.6.RP.A.3a

6th Grade: Geometry● CCSS.Math.Content.6.G.A.3

7th Grade: Geometry● CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.2● CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.3

● Understand the concept of a ratio and use ratio language to describe a ratio relationship between two quantities.

● Draw polygons in the coordinate plane given coordinates for the vertices

● Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions

● Describe the two-dimensional figures that result from slicing three-dimensional figures

Ten Challenges mapped to NGSS standards● mission logo design● fix broken component on International Space Station● loneliness and boredom● fashion show (wearables)● medicine● fitness● gravity and orbital mechanics (Aldrin Cycler, space rendezvous)● On Mars

Release weekly - Thursday at 5pm.Classroom integration on Fridays. Build, learn, iterate

Organizational goalsto do interesting new valuable things and build the partnership &

tech structure to facilitate them. to be an accountable (i.e evaluated and results-quantifiable) and

scalable service for our education and arts peers, funding partners, and potential collaborators.

to build skills, build connections, and foster growth for all involved--from students, to their mentors, to future employeers, to the general public who will benefit from the results.

Near-term goals:

1. Build awareness with educators, students, STEAM organizations, and aeronautics/ engineering/ design stakeholders

2. Begin key front-end evaluation and research to learn more about educators’ needs

3. Allign with partners in media, education, interactive development, and content advisement

4. Fund our org and our projects

Artful and poetic lyricsare nothing without a catchy hook.