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The geometrigraph and polygraph were manufactured in the late 1800s. Using just these two devices, you can create curved, parallel or perpendicular lines as well as circles, angles and a range of polygons from 3-sided to 20-sided.
Some people believe that the art of hand shadowing has existed since about 850 AD. Hand shadows have provided entertainment and education since there was a controllable light source and blank wall onto which to project the shadow.
We often think of design as the creation of plan or object for a specific function. We use a design process to move our thinking from initial ideas to conceptual sketches. From the sketches, we can then create working prototypes that we can test and evaluate. When we use design thinking, we engage in human centred design, focusing our design on how the end user might use our prototype to address a real problem.
We live in an interconnected world; our actions and activities impact living conditions for others both locally and globally. In 2000 the United Nations drafted initial Millennium Goals (https://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/) to improve quality of life. Recently, these goals were revised, focusing on issues of environmental sustainability, happiness, and well being.
In 2012, many residents of the Fraser Valley experienced, or were threatened by flooding. River levels along the Fraser corridor were at their highest in 40 years. Water eroded berms and caused flooding in many areas along a 600 km stretch from northern BC to the Fraser Valley. Natural disaster is just one reason a family may have to unexpectedly vacate or abandon their home on short notice.
What’s common among many of the leading architects of the 20th century? They attended Montessori Schools and learned by playing with and exploring Froebel’s Gifts.
Design Thinking Worksheet suitable for use with adults and older students. This worksheet is modified from the d.school materials (https://dschool.stanford.edu/resources/getting-started-with-design-thinking)
Canadian Parliament is calling for between 280,000 and 305,000 permanent residents to be allowed into Canada in 2016, including more refugees from war-torn Syria. This will be our country’s largest intake of immigrants into Canada since immediately following World War II.
Imagine making the decision with your family to leave your home and walk in the pursuit of a better life. Globally, refugee families are making the decision to leave what they know and walk through dangerous terrain, often taking only the clothes on their backs and a few personal items. In 2015, the United Nations reported that one in every 122 humans is now either a refugee, internally displaced, or seeking asylum (https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=51185#.VvXL9PHDlyV).
Einstein is quoted as saying, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Simple machines are classic examples of what Einstein claims. They are classified in six types, and they can be found everywhere—often in some very surprising places and things. Simple machines offer mechanical advantages, which makes it easier to do work. The six simple machines are levers, inclined planes, wedges, screws, wheels and axles, and pullies.