Presentation of Learning

The Monster 2000

Nine-year-old Vaughn Williams’ grandfather loves sipping away on energy drinks as he works around the house and in the yard. But Vaughn’s grandpa is a busy fellow who needs to be hands-free while he works so his creative third-grade grandson stepped in to design an invention to help him out.

At iLEAD’s OC Learning Studio, Vaughn’s science class embarked on an invention project that challenged learners to use the engineering design process to invent a device that would solve a problem. Vaughn decided his grandfather’s need for hands-free energy drinks would be the problem he would tackle.

Once he had determined the problem he wanted to solve, Vaughn brainstormed and made a plan on paper first. Next, he built his first prototype, then received input from his peers. He improved his design by adjusting the string’s length, switching from yarn to a sturdier material, making the holder’s diameter larger, and making the cardboard waterproof by adding duct tape. He received more peer reviews and built his final prototype making his device not only more durable and functional but also more visually appealing.

At the end of the design and testing phase, Vaughn then presented his invention to his classmates, to younger and older learners, and to families. Vaughn displayed critical thinking skills, as well as zest and grit as he built his device and was willing to revise and improve it several times until he had a final product for presentation.

This project fulfilled many goals including these Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):

• Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
• Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

Vaughn has been with iLEAD Exploration for four years and this project perfectly encapsulates why. Vaughn and his family find that iLEAD Exploration successfully allows him to explore topics he is interested in and gives him varied and rich learning experiences. The hybrid study model allows him interaction with other learners so he can collaborate, learn from as well as share his knowledge with other learners, make friends and have a community complete with opportunities like this to present his work to his peers and others.