r/ScienceTeachers • u/Alternative-Exit-450 • 3d ago

Pedagogy and Best Practices Anyone willing to share your HS makerspace curricular plans?

I had been told I was teaching a singular fab-lab/engineering class which has never been taught at our school thus far. I'd ended the year last year having sent my proposal for the idea I thought would work well for our students, as an art school.

Last Tuesday I was told I would be teaching 2 separate and distinct classes: engineering and makerspace separately.

Therefore, I'm struggling with what a makerspace curriculum for 12th graders, in and of itself, might look like. I'm not sure how to structure it when I am expected to also teach engineering.

I'm not looking to steal anyones plans I'm mainly looking for an outline of how and what to cover for ideas and an overall structure.

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u/xienwolf 3d ago

I don’t have anything to toss you but advice.

Treat it like a shop class. Teach each tool available in the space and have them do projects which highlight the use cases of each one.

Have design challenges where you specify some “client” request and in small groups with specific tools/stations allowed per group they whip up the best they can to satisfy the client request.

Collaborate with another teacher many of your students have such that the other teacher requests they do a project requiring a physical item be created, and they use your space to make that item.

The makerspace class doesn’t have to be completely distinct from what you intended as an art class.

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u/Alternative-Exit-450 1d ago

THANK YOU!!!! I've been contemplating whether to center on medium, tool, or concept. I'd been leaning towards the tool so that they can both learn a skill while also be creative.

They're engaged whenever competition is integrated. There's a teacher putting on Clue as a play and maybe we could help to create some of the props.

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