Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School Makerspaces Inspire Students to Think and Create BIG!

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School Librarian, Jennifer Gordon

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School Library
Jennifer Gordon, Librarian

Think, Create, Make - Makerspace Challenges - Big and Small
A few years ago, our technology director came to me with a question : Had I ever thought about creating a Makerspace in the Library?  The answer was simple : yes! I’d already had the idea brewing in the back of my head, I just wasn’t sure how I wanted to work it into my schedule and my space.  I took a few months to tinker, do a little bit of research, and test out my plans with a couple of classes. Fast forward to now: my students have a variety of opportunities to THINK, CREATE, and MAKE! ​​

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Daily Options - After our lesson is over and after students have checked out their books, they get the opportunity to use what we call “Choice Activities”.  These are an assortment of small activities that encourage engineering, construction, thinking, creativity, and collaboration. We have LEGOs, a few different types of magnetic/non-magnetic building options, coloring and drawing, puzzles, brain teasers, and more.  These are designed to be easily used and cleaned up in a short period of time.

Monthly Options - Every month, each class has the opportunity to earn a Makerspace class period.  We pause our Library learning and spend our whole 45 minutes working in centers. These centers change every month and are based around STEAMS (science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and social studies).  Each of the centers allows the students to work collaboratively towards a goal, a finished product, or a partially finished product that will be continued by other classes. These are our centers for the upcoming month:
S - Pom Pom Launchers: Can you build a device that launches a pom pom into the air?  Once your launcher is complete, how accurate can you be when aiming at a target?
T - Kamigami Robots: Can you design an obstacle course?  Once your course is complete, can you create a code for your Kamigami robot to move through it?
E - Cardboard Mazes: Can you design and construct a maze using cardboard for your HexBugs to race through?
A - Hula Hoop Weaving: Can you work together to weave circular rugs using t-shirts and hula hoops?
M - Origami: Can you follow step-by-step instructions to construct an origami shape? 
S - Cardboard Reading Nook: Can you construct a reading nook out of cardboard?

Inside the Library - We really focus on loving stories and reading during Library, but we take any chance we get to mix in some maker time!  In Kindergarten, we do a lot of thinking beyond our stories. I’ve used Not a Box and Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis, and Wave by Suzy Lee during our read aloud time, followed by drawing or creating activities. Those books are great jumping off points for their imaginations!  Third grade will be engineering solutions to help out their Tall Tale characters: students will get into groups, read about a Tall Tale character, and then work together to narrow their focus down to the main problem the character faces.  From there, they have to come up with a plan, draw out a blueprint, assign jobs and responsibilities, and create a supply request list. Once all of that has been approved, we move on to a short lesson on cardboard attachment methods and techniques and work in centers using the available tools and materials.  The next week, we begin building! After reading Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick, 5th grade students are asked to reflect upon what they would collect in their own museum boxes or cabinets of wonder and can represent these visually.  

Around the School - Makerspace isn’t just happening in the Library!  Lower grade students have a STEM block where they get to try out different technologies and challenges throughout the year.  Some upper grade classes have included an engineering challenge into their week. Our technology teacher has really embraced the maker movement this year and has a wonderful selection of robots for the students to use.  Our art teacher loves challenging students through art. We have an elective block for students where they can sign up to participate in our Innovation Lab. At the end of the year, we culminate our learning with a whole school STEAMS Expo centered around a specific theme. I could go on and on! BBCPS has thinking, creating, and making EVERYWHERE! 

How do you THINK, CREATE, and MAKE in your schools?  ​