Design Thinking Academy
The staff at Grant M. Bowler Elementary is actively engaged in becoming a Design Thinking School. Teachers are working to incorporate the 21st Century thinking skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity into everyday lessons in the classroom. As a result, they are encouraging students to become explorers, problem solvers, and divergent thinkers. With more emphasis on these types of skills, students learn to take creative risks and become more prepared for the creative economy which exists today. The goal is to enable students to make meaningful, deep connections between ideas and be more willing to take creative risks.
As part of the Design Thinking Academy at Grant M. Bowler Elementary, each student will be participating in Get Smart Groups on Friday afternoons. These groups are multi-grade level groups that focus on the specific concepts of design thinking and enable students to explore ideas as they develop skills for and solutions to real world problems.
As part of the Design Thinking Academy at Grant M. Bowler Elementary, each student will be participating in Get Smart Groups on Friday afternoons. These groups are multi-grade level groups that focus on the specific concepts of design thinking and enable students to explore ideas as they develop skills for and solutions to real world problems.
Design Thinking Process
As students participate in Get Smart Groups and other classroom activities, they will be learning the specific steps of the design thinking process. While there are many definitions of the process, Grant M. Bowler Elementary has chosen to adopt John Spencer’s acronym LAUNCH to define each step of the process.
Look, Listen and Learn more about the situation
Ask tons of questions to clarify the situation
Understand the process or problem
Navigate all ideas that have been gathered
Create a prototype solution to the problem
Highlight and fix, extend ideas through iterations
Look, Listen and Learn more about the situation
Ask tons of questions to clarify the situation
Understand the process or problem
Navigate all ideas that have been gathered
Create a prototype solution to the problem
Highlight and fix, extend ideas through iterations
Get Smart Groups
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Get Smart groups run most Friday afternoons. Each session is 5 weeks long for Kindergarten and 1st grade students and 7 weeks long for students in 2nd-5th grades. These groups promote creative problem solving, communication skill building, and collaboration with other students. The engaging topics for exploration are aimed at fostering a love for learning and designing in all students.
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Session IV Get Smart Groups for Kinder & 1st grade
CRAYON CLUB: Do you love crayons? Are you tired of the same set of box crayons? This class encourages students to create a new and improved set of crayons.
DREAM ROOM: Have you ever wanted to design your own room? Students will have a chance to design the room of their dreams.
KOOL KEVAS: Come and get your plank on! In this group, students build tunnels, bridges, buildings and more. If you can dream you can build it!
LEGO COMMUNITY: Do you like using Legos to create? Students in this group join in a fun session using Lego blocks to create their own community
LINCOLN COMMUNITY: This group focuses on building communities and structures for communities using Lincoln Logs.
MAGIC PONY PALACE: Ever wonder what horses need in their homes? Students build a palace for a pony named Magic, using their imagination and creativity.
MIND CONSTRUCTION: It’s a mystery! Using students' imagination they can create anything!
MY DRAGON: If a dragon moved in with you, how would life look? Students use sculpting sand to create a sandcastle just right for a pet dragon.
OCEAN OF BUNCHEMS: Students create an ocean world with Bunchems! A coral reef, sharks, maybe even an octopus. There are also many fish they create. Students learn about ocean habitats and what animals need to survive.
THE PERFECT SQUARE: Do you love shapes? How many different shapes are there? Come have fun with shapes!
BEE HOTEL: Students “BUZZ” as they ask questions, make observations, and gather information about social and solitary bees. They also create a “bee hotel” for a solitary bee to nest.
TREKKING THROUGH TROUBLE: Students embark on a journey of traveling troubles. They design solutions to assist travelers with different challenges on their trip.
DREAM ROOM: Have you ever wanted to design your own room? Students will have a chance to design the room of their dreams.
KOOL KEVAS: Come and get your plank on! In this group, students build tunnels, bridges, buildings and more. If you can dream you can build it!
LEGO COMMUNITY: Do you like using Legos to create? Students in this group join in a fun session using Lego blocks to create their own community
LINCOLN COMMUNITY: This group focuses on building communities and structures for communities using Lincoln Logs.
MAGIC PONY PALACE: Ever wonder what horses need in their homes? Students build a palace for a pony named Magic, using their imagination and creativity.
MIND CONSTRUCTION: It’s a mystery! Using students' imagination they can create anything!
MY DRAGON: If a dragon moved in with you, how would life look? Students use sculpting sand to create a sandcastle just right for a pet dragon.
OCEAN OF BUNCHEMS: Students create an ocean world with Bunchems! A coral reef, sharks, maybe even an octopus. There are also many fish they create. Students learn about ocean habitats and what animals need to survive.
THE PERFECT SQUARE: Do you love shapes? How many different shapes are there? Come have fun with shapes!
BEE HOTEL: Students “BUZZ” as they ask questions, make observations, and gather information about social and solitary bees. They also create a “bee hotel” for a solitary bee to nest.
TREKKING THROUGH TROUBLE: Students embark on a journey of traveling troubles. They design solutions to assist travelers with different challenges on their trip.
Session III Get Smart Groups for 2nd & 3rd grade
BUILDING WALLS: Students explore the history of wall building and participate in building an actual wall outside the classroom.
CAPTAIN BOWLER’S SURVIVAL CHALLENGE: Captain Bowler has been shipwrecked on a deserted island. He has no shelter, food, or defense. Students work to see what he can find on the island to help him survive!
FAIRY TALE ENGINEERS: Students help Rapunzel engineer an escape from her tower, and help Robin Hood build a better bow to win his competition.
IMAGINEERING IN A BOX: Have you ever wondered how Disney can change some plaster and paint into a rocky Star Wars outpost? Have you ever wondered how they change a regular looking building into a fairy tale princess castle? Students in this class learn how Disney Imagineers go through the design process and create their own themed land.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Do you ever get the chance to help mom or dad in the kitchen? Have you ever wondered why donuts have a hole in the middle? Students explore the answers to these questions and more as they explore cooking.
LAUNCH & TARGET: Students launch into something great and hit the target! 3-2-1 LAUNCH!
LET’S GO FLY A KITE: Students look at different kinds of kites and how they compare. They then have a chance to build their own kite and test it to see how it flies.
PET TOYS R US: Students have hours of fun exploring the types of toys created commercially for pets and then try their hand at creating an original pet toy.
ROBOT RUN AROUND: Students explore different types of robots and computer programming as they learn how robots are controlled.
ROLLER COASTERS: Wheeee! OOOOOOH! Aahhhhh! Certainly everyone loves a roller coaster! Students have a chance to learn about them and design and make their own. Students test them to make sure they work, and redesigning to make them the scariest, but safest coaster yet.
SURPRISE STRUCTURES: Have you ever built a house of cards? A tower of cups? A cardboard fort? Students explore these ideas and many more as they use surprise materials each week to build amazing things!
CAPTAIN BOWLER’S SURVIVAL CHALLENGE: Captain Bowler has been shipwrecked on a deserted island. He has no shelter, food, or defense. Students work to see what he can find on the island to help him survive!
FAIRY TALE ENGINEERS: Students help Rapunzel engineer an escape from her tower, and help Robin Hood build a better bow to win his competition.
IMAGINEERING IN A BOX: Have you ever wondered how Disney can change some plaster and paint into a rocky Star Wars outpost? Have you ever wondered how they change a regular looking building into a fairy tale princess castle? Students in this class learn how Disney Imagineers go through the design process and create their own themed land.
KIDS IN THE KITCHEN: Do you ever get the chance to help mom or dad in the kitchen? Have you ever wondered why donuts have a hole in the middle? Students explore the answers to these questions and more as they explore cooking.
LAUNCH & TARGET: Students launch into something great and hit the target! 3-2-1 LAUNCH!
LET’S GO FLY A KITE: Students look at different kinds of kites and how they compare. They then have a chance to build their own kite and test it to see how it flies.
PET TOYS R US: Students have hours of fun exploring the types of toys created commercially for pets and then try their hand at creating an original pet toy.
ROBOT RUN AROUND: Students explore different types of robots and computer programming as they learn how robots are controlled.
ROLLER COASTERS: Wheeee! OOOOOOH! Aahhhhh! Certainly everyone loves a roller coaster! Students have a chance to learn about them and design and make their own. Students test them to make sure they work, and redesigning to make them the scariest, but safest coaster yet.
SURPRISE STRUCTURES: Have you ever built a house of cards? A tower of cups? A cardboard fort? Students explore these ideas and many more as they use surprise materials each week to build amazing things!
Session III Get Smart Groups for 4th & 5th
BREAKOUT BOXES: Can you unlock the mystery? Student put their detective skills to the ultimate test as they work to see if they can break out before it’s too late.
DASH AND DOT: Students use coding to control robots as they work through challenges, puzzles, and explore different ways to make a robot move.
LEGOS BOOSTED: Students build, create, and imagine what robots can do. They work with a team to become an engineer.
LET’S BUILD: Have you ever wondered about how people live in other parts of the world? What their houses look like or kinds of toys they play with? Students get the chance to find out more and then build some models.
MAGICAL MAGIC: Do you love the mystery and the amazement that comes from a good magic trick? Students who join this group learn magic from others, design and create their own tricks, and amaze their friends and family as they present your magic.
NOW YOU’RE COOKING: This group introduces students to green engineering. They explore insulators and conductors and design a solar oven!
ONE MAN BAND: Students build an amazing one man band that they can use to perform for others.
PAPER TUBE ARCHITECTURE: Students explore building amazing structures from rolled paper tubes.
THEATER: Putting on a play is great fun! Students in this group have the thrilling opportunity to form a cast, choose a script, create sets and props, rehearse, and finally perform their production for others. So sit back and enjoy the show!
TIME FOR TAKE-OFF: Have you ever wondered why some paper airplanes fly longer, faster, or farther than other airplanes? The answer is no mystery, it is science. Students have the opportunity to learn some tricks to better airplane design.
WE VIDEO BROADCASTING: Convincing customers to buy a product, service or idea through advertisements is the focus of this group. Students create a video presentation to sell their ideas to their peers.
DASH AND DOT: Students use coding to control robots as they work through challenges, puzzles, and explore different ways to make a robot move.
LEGOS BOOSTED: Students build, create, and imagine what robots can do. They work with a team to become an engineer.
LET’S BUILD: Have you ever wondered about how people live in other parts of the world? What their houses look like or kinds of toys they play with? Students get the chance to find out more and then build some models.
MAGICAL MAGIC: Do you love the mystery and the amazement that comes from a good magic trick? Students who join this group learn magic from others, design and create their own tricks, and amaze their friends and family as they present your magic.
NOW YOU’RE COOKING: This group introduces students to green engineering. They explore insulators and conductors and design a solar oven!
ONE MAN BAND: Students build an amazing one man band that they can use to perform for others.
PAPER TUBE ARCHITECTURE: Students explore building amazing structures from rolled paper tubes.
THEATER: Putting on a play is great fun! Students in this group have the thrilling opportunity to form a cast, choose a script, create sets and props, rehearse, and finally perform their production for others. So sit back and enjoy the show!
TIME FOR TAKE-OFF: Have you ever wondered why some paper airplanes fly longer, faster, or farther than other airplanes? The answer is no mystery, it is science. Students have the opportunity to learn some tricks to better airplane design.
WE VIDEO BROADCASTING: Convincing customers to buy a product, service or idea through advertisements is the focus of this group. Students create a video presentation to sell their ideas to their peers.
