The CDS lower school Design Tech team has been hard at work on their first project that had students collaborating with the media center, technology, and the Maker Lab. They started with Ms. Hollin, the media specialist, and read the book "Balloons Over Broadway" by Melissa Sweet which tells the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and Tony Sang. Puppeteer Sang developed the idea for the parade’s balloons. As part of the student research, they studied many types of puppetry and finally how this contributed to the Macy’s balloons we know today. Once the students understood that through dedication and imagination your dreams could become a reality, they headed over to see Mr. McGrath in Technology and learned how to drive the Dash robots, as well as how to record and take photos.  With the Dash robots, students are able to explore loops, events, conditions, and sequences to see how they result in real-life movements. 

Armed with the story of the Macy's Day Parade and the careful skills of a balloon handler through robotics, CDS students then started to design and construct their balloons in the Maker Lab with Maker Lab & Science Specialist, Mrs. Gochoco. One by one the students took to the parade route with their partner and Dash and sent their balloon down the parade route, while the other took photos and video. The day was a success with most balloons finishing the route in style. The students will then be creating a presentation with their videos and photos.

This partnership between story-telling, technology, and physical creation is a perfect example IB (International Baccalaureate) project-based learning that integrates subjects. It's also a great example of our lower school design tech team in action. 

Great job everyone!

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Thank you to the fabulous CDS lower school design tech team, Jennifer Gochoco, Connie Hollin, and Bryan McGrath, for working together to make this project happen.