This month, Maker VISTA members Carey Habiger and Lyna Abal kicked off making with San Fernando Middle School’s first ever Maker Ed elective class for 7th and 8th graders! Over the summer, Lyna collaborated with first time maker teachers to come up with a curriculum that best suited teacher, student, and school needs. Once school started, Carey and Lyna were then able to support the class as a whole, challenging students to think creatively and critically. They encouraged teachers to step outside their comfort zone, take risks and dive deep.
Driven by Carey’s interest in history and Lyna’s desire to put a more interdisciplinary focus on making, this Maker VISTA duo reached out and planned a making project with Mrs. Rigamat, a 6th grade history teacher. This marked the first time a history class has been involved with making at SFMS! The project was tailored to fit the curriculum focus of ancient Egypt, accessing students prior knowledge of mummification and applying that knowledge to recreate the process of Egyptian mummification on stuffed dolls. Students also created and designed their own canopic jars and sarcophagi.
In the coming months, Lyna and Carey plan to address new challenges and even fears that teachers are experiencing around Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), by striving to incorporate making projects into NGSS science labs and working with teachers to brainstorm new ways of teaching their curriculum through making. Making at SFMS right now feels bold, creative, and risky – an exciting and meaningful time to have Maker VISTA members like Carey and Lyna building capacity.
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