Introduce students to the Engineering Design Process, and guide them through the process of designing an “ideal friend.”
This activity supports the development of the following social-emotional skills: relationship skills, responsible decision-making, self-awareness, and social awareness.
Explain to students that they will learn about and use the Engineering Design Process to create their “ideal friend.” The Engineering Design Process is a series of steps which we can use to 1) define a problem, 2) think of possible solutions, and 3) gather feedback to come up with a final design.
Distribute a copy of the activity packet to each student, and use the slideshow to guide them through the following steps:
During each step, students will draw or take notes in their packet, and then build and share their prototype at the end of the activity!
Share your students’ prototypes with your Empatico partner class (e.g., through a live virtual exchange or a tool like Flipgrid or Padlet). Invite students to share about their design, which characteristics they included and why, how they created their prototype, and what they learned about being a good friend. Then, encourage them to give each other compliments and constructive feedback on their designs!
Guide students through a post-activity reflection by asking the following questions:
This activity was created in partnership with Kristin Harrington.
Using Book Creator, engage students in a collaborative project to learn about each other’s community.
Go To ActivityExplore different festivals that are celebrated around the world, and invite students to share about a holiday or festival that is important to them.
Go To Activity
