Driving Question
(Teacher Guided, Student Constructed)
How can we create a “smart” stuffed animal to comfort kids while in emergency rooms, hospitals, or other care centers?
Public Products
Students will make a custom-designed “smart” stuffed animal using conductive thread and simple electronics.
Connections
Foundations
Milestones
Milestone 1 (Days 1–2)
Situation
Research has been shown that a teddy bear or similar stuffed animal has had positive effects on the treatment and care of younger children in hospitals (Effects of a Teddybear Hospital Project on Preschool Children). A variety of different products have been created to help comfort these young patients.
Creative teams are given the assignment to create a “smart” stuffed animal that is designed to comfort kids while in emergency rooms, hospitals, or other care centers. They are to also create the branding and marketing of your product.
Key Student Questions
- What is it about stuffed animals that is comforting to patients? Is it the softness of the material? Is it the style of the stuffed animal? Is it the size?
- Do the colors matter?
- Does the stuffed animal need to be “smart” and offer feedback based on input from the patient (i.e., light up when hugged)?
Formative Assessments
- Class Discussion
- Huggable Diagram
Instructional Procedures
- Begin class by showing one of the following: The Caring Bear Video or Huggable Bear Befriends Girl in Hospital Video.
- Have a discussion with the class about what was observed in the video. Guide the discussion with questions such as:
- What was learned?
- What was unique?
- What was creative?
- What can be improved?
- What would Huggable 2.0 do better or different from the current version?
- Explain to the students that a teddy bear or similar stuffed animal can have positive effects on the treatment and care of younger children in hospitals. A variety of different products have been created to help comfort these young patients.
- Tell the students that they will be working with a creative team to create a “smart” stuffed animal that is designed to comfort kids while in emergency rooms, hospitals, or other care centers. They will also develop the branding and marketing of their product.
- Guide the students to construct a question similar to, “How can we create a ‘smart’ stuffed animal to comfort kids in emergency rooms, hospitals, or other care centers?”
- Divide the class into smaller groups. Ask each group to draw a diagram of how Huggable works. Prompt them to think about:
- What does Huggable do?
- What are all of the bear’s actions or abilities?
- How does the bear complete each of these actions?
- Have the groups draw and describe the inner workings of the bear. Use arrows for motion, words for description, color for describing separate functions, and any other drawing methods to communicate ideas.
- Allow time for each group to share their ideas with the class. Compare and contrast main ideas from each group to identify common thoughts and trends between them.
- Once all groups have shared their preliminary ideas with the class, ask each group to return to their work station and make revisions based on the class discussion.
- Have groups do a “museum-walk” around the classroom to look at each of the other group’s work.
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