 your students to create a list of items they can find at home that they may be able to use in their designs. For example:
The used items students find must be clean. It can take some time to collect materials, so consider sharing a list of basic items with families a week or two in advance. Once you start discussions with students, they will think of additional ideas of things to bring, but you will have a good set of materials to start with.
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” - William Morris
In addition to needing space to store the materials, you need to think about adequate production space. Some schools are fortunate enough to have a Maker Space, but just about any space, such as a multipurpose room, an unused classroom, or even a hallway will work as your temporary Maker headquarters.
You will need supplies to support your designers. Basic tools like paper, pencils, rulers, tape, paint, and scissors are available at almost any school. If possible, supplement these supplies with items they may not have used before, like wire, Mod Podge, sewing needles and other fasteners, twine, yarn, and ribbons. Be sure to discuss safety when using new tools and adhesives.
Form small design teams of 4-5 students. Remind teams that their task is to design a product from items that would otherwise end up in the trash or recycling.
You might encourage them to consider designing a specific type of object, like a toy or decorative item, or have them start by thinking of a person they’d like to make a gift for, such as a friend or parent.
Teams should begin by brainstorming. Don’t limit the brainstorming process to thinking, talking, and list making! Teams can also brainstorm by collecting objects they think are interesting and combining them to see what happens. As they begin playing with objects and materials, team members can contribute new ideas and move in new and different directions. Encourage teams, or individual team members, to observe the design process of other teams for inspiration.
Once teams have an idea of what to make, they have some latitude in how to proceed. They can work together to make the object functional and beautiful. If their design is straightforward, have students consider making a prototype as a team and then individually making different variations of the object.
Many students have used YouTube how-to videos for Minecraft or rubber band bracelets. Have students use Wixie to write and illustrate how-to instructions for their design to provide others with the information necessary to start upcycling on their own! You can share the URLs for their work, print QR codes to display near the products, or print the instructions for offline use.
Host a gallery walk as teams are finishing up their upcycled designs. As a class, discuss ways you might sort and group objects together for display. Consider how you will display objects so that people can see them. Determine how people will pay for items. For example, you can showcase items as if they were at a store or hold a silent auction.
Consider too how you will promote the upcycle fair and advertise the students’ products.
It’s better for the Earth if more people upcycle. How can you encourage more people to start upcycling?
Outline the tasks you have identified as essential for hosting your own product fair. Form new teams to tackle these tasks. This allows students to self-select tasks they are interested in. If you haven’t already, this is a great opportunity to get students’ families involved.
Tasks might include:
Moving beyond making for making’s sake can be an involved process. Consider having a team of students, either from your class or from a technology class, document the entire process using video or as a web site. This is a great authentic opportunity to begin blogging!
Host an upcycle fair to show off student work and raise funds for a community or conservation organization chosen by students. In addition to inviting parents, send invitations explaining when and where other students and communit