Find possible solutions
Fire-Ed Up Challenge
Mission 4 | Brainstorm
Find possible solutions
In Mission 4 of the Fire-Ed Up Challenge, we look to find possible solutions through the process of brainstorming.
Introduction
What is “Brainstorm”?
This stage of the iSTEM engineering design process requires students to collaboratively pull together ideas that might solve the problem. The goal is to produce large quantities of ideas in a short amount of time.
Use the lesson below to commence solving one of the following scenarios;
Mission Brief
Key Questions for Students to consider
- How are you going to generate ideas?
- What information will you use to generate ideas?
- What strategies can you use to develop the most innovative ideas from your team?
- How can we make sure that all ideas are valued when working in a team?
- What makes this project innovative?
- What is the best way to communicate your ideas?
- How can you make the idea generation session inclusive
Possible Activities
- Use divergent thinking to produce as many creative ideas as possible.
- Utilise a range of idea-generation techniques.
- Explore existing solutions to create new design ideas.
- Investigate potential technologies and techniques that could be used in the solution.
- Produce thumbnail sketches and annotated drawings of initial ideas.
- Communicate and share ideas.
Suggested Learning Sequence – Mission 4
Our expert curriculum designers have developed a suggested Mission 4 learning sequence for teachers. The following is for the full set of Fire-Ed Up Challenge resources, however, teachers are encouraged to only use activities that are most suitable for their own class and school setting.
Sub Mission 1: Sketching Your Ideas Learn how to sketch your ideas in 3D using the video from Glenny-D. Students to use the associated worksheet to practice their drawing skills.
Sub Mission 2: Sketching Provide students with the brainstorming sketching worksheet and get students to practice drawing thumbnail sketches. Note you could use this after Mission 4 or 5 or as part of that exercise.
Alternative Mission 3: Ideas Blitz Watch video by Ian Preston and Wendy Bode on how to do an ideas blitz. Provide students with the ideas blitz worksheets and get students to work through the exercises. Note you could get students one, some or all of the steps.
Alternative Mission 3: Crazy 8’s In the introductory video by Nick De Leon he discusses the Crazy 8’s design thinking exercise. As an alternative to the ideas blitz, you could get your students to use this ideation technique. Provide students with the Crazy 8’s worksheet and get students to work through the exercises.
Sub Mission 4: Scenarios Get students to watch the selected videos from their selected scenario to provide additional context for their project.
Downloadable Resources
Brainstorm – Sketch Your Ideas in 3D
This worksheet is to be used in conjunction with the Glenny-D video from Splat 3D. This worksheet has a template of shapes to assist students in learning how to draw in 3D using basic shapes.
Brainstorm – Sketching Worksheet
This sketching worksheet is to be used after students have completed the previous drawing exercise with Glenny-D. Students are to practice producing annotated sketches of their ideas.
Brainstorm – Ideas Blitz
Students use the Ideas Blitz method developed by Dr Ken Hudson. It is a short, fast, semi-structured and productive tool to help students to come up with ideas. There are 5 potential steps for the ideas blitz.
Brainstorm – Crazy 8’s
This worksheet accompanies our week 4 introductory video featuring Nick De Leon from the Royal Art College in the UK. Nick discusses the use of the Crazy 8’s brainstorming activity originally developed by Google.
All Scenarios – Resources
General background information for teachers and students to support challenge activities.
Brainstorm – Sketching Your Ideas in 3D
In this video Glenny-D from Splat 3D takes you on a journey to discover the 3 keys for drawing in 3D. After watching this video students will be able to produce basic design sketches to help with the brainstorming process. (16:19 minutes)
Brainstorm – Ideas Blitz Instructions
Presented by Ian Preston Deputy Principal – NSW Virtual STEM Academy and Wendy Bode Deputy Principal – Queensland Virtual STEM Academy QLD Virtual STEM Academy (8:33 minutes)
Scenario 1: New technologies driving bushfire innovations
Drones for fighting bushfires and aiding recovery
Drones are becoming an important tool in fighting bushfires… from detecting hot-spots & mapping damage to repair powerlines (1:58 Minutes)
Bushfire app assisting residents during fire season
The bushfire.io app provides a national view of fire events, fire spots, road closures, weather, and other critical bushfire information. (0:342 Minutes)
Scenario 2: Protecting human life & property from bushfires
Rebuilding homes to withstand Australia’s extreme bushfire seasons
What can be done to make homes safer as people start to rebuild following bushfires (4:36 Minutes)
House designed to withstand bushfires, floods and cyclones
Called the ‘One House’ – a home designed to withstand the impacts of fires, floods and cyclones. (5:56 Minutes)
Scenario 3: Protecting fauna & flora from bushfires
Drones deployed to help bushfire-affected wildlife
Drones are being deployed to help relocate wildlife in bushfire-affected areas. (1:59 Minutes)
How will you keep your animals safe in a bushfire?
If you have animals it’s important to be prepared for a bushfire. This video from the NSW DPI goes into the practical steps you can take. (1:16 Minutes)
Fire-Ed Up
Next Mission | Design
The most promising solutions
Investigate options, refine ideas, create, communicate solutions and processes to solve problems.
