Student Budgets
Throughout the unit, students met with their groups to receive money for their bank accounts. Each group had a folder with a check registry form and some blank checks. On “paydays” each group received a check for the Dewing Dollars their group members had earned. They earned one Dewing Dollar per point earned on the choice menu assignments. In order to keep students’ individual scores confidential, each group received one check that was a total of all group members’ earnings for that pay period. Students learned how to deposit checks, complete a check registry, and keep a running balance. Smith and Wilhelm (2002) discuss the importance, for boys especially, to work towards a tangible goal and to compete with others. Earning money for their bank accounts allowed students to do this.
Students learned the importance of keeping an accurate balance in their accounts when it was time to buy materials for their kites. After finishing Flying the Dragon the students received a catalog of kite materials (See Appendix B). Each material cost a certain number of Dewing Dollars. Students used the catalog pricing and books of kite designs to plan their kites. Some designs required the expensive washi paper, while others used the less expensive large plastic bag. Some designed required more material than students could afford. They had to determine whether to use a different design or to adjust the design to a different size. When students determined what materials they needed and could afford, they completed an order form and learned to fill out a check, made payable to Dewing’s Kite Shop, in order to receive their supplies.
Building the Kites
With supplies in hand, students worked with their groups to build their kites. They started with a newspaper rough draft, or prototype, in order to accurately design the shape and dimensions of their kites. Then they used the newspaper as a pattern for their real kites. I found that the students who took the time to make a newspaper pattern first had much more successful kites, and will require this in the future. They measured pieces, assembled structures, and tested their kites in front of a fan. They negotiated colors and design aspects with their group members. They adjusted their budgets to purchase cheaper materials, or used excess Dewing Dollars to add ribbon for kite tails. They learned the importance of measuring before cutting. They learned that using patterns from the kite books was more successful that making up their own configurations (again, something I’ll require in the future), and that the weather affected the success of their kite. Vilorio (2014) suggests that STEM involves using “science, technology, engineering, or math to try to understand how the world works and to solve problems.” As students negotiated with one another to design and build their kites, they relied on engineering and math skills to build kites.
“I enjoyed the challenge of making a well-planned out kite. All the measurements had to be precise. That was fun to me,” said Kaleb.
On a sunny day in May, students proudly took their kites to the school’s baseball field and let them fly.
