Innovation and Design

Students grow their understanding of geometry by exploring and combining shapes in two dimensions and working up to three. First through third grade pupils start out with materials like paper and cardboard, and using hand-held 3D printing pens to practice patience and build their dexterity. 

BHS maintains a constantly growing and improving collection of 3D printers and laser cutters for prototyping student designs, creating learning materials, and demonstrating manufacturing processes. As students develop proficiency in CAD design, they can expand their collection of 3D printed designs in the Junior High 3D Design elective.

Bobcats begin interacting with robots early, building and programming simple robots in elementary grades. Critical thinking about robotics and artificial intelligence is encouraged by lessons which compare and contrast fictional portrayals with real-world developments. In middle school classes and after-school Robotics Lab, students are able to build up to greater complexity, working with varying platforms with different levels of build and programming challenge.

Students interact with AI (Artificial Intelligence) platforms in a controlled, moderated setting. They learn how to craft prompts which yield strong results, effectively engage with chat agents, and appropriately generate and recognize AI-created images. Computer science lessons give  students in fourth and fifth grade insight into training image recognition models and using AI to streamline workflows.  

The Innovation Lab is the hub for BHS photography and filmmaking activities, including 2D and 3D animation. Skills and practices developed in still photography help middle school students learn to capture motion picture and video sequences to meet their imaginations.

Students interested in 3D design are taught to render images and sequences, to use a timeline and keyframes to make 3D objects squash and stretch. Bobcats interested in making 3D animations in Blender learn to use advanced mathematics to accomplish their goals and create something beautiful.

Learners make lasting gains when their tasks are relevant to real-world issues and problems. Innovation Lab classes regularly prompt students to respond to disasters, building challenges, adapting technologies for diverse users, and improving their local community. Additionally, Berkeley Hall uses project-based learning to inspire student growth in Integrated Studies and House Day activities. Cardboard Regatta, Egg Drop Cushion, and Lego Derby are examples of Engineering Challenges which excited Bobcats to collaborate, iterate, and improve.

In intermediate grades, students learn how graphing and the coordinate plane form the building blocks of 3D shapes and tackle design challenges to begin using CAD (computer aided design). These skills are further refined as junior high elective students create and improve contrasting 3D designs. Adapting their CAD designs for project constraints cultivates flexible thinking while building spatial awareness and visualizing technique.

Computer science is an important part of Innovation Lab classes, giving Bobcats experience and insight into the devices that surround them. Students begin using flowcharts and block-based coding tools like Scratch Jr to create animations or program robots. As they develop their understanding, pupils get practice debugging algorithms and adding interactive elements.

Visual coding continues through fifth grade as students learn to program for hardware devices and build code for more complex projects. Throughout Innovation Lab classes, students learn about the history of video gaming by playing and recreating arcade classics. Children’s interest in gaming is leveraged to create expressive, student-guided play experiences.