So now that the kids have mastered (yes, mastered) the FabLab ModelMaker software, understand area, have explored 3D shapes, and also know Comic Life well I am confident they are ready for a challenge. I was given this challenge and fell in love with it. It's creator is Dave M. from Hofstra University. He is a nice man with a moustache. I did have to alter the assignment to fit this grade level and where we are in the school year by placing the math at the end of the assignment rather than the front. Meaning, they will calculate the surface area and volume once they are done rather than using parameters from the git go. The next project will do that.
So, the kids (in groups of three) have to come up with a cereal idea and then the packaging for their cereal. What they came up with was astonishing. Some groups took bigger risks than others and that's fine.
Overall, the kids did not struggle in the least with this challenge. Compromising and committing is always a challenge for kids (and humans), but the technical aspects of this challenge were well within their abilities. Had they not been as proficient with the various software we used, this would have been really tough on me as a floating facilitator.
Below are the designs and the final products. This is a great assignment that is based in math, but can easily spill into Language Arts. Assessing this project get tricky I think because there is a certain X-factor involved when judging their designs. Staying within the parameters of a challenge is easy to assess, but when it comes to giving "Berry Blast" a score it gets a little subjective I think.