The Grade 5 TKS students recently completed their unit of inquiry on the theme of “Where We Are In Place and Time”. The unit explores the idea that, throughout history, people have innovated and created, in order to discover new opportunities. The students focused on three areas: the process of innovation; innovations and creativity in the KAUST community, and their impact now and in the future; and how they can innovate and create for the benefit of the KAUST community.
In exploring the first two themes, the students heard from guest speakers from the university, and visited different areas of the university where innovation is taking place on a daily basis. Lama Hakem from the KAUST Entrepreneurship Center spoke to the students about the process of innovating, and Mark Dudley presented about the innovations that are happening with drones and drone technology.
For the third theme, TKS partnered with the KAUST Campus & Community department to identify 6 themes that the students could explore using design-thinking principles. The themes included community improvements, traffic safety, revenue generation, reducing energy consumption, parking compliance, and smart buildings. The students brainstormed solutions, ideated and built prototypes. The unit culminated in a Shark Tank/Dragon’s Den style presentation where the students pitched their innovations to a panel of judges.
The innovative ideas and presentations were so good that a group of the students were invited to the university to meet with the Director of the Community department, and the Director of HSE, to discuss their ideas further. Both Directors confirmed that they will be taking some of the ideas further and exploring the viability of implementing them in the KAUST community… well done Grade 5s!
Pictures can be found here.