As the devastating impact of the Coronavirus pandemic is felt throughout the world we at Makers Empire are extremely concerned and worried.
In Australia, we’ve watched as things have become exponentially more serious over the last few weeks. Many of our Makers Empire schools in countries around the world are closed or planning for closure. Some countries are in lockdown or citizens have been instructed to follow ‘shelter where you are’ protocols and only leave the house for the essentials. Social distancing is recommended for all and mandatory for others. We all know people in high-risk categories who are following advice to self-isolate at home.
If ever was there a time for following the rules, this is certainly it. And yet beyond the regularly updated advice, there are so many decisions and choices that we all still need to make. But every decision — both professional and personal — is fraught with potential complications and implications. How can we help our kids make the transition to remote learning? How can we keep their learning effective? How can we keep our high-risk elderly relatives safe in self-isolation while still making them feel loved and supported? How can we support our worried colleagues? And how much hand sanitiser do we actually need?
Unfortunately, learning to live with the reality of COVID-19 is going to be the new normal for a lot of us for some time. With that in mind, it’s important for all of us to take a deep breath, be kind to each other, look after our own mental health, and look at ways to feel empowered and positive. This isn’t about trying to gloss over a challenging situation, or about living in denial – it’s about trying, as my dad would say, to tread lightly over the difficult patches. We’re going to have to find a way through it so far better for us to find ways to be hopeful than to live in a constant state of fear and panic. People can also check out suboxone clinic in fort myers for the best mental health advice and treatment.
At Makers Empire, we’ve been working hard each day to support our global community of schools, teachers and students as they make the transition to remote or online learning. In focusing our energies and attention on how we can help the people who rely on us with resources like a new FREE Learning at Home course for teachers and parents or Top 10 Coronavirus 3D Design Challenges, we feel productive and useful.
Many people around the world are now practising social distancing while some people are self-isolating and can’t leave the house. Encourage your students and children to think about these people and the challenges they face by getting them to do these 10 Social Distancing 3D Design Challenges based on the principles of Design Thinking. You can also download these challenges as a pack of 10 x PDFs that students/parents can view or print at home.
Each activity should take 30-60 minutes for students, depending on their age and their familiarity with our Makers Empire 3D design app. As always, feel free to tweak these challenges to suit your students and your needs. We hope you and your students enjoy these design challenges and that they help engage them in a positive learning activity during this difficult time. We’re in this together.
10 Social Distancing & Self-Isolation 3D Design Challenges
#1 Make a Senior Citizen Smile
Think about someone you care about who can’t leave the house at the moment and create a design to bring a smile to their face. Does your grandma love to cook? Maybe you could create a design of you and your grandma baking a cake together. Does your elderly neighbour love gardening? Why not create a new garden design for them? Ask your parent to send them the link to your design via the Makers Empire gallery so they can see it (search for your username and then design).
#2 Boredom Buster
People stuck at home sometimes run out of things to do. Design an amazing invention for someone your age that’ll keep them amused for hours. What would your Boredom Buster do? How would someone use it? Think about all the cool features it should have to keep someone like you entertained.
#3 Favourite Outdoor Activity
Think about the outdoor activity you miss most or would miss most if you had to stay at home. Is it going to the beach? Riding your bike? Playing basketball with your friends? Shopping? Going out for icecream? Create a 3D design in Makers Empire to show you doing your favourite outdoor activity and then share it with your classmates.
#4 Fidget Spinner for Stress-Relief
A lot of people are feeling a bit worried right now. Design a cool fidget spinner that they can play with wherever they are to help them feel more relaxed. Make your fidget spinner as decorative and as complicated as you like. What colours should it be? What shapes will you use?
#5 Protective Suit
You may have seen people in your community wearing masks to protect them from spreading or catching germs and viruses. Design an outfit for your Makers Empire avatar to keep you safe from all germs and viruses. Make sure you include a mask and eye goggles. A protective suit doesn’t have look boring – make your outfit awesome!
#6 BFFs 4 Ever
Kids at home are missing their friends. You might be one of them. Design a special pendant for you and your BFF(s) that is designed to be split into pieces that can be worn on a necklace by each of you. What shape should it be? What will you write on it? Tag your BFF so he or she can see what you’ve made for them.
#7 Cheerful Flowers
Do you know someone who is going through a particularly tough time right now? Maybe it’s a friend or relative. Perhaps it’s a neighbour or acquaintance. Create a beautiful bouquet of flowers using Makers Empire’s 3D design software for this person and then have your parent send them the link to it in the Makers Empire gallery (search for your username and then design).
#8 Bedroom Pet
Being stuck in a bedroom is way less boring if you have a pet to keep you company. Using Makers Empire, create a design of your dream pet hanging out with you in your bedroom. What does it look like? What can it do? What does it eat and where does it sleep? What do you call it?
#9 Secret Package
Think about how to get a secret package delivered from your house to a friend’s without a living person actually touching it. How would you do this? Would you create a robot? What about a rocket or helicopter? Could you create a mechanical pigeon or a driverless car? Using Makers Empire, design something that will deliver your package.
#10 Theme Parks
A lot of people love going to theme parks. Unfortunately, going to theme parks is one of the things that people in many countries can’t do right now. Using Makers Empire, design your dream theme park. What rides would your theme park have? What kinds of games and activities would it have for kids? Make your theme park exciting and colourful!
