[Nahla Yehia]

Hi Bothaina,
Thank you for sharing your thoughtful reflection on the Engineering Design Process Wheel – Visual Diagram!

Compliment:
I really appreciated how clearly you articulated the value of the wheel’s circular layout and its simplicity. Your idea of pairing the visual with guiding questions like (Are you still imagining or already planning?) is a fantastic way to scaffold student thinking and keep them engaged throughout the process. The way you described using sentence starters to support learners during each step also shows such care for diverse learners in your classroom.

Connection to My Teaching:
Like you, I also teach Years 4–6, and I’ve found that visual anchors like this one can really help students “stick” with a process instead of rushing to finish a product. I also emphasize iteration in my classroom, and I loved your point about helping students see failure not as an endpoint but as a chance to improve. That shift in mindset takes time, and your strategies feel very age-appropriate and supportive.

Follow-Up Idea/Question:
To your excellent question about how to make the (Improve) step more meaningful especially when class time is limited. I wonder if using a quick (reflection round) at the end of each session might help. Maybe just 2–3 minutes where students answer one question like: (What would you change next time and why?) on a sticky note or in their STEM journal. Over time, that habit might deepen their reflection even in short bursts.
Have you ever tried using peer feedback during the Improve step? Sometimes a quick gallery walk or partner check-in can give fresh ideas in a short timeframe.
Thanks again for a well-organized and inspiring post. You’ve definitely sparked some new ideas for me!
Warmly,
Nahla

[Nahla Yehia]

Hi Bothaina

I really enjoyed reading your analysis of the Textured Fireworks lesson! You clearly laid out how each phase of the inquiry cycle is embedded in the lesson, and I especially appreciated how you linked student actions to deeper inquiry (like how the salt and watercolor experiment connects to energy transfer and chemical reactions).

Enduring Understanding

Your enduring understanding that “chemical reactions can power stunning visual and sound experiences through art is both clear and transferable. It beautifully captures the integration of science and art in a way that students will remember. You might even consider broadening it slightly to include the concept of energy transformation through artistic media for future interdisciplinary links.

Essential Questions

Your essential questions are excellent they are open-ended, promote critical thinking, and highlight the real-world relevance of science and art coming together. I especially liked:

“How can art and science team up to make unforgettable sensory experiences?”

Application of Inquiry Model

You did a great job mapping the inquiry cycle to the lesson.

Thanks for such a thoughtful breakdown this was inspiring to read!

[Nahla Yehia]

Hi Caroline,
Thank you for sharing such a creative and well-structured example! I really appreciated your focus on creative thinking as a STEAM habit of mind. Like your students, mine also had opportunities to explore multiple disciplines through open-ended tasks, and I love how you used tessellations to bridge mathematics and visual arts. It’s such a powerful way to make abstract math concepts visible and meaningful.
While your post centered on design thinking and imaginative expression, my own approach focused more on curiosity and questioning as a starting point for integration. Both habits fuel inquiry-based learning, but where mine begins with students asking questions to explore ideas, your example shows how creativity can guide them to apply knowledge in new and expressive ways. I think both strategies highlight how STEAM learning empowers students to take ownership and see subjects not in isolation, but as parts of a connected, exciting whole.
Thank you for the inspiration!

[Nahla Yehia]

Hi Bothaina,
I really enjoyed reading your response! I also focused on curiosity and questioning as a key habit of mind, and I completely agree that encouraging students to ask their own questions can lead to much deeper learning. Your example of integrating science and music through the sound unit is such a great way to make learning hands-on and meaningful. I especially liked how you extended the inquiry into design and math with the instrument-building and bar charts it’s a fantastic example of real STEAM integration.
One difference I noticed is that in my example, I explored systems thinking as the connecting habit across subjects. While your approach starts with student curiosity leading to cross-disciplinary learning, mine focuses on helping students see the relationships between parts of a system to understand the whole. Both approaches support critical thinking and inquiry, just from slightly different angles.
Thanks for sharing such a rich and inspiring classroom example!

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