The recent collaborative reverse engineering exercise brought together the energy and enthusiasm of students from Grade 11 DP Design to students in Grade 4 and 5, creating a vibrant buzz throughout the event. Under the guidance of DP design students and teachers, PYP students explored the mechanics of innovation by disassembling toys to uncover how they function. Together, they crafted detailed “exploded” posters showcasing the toys’ components, fostering an engaging learning experience centered on understanding and developing new, innovative products.

Mr. Micah Donnoli, Design Programme Director

Sadie (Grade 11): As a DP Design student I had the opportunity to engage with younger students and guide them through the process of reverse engineering. This experience was valuable for me as it reinforced my understanding of design principles. By explaining the concept in a simple way, I realised how teaching others was deepening my open knowledge. Seeing these students' curiosity, excitement and quite exceptional drawing skills was a pleasure for me. Watching the children brainstorm ideas and work together highlighted the importance of collaboration in the innovation process. 

This was a successful experience for me that emphasised the impact of hands-on learning and collaboration. Thank you to all the teachers who organized this event!

Mia (Grade 5): This week Grades 4 and 5 joined the grade 11 Design students in the auditorium to learn about reverse engineering. 

First, we were given a toy to play with and we had to give it a name and write down how we thought it works. We drew sketches of our toys and then dismantled them to see all the parts. We used silicone tape to stick each part on A3 paper and used markers to label them. Finally, we suggested some improvements and presented our work in the classroom.

My group deconstructed a wind up chicken toy which we called ‘The Bakawk’ because it makes that sound when it starts to move! This experience was really fun for both grade 4 and 5 students and we can use this to help design products in our next Unit of Inquiry.