For the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, the modules are linked to their culture by means of prophecies (Each prophecy is called a “Fire”.) left to their elders about the future. Each Fire referred to a particular era of time that would come in the future. These prophecies are captured in “The Seven Fires” story. The educational modules are based on this story of the Seven Fires. Each prophecy is about a change in their way of life, and in this case, it changes how students perceive their environment through technology.
01. First Fire: Looking for the turtle shaped island
This module focuses on spatial reasoning skills through visualization. Students will learn about architectural visualization, basics of sketching and architectural drafting. Students will focus on ideation through 3D visualization.
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02. Second Fire: Losing the shell and finding of the future pathway
Content creation through 3D modeling is introduced in this module. A basic 3D modeling software is introduced to the students and they will work on solving a real world design problem while using Virtual Reality as a design tool.
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03. Third Fire: Finding a path to the chosen ground
Students learn about Spiro Mounds and develop a virtual museum to exhibit the bead work that they created. Students use 3D scanning equipment to scan the artifacts and then display them inside of the mounds. Then they use Virtual Reality to navigate and experience the Spiro Mounds Virtual Museum.
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04. Fourth Fire: New knowledge translated into physicality
Students will work on translating a virtual artifact into a tangible product using 3D printing. The students will be presented with a problem to solve through a team-based exercise. In this exercise students model a light fixture for the dorm room they made in Module 02 and 3D print it. Students also learn about electricity and how electricity works.
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05. Fifth Fire: A new way, from old teachings
Students will be presented with a problem of 3D modeling an object that they use in everyday life (a table). The solutions will be developed through 3D modeling and will be presented through Augmented Reality.
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06. Sixth Fire: Honoring and venerating Elders
Students will be introduced to the concept of Human Centered Design through Empathic Design. Students will have the opportunity to use an aging simulation suit (G.E.R.T Suit) to help develop solutions through the empathic design process. The empathic design process has been known to spark innovation. Then the students will redesign a kitchen where an older adult would easily be able to navigate and use.
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07. Seventh Fire: In the time of the Seventh Fire New People will emerge. They will retrace their steps to find what was left by the trail
This team based event will look at a problem in the Tribal Nation and seek to provide a solution through the technologies introduced in the preceding modules. For this activity the students will modify the location of their afterschool program. They will select an area of the building and change it according to what they think will be useful. The tribal elders will participate in this process and will advice the students.
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