Innovation and Design Spaces
Buzwair Science and Engineering Wing
At the forefront of our innovation and design efforts is our dynamic middle school science curriculum and learning spaces where our students learn to think like scientists and engineers.
In 2017 ACS was the first school in Lebanon to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), which emphasizes three dimensions of science learning — disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. The ACS middle school science department takes these standards several steps further. Under the leadership of middle school science chair Simon Barakat, himself a trained engineer, science learning takes place in the cutting-edge Buzwair Science and Engineering Wing; coding and robotics is incorporated into the curriculum at all grade levels. Utilizing the NASA Engineering Design Process, students use and apply science concepts to ask questions about a problem, imagine solutions, and then plan, build and test their solutions.
Translating a theoretical concept into a practical design is one of the highlights of the middle school science program. As Simon Barakat describes it, “We don’t teach our students science. They learn science.”
There are not typical desk and chair setups in the Buzwair Middle School Science and Engineering Wing. Instead, the wing is broken up into the following collaborative workspaces according to specific functions that align with the NASA Engineering Design Process and 21st century learning approaches and skills:
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an open learning space for brainstorming,
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a planning and design space,
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a coding and robotics lab,
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two multi-purpose labs,
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a prototyping lab,
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an AV and multimedia room, and
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a tele-conferencing room so that our students can interact with other science classrooms around the world.
Makerspace
The ACS Makerspace is a creative resource room for teachers and students. For teachers, it is a way to bring abstract concepts to life in 3D form. For students, it is a hands-on opportunity to learn and perfect skills, to tinker with a new design or concept, or simply to construct a desired object from scratch.
Our Makerspace Equipment
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3D Printers
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Laser Cutter
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Sewing Machines
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Woodworking Tools
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Plastic-Forming Materials
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Jewelry-Making Equipment
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Electronics
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…and More!
How the Makerspace Works
For Teachers and Classrooms
With the help of their classroom teachers and Mr. McMullen, students are able to make items that are related to a concept or question they might be studying. For instance, history students can make a model of the Parthenon and science students may construct a 3D model of our solar system. In this video, our first graders used the Makerspace to build a “buddy bench.” Whatever the project, our students have a place to learn how to plan and design using computer applications, incorporate – and upcycle – different materials, and even how to use woodworking and other tools.
Building a Buddy Bench
For Students
Students in Grades 6 through 12 are invited to use the Makerspace – under the supervision of Mr. McMullen or another adult – during the Makerspace Club held after school each weekday and during lunch and free periods during the school day. All students using the Makerspace must undergo Makerspace Training that orients them with the various tool and materials available as well as their safe use and proper care.