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​Accessible Holiday Decorations

12/16/2023

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Day 15
CHALLENGE OVERVIEW
Welcome to the "Accessible Holiday Decorations" engineering challenge! In this exciting and meaningful project, students are invited to design holiday decorations that are inclusive and sensory-friendly, catering to children with special needs. This challenge emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and accessibility in our communities, particularly during the festive season.
CHALLENGE STATEMENT
Your task is to create holiday decorations that are safe, engaging, and accessible for children with special needs. These decorations should be enjoyable for all children, including those with sensory sensitivities or other disabilities, enhancing their holiday experience in schools and community centers.
BACKGROUND/SCENARIO
During the holiday season, schools and community centers are adorned with bright, flashy decorations. However, these traditional decorations are not always suitable for children with special needs, especially those with sensory processing disorders. Your challenge is to rethink holiday decorations to make them inclusive, ensuring every child can participate in and enjoy the festive spirit.
CHALLENGE CATEGORIES
  • Sensory-Friendly Design: Develop decorations that are pleasant and not overwhelming for children with sensory sensitivities.
  • Safety and Durability: Ensure that the decorations are safe to touch and interact with, and are durable.
  • Inclusive and Educational: Create decorations that are educational and represent various cultural holiday traditions in an inclusive manner.
  • Eco-Friendly Materials: Utilize sustainable and non-toxic materials in your designs.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  • Submissions should include detailed plans, sketches, or blueprints of the decoration designs.
  • A written explanation detailing how the designs are sensory-friendly and inclusive should accompany the plans.
  • If possible, prototypes or models of the decorations should be presented with photographs or video demonstrations.
  • Include a list of materials and an estimated budget.
  • Proposals must be submitted in a PDF format.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Submissions will be evaluated on their creativity, inclusivity, sensory-friendliness, safety, educational value, use of eco-friendly materials, and overall appeal to children with special needs.
CHILDREN'S BOOK CONNECTION
"The Silent Owl" by Clemency Pearce and Rebecca Elliott. This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of an owl who doesn't speak but shows his love and friendship in other ways. It’s a wonderful example of inclusivity and understanding different ways of experiencing the world, reflecting the core values of this challenge.
NGSS CONNECTIONS
  • HS-ETS1-2: Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable parts.
  • HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem, considering societal needs and desires, and potential impacts on the environment and natural resources.
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      • Educational & Meaningful
      • Book Connections
    • Our Kits >
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    • Math in Nature
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    • Preserve the Parks PBL >
      • Addressing Environmental Resilience in Puerto Rico
      • Protecting the Puerto Rican Harlequin Butterfly
      • Creating Sustainable Communities Inspired by Pullman
      • Combating the Green Crab Invasion in Acadia National Park
      • Enhancing Sustainable Trails at Big Cypress National Preserve​
      • Exploring the Green River's Impact on Water Purity and Cave Preservation
      • Protecting Crater Lake's Endemic Newts
      • Restoring Native Trees at the Lincoln Boyhood Home
      • Restoring the Elwha River
    • Backpack the Parks!
    • Park Pioneers
    • Ready to Go Lessons
  • National Parks Expedition Challenge
    • Expedition Challenge Full List
    • Acadia to Bryce >
      • Acadia National Park
      • Alcatraz Island
      • Amache National Historic Site
      • Amistad National Recreation Area
      • Arches National Park
      • Assateague Island National Seashore
      • Badlands National Park
      • ​Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
      • Big Bend National Park
      • Big Cypress National Preserve
      • Biscayne National Park
      • Black Canyon of the Gunnison
      • Bryce Canyon National Park
    • Cabrillo to Dry Tortugas >
      • Cabrillo National Monument
      • Cape Cod (ONE) National Seashore
      • Cape Cod (TWO) National Seashore
      • Carlsbad Caverns National Park
      • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
      • César E. Chávez National Monument
      • Chaco Culture National Historical Park
      • Channel Islands National Park
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Cumberland Island National Seashore
      • Cuyahoga Valley National Park
      • Dayton Aviation National Heritage Historical Park
      • Death Valley National Park
      • Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
      • Denali National Park
      • Dry Tortugas National Park
    • Eleanor to Fort Pulaski >
      • El Malpais National Monument
      • El Morro National Monument
      • Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Everglades National Park
      • FDR Memorial
      • First State National Historical Park
      • Flight 93 Memorial Park
      • Ford's Theatre
      • Fort Laramie National Historic Site
      • Fort Monroe National Monument
      • Fort Pulaski National Monument
    • Gateway to Hot Springs >
      • Gateway Arch National Park
      • Gettysburg National Military Park
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Grand Teton National Park
      • Great Smoky Mountains National Park
      • Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
      • Haleakala National Park
      • Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
      • Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
      • Homestead National Historical Park
      • Home of Franklin Roosevelt National Historic Site
      • Hopewell Culture National Historical Park
      • Hot Springs National Park
    • Indiana to Lincoln Memorial >
      • Indiana Dunes National Park
      • Isle Royale National Park
      • Jewel Cave National Monument
      • Jimmy Carter National Historical Park
      • Joshua Tree National Park
      • Kenai Fjords and Alaska Coastal Parks
      • Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park
      • Keweenaw National Historical Park
      • Lava Beds National Monument
      • Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail
      • Lincoln Home National Historic Site
      • Lincoln Memorial
    • Maggie to Pullman >
      • Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site
      • Medgar & Myrlie Evers Home National Monument
      • Mammoth Cave National Park
      • Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial
      • Mesa Verde National Park
      • Natchez Trace Parkway
      • New River Gorge and Preserve National Park
      • Niobrara National Scenic River
      • Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum
      • Olympic National Park
      • Palo Alto Battlefield
      • Pearl Harbor National Memorial
      • Petroglyph National Monument
      • Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
      • Pinnacles National Park
      • Pipestone National Monument
      • Pullman National Monument
    • Redwood to Zion >
      • Redwood National and State Parks
      • Rocky Mountain National Park
      • Saguaro National Park
      • San Antonio Missions NHP
      • San Juan National Historic Site
      • Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail
      • Shenadoah National Park
      • Tidal Basin-NAMA
      • Tumacácori National Historical Park
      • Vanderbilt Mansion National Historical Site
      • Vicksburg National Military Park
      • Voyageurs National Park
      • Waco Mammoth National Monument
      • Wright Brothers Memorial
      • Yosemite National Park
      • Zion National Park
  • STEAM in the PARK
  • Crossing America