All of our students have seen plastic bags in the community and may know of the damage they cause in landfills and to our ocean animals. Our classes only have one loom on which to take plastic bags and transform them into bedrolls, pillows, and other useful items. In class the 18" x 18" boxes, golf tees, and foam will provide the opportunity for the students to engineer loom designs that will provide a loom for each student.

Designing their own loom allows the students to use the engineering design process to solve a community problem.
This helps them formulate ideas, test the ideas, then communicate the success of their project to others. As they progress and get more comfortable with the design process and the loom, they will be able to do come up with solutions to enhance the effectiveness and usefulness of the looms.

The products produced from the looms will greatly decrease the amount of plastic bags in our landfills and oceans, while providing bedrolls and pillows for those in need. It is my hope that while the students learn engineering skills, that they also learn to apply soft skills (i.e. collaboration, perseverance, and innovation).