From Confidence to Creation: Making Something Meaningful
This is the second post in our series documenting the Covered Bridge Laser Cut Map Project at Cambridge Elementary School, where 4th grade students applied their newfound maker skills to create something truly meaningful for their community--layered laser-cut maps featuring the 12 covered bridges from Cambridge's history.
In the first post in this series , we shared the first two phases of the framework used in the Create Make Learn residency process (Inspire and Create Confidence). Feeling inspired and confident with using Cuttle.xyz to create designs and the laser cutter to cut their designs, the 4th graders were ready for the final phase of our Create Make Learn framework: Make Something Meaningful.
While the 4th grade students were learning to use Cuttle and the laser cutter, the third graders were working hard creating physical models of each bridge as part of this year's annual Cambridge History project.
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Guest speakers from Cambridge shared stories and historical context about each bridge, enriching both projects with community knowledge that couldn't be found in textbooks. These conversations helped students understand that they weren't just making maps—they were preserving and sharing their community's heritage.
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Third graders students wrote and recorded news broadcasts to share what they were learning with the community. Visit the school website to listen to these news broadcast and to learn more about the 3rd grade Cambridge History Project 2025
Only three of the original bridges still exist as covered bridges, eight have been replaced, and one has been moved to the Shelburne Museum.
Before designing their laser-cut maps, students worked with a physical laser-cut outline of Cambridge's major roads alongside Google Maps. This tactile exploration helped students understand their community's geography in ways that digital maps alone couldn't provide.
Student Choice and Voice through Design Decisions
This stage of the residency was filled with opportunities for student voice and choice as they begin to make collaborative design decisions. The blend of practical problem-solving and creative expression provided evidence Vermont's transformative skills. Each decision required experimentation and compromise and gave the students an authentic project based learning experience.
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Design Decision 1: Individual Maps vs. Collaborative Tiles
Design Decision 2: Representing Water
How do you make water look like water on a laser-cut map? Students considered multiple materials—resin, blue wax, glitter glue—before discovering that blue poster board covered with Celebrate It™ Opal Transparent Packaging Wrap created a sparkly ripple effect that beautifully represented the Lamoille River and drew attention to bridge locations.
Design Decision 3: Primary Roads
We decided to highlight each road that the bridge was on a raised layer made from maple plywood. This would include Rte 115, Rte 108 S, Rte 108 N, Rte 109, and Pleasant Valley Road. This created both visual hierarchy and tactile distinction on our finished maps.
Secondary roads would be scored rather than cut on draftboard layers, providing additional geographic context while creating visual contrast with the maple layer of primary roads. Scoring proved faster than engraving while still creating clear definition.
Watching our maps come to life as we worked with different materials was super exciting. We worked closely with Google Maps, LaserMapMaker.com, and Cuttle.xyz to design files to cut on our Glowforge laser cutter.
Design Decision 5: Bridge Location Markers & Map Key
Students considered creating 3D bridge models but realized they would be too small at map scale. Instead, they developed a map key system with location markers—some teams chose stars, others used traditional teardrop map markers—creating consistency while allowing for creative expression.
Design Decision 6: The Compass Rose
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One of the design ideas that came to us near the end was to add a compass rose to the map. We used the “Boolean Union / Weld” feature of Cuttle to join together, a covered bridge icon, Compass points, and a circle. We engraved the compass points in the right location. Mr. Jeremy used Google Earth to help us place it on the map in the correct orientation.
Design Decision 7: Personal Signatures and Route Markers
Design Decision 8: Display and Community Impact
The final design decision emerged organically: where should these maps be displayed? Students toured their school, conferenced with staff members, and ultimately decided to place one map on each floor. They used upcycled frames to finish up their display and added added laser-cut connected text title lettering.
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Showcase of Learning:
Both the 3rd grader Cambridge History Project and the 4th grade Laser Cut Map were on display at the School’s Showcase of Learning. Each of the Covered Bridge Models made by 3rd graders surrounded a large wooden map of the area. Each bridge included a QR code that lead to a Student Newscast Video about the history of the bridge. These videos can also be viewed on the school website and are attached to the Google Map of the Bridges.
The 4th grade MapMakers displayed their beautiful works with pride and answered lots of questions from both staff and their peers about their process.
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As the final student maps were unveiled to the third grade class, a hush fell over the students—just for a moment—before it was replaced by a rising chorus of excitement. “Wait—that’s mine! I see it! That’s my bridge!” exclaimed one student, pointing eagerly to a miniature model nestled beside a printed river bend. His classmate leaned in closer, tracing the lines of the map with her finger. “They made the whole town,” she whispered, wide-eyed.“Yeah,” said another, with excitement, “It’s like all our bridges fit together on one map!”
Later during the community showcase, our school board chair paused in front of the student’s display and spent several minutes taking it in. Watching children move from one model to the next and hearing students explain how they used 3D printing or laser cutting to bring their vision to life, he turned to our principal and said, “This is exactly what we mean when we talk about high-quality project-based learning. They're not just building bridges—they're connecting history, technology, and community. This should be a model for the whole district.
The Meaningful Making Difference
What made this project meaningful wasn't just the final products—though they were beautiful and professionally crafted. The meaning emerged from students' genuine investment in preserving and sharing their community's history, their collaborative problem-solving around real design challenges, and their pride in creating something that would educate and inspire others long after the project ended.
These weren't practice exercises or assignments to be completed and forgotten. These were contributions to their school community, preserved pieces of local history, and evidence of what young people can accomplish when given professional tools, authentic challenges, and the confidence to tackle complex creative problems.
The success of this project demonstrates the power of the Create Make Learn framework in action. When we start with inspiration rooted in authentic community connections, build confidence through manageable technical challenges, and culminate with meaningful making that serves others, students don't just learn skills—they develop the identity and mindset of makers, historians, and community contributors.
Our Cambridge mapmakers didn't just complete a project; they became stewards of their community's heritage, skilled users of professional design tools, and confident creators ready for their next meaningful making challenge.
The Cambridge Covered Bridge Map Project exemplifies how project based learning and maker education can serve authentic learning goals while building both technical skills and community connections. . When students create something meaningful, the learning becomes meaningful too.
The residency model blends student enrichment and teacher professional development to support integrating hands-on minds-on STEAM learning in your school. Contact Lucie deLaBruere ( ldelabruere at gmail) for more information about adding a Create Make Learn residency to your school.
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Special thanks to the Vermont Arts Council, the Vermont Community Foundation and The Cambridge PTA for supporting this residency and to Ellen Koier and Faith Horton for inviting me to co-design this residency with them and for years of dedication to Cambridge Elementary School.
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