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Circuits from Scraps

6/26/2014

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This summer I am enrolled in Tinkering Fundamentals: A Constructivist Approach to STEM Learning, a Coursera course facilitated by instructors from the Exploratorium. Our activity for week two is to create simple circuit components that can be connected and combined in various ways to generate light, rotate a motor, sound a buzzer, turn on a fan and more. Components might also include switches, potentiometers, or just about anything that can be connected to a circuit to affect some kind of change. Here's the activity guide on circuits from the Exploratorium.
Coincidentally, just last week, I spent time deconstructing some old technology and scavenging for parts (see post here) which provided me with a number of differently sized and shaped motors, fans, switches, spare wire, and other odds and ends. Many of these items have made their way into this week's project, as you can see in the photos above. Being the hoarder I am, I had also kept the bulbs, bulb holders, and switches that the science department was ready to part with at the end of the last school year.

As part of the Creator's Studio elective course, I teach the concept of circuits using kits such as LittleBits and Squishy Circuits. Understanding how a circuit works is an important step in project development, as most class projects require some kind of circuit in order to function. Interestingly, it wasn't until constructing these items this week (and watching the course videos) that I realized how structured my activities have been. While my students are given time to explore how circuits work through the LittleBits and Squishy Circuits kits, I find myself providing a lot of information upfront, rather than letting them discover how circuits work purely through hands-on exploration, tinkering and reflection. As much as I enjoy the LittleBits kits, they are hard to get wrong. Students can experiment with different components but they can't mis-wire anything because the magnets that attach the components work only in one direction. Squishy Circuits are also fun, if a bit messy, but limited to a few components that work at fairly low voltages.

To complete this new project using the spare parts I gathered, I cut down a 4" x 4" wood post in 1" slices to serve as bases for each component. A few nails and stripped wire, solder and glue gun, and I'm up and running. I'm now on a mission to find other components from old toy parts, used household items, and neighborhood garage sale treasures.

I look forward to doing this activity with students in the fall. Using the new circuit components, students can set up various scenarios; lights in series versus lights in parallel, single pole versus double pole switches, 3V power versus 6V power, large and small fans, strange new motors, and solar power versus battery power, just to name a few. Perhaps more importantly, students can try wiring components up in all sorts of combinations, some of which will work, others that will not. All of this exploration will drive the conversation, and I can participate rather than direct the flow. 

I remember playing with these very same items when I visited the Exploratorium, and always left with a feeling of having learned something new, and having fun. I am excited to see them up and running in my own classroom. 
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A Holiday House for Maker Teachers

12/7/2013

2 Comments

 
As the first trimester comes to a close, and Creator's Studio adjourns until Spring, I have the opportunity to focus more time on professional development for the faculty at St. Matthew's. I will continue to blog here on PD activities as well as new personal projects with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, laser cutting, 3D printing, and more.

To introduce our faculty and staff to the new learning spaces, Creator's Studio and PIRL Terrace, I offered to guide those interested through a small project prior to the winter break. It is a holiday house, designed in Adobe Illustrator, cut on the laser cutter, and outfit with a simple circuit that allows the house to be illuminated from within. The workshop should take two sessions, but I am opening a third in case extra time is needed for final touches. There are about a dozen teachers that are participating in this first round, and an equal number will partake after the holidays. 

Below are pictures of the original house design, including the circuitry underneath that connects to an LED inside.
Session 1: House Design in Adobe Illustrator
I designed a very simple house in Illustrator using three colors, black for engraving, green for cutting, and yellow for the border. I chose to engrave shutters and shingles, while cutting out the door and windows. Since Illustrator and other vector-based programs like Inkscape can be intimidating applications, I wanted to provide a starting point from which my teachers could branch out and personalize, rather than start from scratch. While most are using this "template" to get started, some have chosen to make an object of their own, such as a chess board for the chess club, or a star ornament for the Christmas tree to be laser cut in acrylic. If you would like to see the original house design, you can download the Illustrator file here:
christmas_house_il2.ai
File Size: 222 kb
File Type: ai
Download File

A few teachers have already sent me their modified houses for cutting this week. While I plan to have them experience the laser cutter in action for session 2, for sake of time, I have sent these projects through the cutter already. This allows participants to have personalized materials ready to work on when we meet again.

Session 2: Building the Circuit
Next week, I will guide participants through the creation of the circuit. After a brief overview of how a circuit works, teachers will build one using an LED, a switch, a watch battery, 22 gauge wire, wire cutters, and a soldering iron (optional).

With the circuit ready, and the house materials cut, teachers will build their holiday homes. More details and photos to follow next week.
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    Mr. Umekubo
    "Maker Ordinaire"

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