PROJECT MUST:
- fit on a 3.5” square wood block
- be no taller than 10"
- include ONE of the following elements (called loads):
- up to 3 LEDs
- an incandescent bulb
- a motor
- be powered by a battery source (including a switch)
- represent something in real life
During the Design phase students share their ideas about what they would like to build, and start their preliminary “rough” sketches. Students share their idea in small group, then have a bit more time to polish these initial sketches. During the next class, students spend time looking for materials in PIRL and PIRL Terrace, and begin to finalize their sketch with measurements and a true materials list.
At this point, for those who include LEDs into their circuit blocks, I post a helper graphic on the wall for how to wire the circuit, including an appropriately rated resistor. We use ledcalc to see what wiring diagram and resistor size fits their model.