The 7th graders are starting a project this week using soft circuitry to create a symbolic, programmed object. Here's how it works:
- Prior to the project, we'd explored paper circuits, so they understand the concept of a circuit.
- To start the project, I showed students 3 examples of soft circuitry from my blog.
- Then I asked them, "Well, what might YOU make?" and shared this document with them:
(The students definitely asked me to un-nerdify the 3 bullet points & I said, "Design and make an object, plan how your circuitry and microcontrollers will work, and make sure your object is symbolic")
- I asked the students to look at the following 4 images:
- They identified each one immediately. In case you don't know the 4th one, that's the Shipley Gator.
- I explained that these 4 logos are symbols for events, characters, companies, and schools. Even though they don't have words, viewers see them and can identify a whole bunch of meaning that goes with them.
- The students then found their own logos and put them in a shared document.
- Next, I said that symbols are often more abstract than a company logo, and shared these 4 images:
- Then, they pulled out ideas of what a tree, dove, gravestone, and light might symbolize, and we talked about how they might choose a corporate-ish symbol or a symbolic object - it was completely up to them.
- Next, I gave the students all the resources, and had students store them in plastic bags:
- The items they received were:
- A battery holder
- A battery
- 2 LED lights
- a LilyTiny (We spent a while talking about the LilyTiny and what it can do)
- The items I had in reserve were:
- Conductive thread
- Embroidery floss
- Sewing Needles
- A lot of felt
- Scissors
- Finally, we talked about the theory of design (Using all available resources to make things happen) and what they might need to know and do in order to bring their project to completion.
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