Here's how we described the "Day in the Park" workshop to participants:
"
Would you
like to make a flower that spins when you shine light on it? How about a
frog
that
jumps
into a
pond
when
it gets
too
hot?
A swing
that
moves whenever you breathe? Then join this workshop!
We'll use craft materials, motors, sensors, and tiny computers to create
interactive inventions that can respond to light, temperature, and wind.
Put yourself in the shoes of a designer, and contribute to the construction
of a miniature dream-park display!"
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Goals of the
Workshop
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- Get inspired by thinking about experiences
you've had outdoors in a park
- Write a computer program that makes a machine move
- Experiment with programming a machine to react to sensor input
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Materials
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- construction paper
- craft sticks
- color foam sheets
- googly eyes
- glue sticks (low-melt)
- pipe cleaners
- colorful rubber bands
- aluminum foil
- cable ties, colorful
- glue sticks ("permanent adhesive")
- markers + crayons
- brads
- colored masking tape
- artificial grass
- batteries for Crickets
- wire and string
- natural materials (leaves, sticks, stones, etc.)
- LEGO bricks and motors
EQUIPMENT
- Crickets and sensors
- computers (to program the Crickets)
- LCD projector (for demonstrating how to program)
- flashlights
- scissors
- hole punches
- low-melt hot glue guns
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Set Up
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When we ran the workshop, we had very limited time (only
45 minutes!). Because we wanted participants to have time to program, we
realized they wouldn't have time to design and build their own moving contraptions.
So, before the workshop, we pre-built "motion
modules" for them to use.
See the motion modules
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We wanted to encourage people to add
craft materials to the LEGO motion modules.
So,
we cut small pieces of
balsa
wood
(with a hole in the center). These wood pieces fit on top of
a module, and made it easy to attach craft materials.
You could cut pieces of cardboard instead. Or, just provide inspiring
examples that combine LEGO parts with craft materials. |
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All the materials were arranged to look inviting and
to be easily accessible.
We used colored masking tape to help visually organize and separate the
various modules and materials.
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We created an inviting landscape for the
park on a table using fake grass,
blue
paper,
crumpled
brown paper.
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Natural materials were incorporated into
the setup of the park.
If there'd been more time in the workshop (or if it could be held
outside) it would be
nice for participants to walk around in a park and pick up their own leaves
and branches to use.
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We also made examples of animals
cut from construction paper. (The accordian cuts and spirals work
great with the motion modules.)
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Introduction
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We first briefly introduced the
participants to the idea of creating a park.
We asked and created a list of some things they've noticed in a park
(such as squirrels, trees, and swing sets).
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Then we demonstrated a couple of sample creations. In each example you
trigger a sensor to start something moving.
For example, when you cover the light sensor, the caterpillar moves.
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When you touch the grass, it starts to wiggle.
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We demonstrated how to program using this giraffe (made
from construction paper).
The giraffe is attached to a motion module that moves up and down. We plugged
the motor on the motion module into the Cricket.
We also plugged in a "wind sensor" (a pinwheel attached to
a reflectance sensor).
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Then we showed how to write a simple program to make the giraffe
move.
"When you blow on the pinwheel, the giraffe moves for 5 seconds."
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Working & Playing
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Some people knew right away what they wanted to make. Others spent time
talking and experimenting before getting inspired.
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One boy wasn't sure what he wanted to do. After experimenting with a
motion module, he got an idea, "I know! I'll make a guy skateboarding!"
One of the girls
thought of creating a sprinkler system for the park--and asked her father
and sister to help.
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This girl and her mother began by choosing a
motion module and programming the motor to move.
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This group connected a small branch from a tree to a little motor, and
decorated the base. Then, they programmed it to spin.
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This program waits until you press the touch sensor,
then turns on the motor for 2 seconds.
(The "forever" block runs the program over and over, so it works
every time you touch the sensor.)
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Once they finished their creations, participants filled out small cards
(which we called "inventor
cards") and then attached them to their sculptures.
On the cards, each group described their sculpture and briefly explained
how it worked.
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At the end of the workshop, participants added their creations to the
park display.
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The park attracted lots of interest and became a focus point for
conversation.
To see the park in action and the setup of the space, watch
this video (5.8MB) |
Other Thoughts & Reflections
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Because this workshop was part of a large one-day
public event, we offered it six times during the day, with each workshop
limited to only 45 minutes. (It took a lot of staff to make so many short
workshops go smoothly.) The same ideas could work well as part of a longer
full-day or several-day workshop.
This workshop is a good introductory activity to programming. It provides
an inviting way into robotics that engages people who
wouldn't necessarily be interested in traditional approaches to robotics.
Since the time was so short, we warned people they might not have time
to finish. But we suggested that if they started something and didn't
have time to finish, someone else in the next group could continue working
on it.
The participants were very interested in filling out the inventor
cards to describe their sculptures. This process helped provide closure
and encouraged participants
to reflect on what they had made.
If you're planning a park workshop, you could have participants add photos
and descriptions of their creations to the PIE
Project Gallery.
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