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In the straw maze challenge, we explored creating paths that users would navigate. After developing a visual theme, students had to create a maze with an entrance, two dead ends and and exit.
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We explored the capabilities that technology can have on use intent to harm or help. We decided to develop service drone businesses. Teams divided into roles; engineer and designer. The designer developed logos and branding while the engineer designed the structure of the drone. Services included delivery, filmmaking, and search and rescue. We investigated creating physical pathways that drones would travel in navigating a search and rescue mission. Our drones had to fly under a table to save a Sour Patch Kid. Path prizes were awarded to students who created the sturdiest rescue line path, starting from the launch site.
Taking what we learned from our Water Arcade escapades, we tested materials that would best waterproof a life raft. Student teams had choices of Ziploc bags, crayons, and wax paper to water seal their cardboard raft. Winning rafts were timed to see how long they could stay afloat without retaining water.
You've never seen water move quite like this! Engineers develop new products by exploring their characteristics in different environents. Like engineers, we explored properties of water in a Water Arcade! Water traveled across waxed surfaces in the water race. Paper absorbed our water line work in our invisible painting station. Teams tested how well different materials floated when immersed in water.
Capping off the STEAM Olympics, we designed roller coaster pathways using a set number of supplies: paper plates, stackable items and marbles. We investigated how height, angles and supports affect the marble's speed. This led to conversations about how to create a fun, yet safe amusement park ride.
Now that Makerfaire 4 is prepped for June 1st, we will unwind for our last month of Tech Kids in the STEAM Olympiad. This month, our teams will launch into mini-challenges throughout the week. Each challenge comes with a fixed set of materials to help us innovate within parameters. This week, we explored pathways throught roller coaster design using track and elevation. We then demoed a classroom-sized obstacle course based on platform video game with portals, prizes and traps.
Join us for our 4 Makerfaire June 1st from 5:30pm-6:30pm! Student planned from start to finish. This year our focus will be "Makers Gonna Make." We will have student-led prototyping stations and a pitching area where parents can make Google slides in a 'co-working space', stop motion commercials or songs tied to their idea or business. We will then have a "pitch" time where parents can present and students can screen their origami movies. To prep for our stations, we used UX/UI post-it note brainstorming strategies to develop learning aids they could create for parent learners.
Thank you, April Danielle Lewis for choosing Liberty Tech Kids as one of your partners for Labodies Safe and Sound performance piece for the Greater Mondawmin installment of Neighborhood LIghts for Light City, Baltimore 2017.
Combining materials exploration, photography, filmmaking and songwriting, our students formed production teams! They developed animated shorts using origami and additional paper puppets to tell a mini story. Teams each developed frames for mini scenes that were combined to tell one story. We then listened to a variety of songs to identify instruments we would mimic with found objects (plastic cups, shoeboxes, tins). We discussed how surface area affected tone and students experimented with making their own drum kits and microphones!
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AuthorKathleen Mazurek
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