OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

Students were gearing up for a second semester project in design for the spring musical. This was a collaborative effort across many school departments including my Year 2 FabLab students. Students researched the history of the musical (Chicago) including major cultural things happening during the 1920s era. Students then went through the design thinking process to develop design ideas. During this time, students were also learning about Micro:bits, neopixels, and a wide variety of other electronic options for lighting. A requirement of all projects is that they needed to include light(s) in some capacity.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Technology, Engineering, Design
• Grade Level : 9-12
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems
  • Impacts of Computing
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Collaborating Around Computing
• Materials:
  • Micro:bit, Wide variety of building materials, other electronics options such as neopixels,LED lights, neon lights
• Considerations:
  • This was a very unique project for my class and school. It could be easily modified to something smaller or more individualized.

Lesson Plan

Overview

Students were gearing up for a second semester project in design for the spring musical. This was a collaborative effort across many school departments including my Year 2 FabLab students. Students researched the history of the musical (Chicago) including major cultural things happening during the 1920s era. Students then went through the design thinking process to develop design ideas. During this time, students were also learning about Micro:bits, neopixels, and a wide variety of other electronic options for lighting. A requirement of all projects is that they needed to include light(s) in some capacity.

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will be able to code using Makecode software and Micro:bits programmers for a variety of lighting options (fading, color combinations, rotating, etc.)
2. Students will learn how to incorporate neopixel lights into Makecode and Micro:bits
3. Students will collaborate in order to design a final product for the spring musical

CATCH/HOOK

We watched the trailer for the musical “Chicago”

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

1. Students researched the play Chicago including the background of the 1920s, the story behind the play, and the artistic style of the 1920s era.
2. Students created Mood Boards that captured (visually) their current understanding of the play, the 1920s, the colors, textures, and patterns associated with the time
3. Students were introduced to Micro:bits and Neopixels in a class activity. We used Gary Stager’s excellent website on Makecode and neopixels through the step by step directions he posted.
4. Students then were given an assignment that required them to create their own code that would produce a new/different desired affect with the neopixels.
5. Students also did a review of soldering in order to properly solder the neopixels for easier connection to the Micro:bit
6. Lastly, students then completed the design aspect of the project by collaborating with small groups of students that would contribute to the overall design of the spring musical.
7. Much of the rest of the project was going through the iterative process of design while students incorporated the coding aspect of Makecode and neopixels/micro:bits

Supplements

Any items in this section are the property & under the license of their respective owners.

REVIEW

Wrap up for design projects is always two things…(1) a self-reflection on the various skills involved in the process of design and (2) an update to student ePortfolios to capture the depth of the project.

STANDARDS