Project Make It Lesson Plan

Detailed Daily Schedule (for instructors)

 

    • 11:50 Check in with Eric and Amos (11:30 the first day)
      • The lesson plan and daily schedule will be updated at http://www.projectmakeit.org/mddaily
      • Call into the ‘Main Meeting’ Zoom link (found at http://www.projectmakeit.org/mdsummer2020/) to discuss the daily schedule.  
      • It’s mainly a time for the instructors to ask questions
      • Setup the main hall screen to dial into the ‘Main Meeting’ Zoom in case it is needed to avoid wasting time on that later. 
    • 12 pm Check in and discussion
      • If enough chromebooks are available, give each team a chromebook to call into the ‘Main Meeting’ Zoom.
      • Otherwise have the students watch the ‘Main Meeting’ Zoom in the main hall on the large screen.
    •  12:15  Review and Daily lesson
      • It might be difficult to read body language on a zoom meeting, please make sure that the students ask their questions. We want to make sure that each student is heard and valued, and it would be unfortunate if Zoom is a barrier to this. 
      • Note repetition is helpful to make sure students get it. 
      • This is also a good point in time to address any questions from previous days (whether they are student questions or points you decide to re-emphasis with the students).
      • You can start to prepare some of the materials needed after lunch, if the students have no further questions during the review time.
    •  1 pm  Lunch
      • Take the students to lunch. This could be another opportunity to talk about the lesson or what to expect next.
    •  1:30   Group task/building
  • When they return from lunch have the teams log into the main group zoom session
    • This is the ‘fun learning by doing part’.
    • Remember to take some pictures throughout the afternoon to document progress and post to Padlet later on. It is very fun after the fact to see the progress over the course of time. These pictures can also be used in the future as examples for the specific lessons.
  •  2:35   Clean up
    • Give the students a warning about completing specific tasks and not starting new tasks. 
    • Ask the students to
      • Put tools away
      • Save their code with a good filename (Teamname_codefunction_date for example). Students should also make an effort to remember which chromebook their team is using. In the past, teams had to restart their code many times because the code was lost. 
      • Clean up cardboard scrap (keep big pieces; throw small pieces into the recycle)
      • Clean paint brushes 
      • etc…
    • Collect all the chrome books
  •  2:45   Review and Discussion
    • Ask the teams
      • What they learned?
      • What did they do well today?
      • What they could do better next time 
    • Provide your honest feedback… this is important so kids know how to do better. Usually students appreciate honest feedback. 
    • But also make sure to end on an honest positive or fun note
  • 3 pm  Dismissal  

 

MD Summer 2020 Day 1

Objectives/Goals:

  • Registration Forms/Pretest
  • Orient them to the websites
  • Explain the overall project to the students to get them excited and engaged. (Done by Amos and Eric)
  • Start to form ideas about themes and teams for the project.
  • Basic Building Challenge to get used to tools and cardboard
  • Discuss Importance of STEAM skills in life and future.

 

Materials Needed: Name tags, Marker, Cardboard, Cutters, Packing Tape, Hot Glue and Guns.  Computers, screen or projector to watch directions.

 

Optional:  Microbits, Crickets, LEDs, Motors, Servos, Also could show some examples of motors, LEDs in action. 

 

Zoom links for group and teams from website.

 

http://www.projectmakeit.org/mdsummer2020/

 

Lesson Plan Overview:

 

  1. Gather students, pass out chromebooks, log into group zoom meetings
  2. meet, greet, share name tags. Fill out registration, photo release, Either on line or hard copy. 
  3. Discuss what they know about STEAM and engineering design process.
  4. Go over basic goals of the project including how there will be teams                                            

         And a theme for each team. Slide show will go through this with Amos and Eric

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GwfeI_CjMjIz6e7NK7hcE9rjAj6IAeuG-GOp59MRpXM/edit?usp=sharing 

 

  1. Split class into groups with about 3 students each. Go over the safety of a cardboard cutter. Cut away, don’t cut on table or carpet, if you do cut yourself wash hands with soap and water. Demonstrate how to cut and how to score the cardboard! 

 

  1. Basic building challenge Each group challenge to  build tallest free standing structure from 1 box, cutter, 5 feet of tape, 5 glue sticks. Tape can be on ground, but not to other surfaces. About 25 min to complete. Adjust time and materials based on teamwork, if they do great more time and more tape, if not, take tape away. 

 

  1. Clean up, discuss successes and failures. If time have them pursue the www.projectmakeit.org website to become familiar with it. Also have teams discuss themes and ideas for golf hole, maybe google mini golf holes to get ideas. Sketch ideas, possibly make desktop prototype of their hole. 

 

  1. If time, preview tomorrow. Students could look at Microbit and see if they can connect to computer and upload new firmware. https://makecode.microbit.org/  start with blinking heart, it will lead them through firmare update. 

MD Summer 2020 Day 2

 

Objectives/Goals:

  • Registration Forms/Pretest if not finished them to yesterday
  • Orient them to the websites as needed
  • Continue to formulate  ideas about themes and ideas for the project.

Materials Needed: Name tags, microbit with programming cord, and battery pack. Servos, motors, alligator clips. Computers, screen or projector to watch directions.

Zoom links for group and teams from website.

Lesson Plan Overview:

 

  1. Finish anything from yesterday as needed.  Review/Discuss as needed.
  2. Brainstorm, what do they know about coding. https://careerkarma.com/blog/what-is-coding-used-for/  basics of codingObama inspiration video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=69&v=6XvmhE1J9PY&feature=emb_logo
  3. Pass out Microbits, programming cord to each computer group. Have them go to https://makecode.microbit.org/ and start going through tutorials. Start with blinking heart, when they try to download they will most likely need a firmware update. It will give directions, see if they can follow directions on how to do it. 
  4. After they have completed the blinking heart go to the dice and rock paper scissor challenges
  5. If they complete this, pass out a cricket to each group. Go over how to gently slide it in. Next challenge will be to try and move a servo motor with the cricket. They will need to add an extension to the makecode page from https://www.projectmakeit.org/using-the-crickit/
  6. If any get this far their next challenge will be to make the circular motion turn into linear motion. Video on links https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjUbwBJoV1U

 

This will continue into next day. If any kids have extra time continue to familiarize themselves with the projectmakeit.org website, research ideas for golf hole.