heart shaped box circuit

We had our second meeting today of Techno Toys and had a great time! We experimented with a couple different types of switches while learning about basic circuitry. If you would like to make a heart shaped box circuit like below, here is how we did it (if I left something out, please let me know!).

Hear shaped box circuitry!

First gather these supplies (I have included hyperlinks to my favorite types and stores to buy them):

• AA batteries and Coin Batteries (Seriously the cheapest batteries I have seen)
• AA Battery holder (I used two batteries which worked well)
• LED Lights
• Alligator Clips
• Wire Cutters (Hands down, the best, easiest wire stripper to work with with kids)
• Electricians Tape
• Duct Tape
• Markers
• Wax Paper, Cloth, light gels (anything that can be used as a lampshade)
• Aluminum foil
• Scissors
• Recycled goodness

We had seven first and second grade students working with us today. In order to have everything ready and go smoothly, I did some preliminary work to make sure students did not get frustrated. With the right planning, even preschoolers should have fun!

Making circuitry look good

I cut and striped alligator clips, wires and the battery packs(not too many because I like to give students the opportunity to work with tools) and tore pieces of duct tape and electricians tape while laying out the supplies on tables. 

First I gave students the coin batteries and one LED (light emitting diode) and told them they could get the LED to turn on with just the battery. They quickly found that there is a positive and negative and if they match up, the light turns on. Next we taped our stripped sides of the alligator clips to the coin batteries with electricians tape and "clipped" the other ends onto the LED's, making sure we had positive to positive and negative to negative.

Success

To finish off, we made our own night lights! To do this, we taped the stripped ends of the Alligator clips to the ends of the battery packs with electricians tape. To really ensure they stay well, I like to weave the wires around one another and then tape them. Next we clipped them to the LED's and turned the battery packs on and we had light, all we needed to do was to build the "base". This is the part of the class I really enjoy!

Students use items from my Recycled goodness to find inspiration. We used wax paper to create neat patterns from the LED's and cut out patterns from the bases to create other illusions. The result is a lot of smiles, learning, and cool glowing items!

 

If you do this and have any issues, please do not hesitate to contact me! I have found often times kids run into problems with loose connections and short circuits.

Next month we will be defying gravity, let me know if you want to sign up, spots are limited and filling fast!!

Stay Bright!

The Garage Creative

jittery jitterbots!

Today we did something that I have done many many times with the end result always being the same, kids loving it! To make jitterbots here are the supplies that are necessary:

• Motor
• AA Battery 
• Aligator clips
• Electricians tape
• CD
• Paperclips
• Wine cork
• Duct Tape

Cut the alligator clip in half and strip the plastic off about an inch so the wire is exposed. Twist the wire so it is not frayed and coil it into a circle. Tape one of the coiled ends to the positive side of the battery and one end to the negative side with electricians tape. Tape the battery and wires onto what you want to be the top of the jitterbot.  

Next fold the paperclips out and duct tape them on what you want to be the bottom of the jitterbot. Take the wine cork and make a small hole so it will slide onto the end of the motor. Tape the motor on the side of the jitterbot with the battery pack. Make sure there is enough room so the cork rotates freely and does not hit the CD. 

It's alive!

Finally attach the alligator clips to the motor and watch it spin! For added fun, put a marker in the middle of the CD to make robot art!

Robot Art

To finish, I had the kids create their own robots using items from our recycled gold. In all the times I have done this, I see new things each time. Today we had a pirate ship, caterpillar robots, and a tall coffee can robot!

 

Let me know if I can help clarify any confusing spots!

Jitterly yours,

The Garage Creative

the sound of science

What a wonderful way to spend my 35th trip around the sun! Today was the Pepper Festival in Chapel Hill and the garage creative helped celebrate by bringing cardboard, makedo, a sound exhibit, and making sound sandwiches with LOTS of kids!

To build the exhibit, I bought six mixing bowls, attached them to plywood, had my daughters paint, and then attached wooden and plastic spoons. Kids loved banging on the bowls, the different size bowls really had different sounds and sounded like wind chimes.

ready to see how it sounds

the sound of awesome

We also made some of my favorite and easy sounds makers in the world to go along with the exhibit, sound sandwiches. I have done this SO many times and no matter the age, kids and adults are always surprised about what they hear! To do this you need 4 things:

• Tongue Depressors (thick popsicle sticks)
• Straws
• Two different widths of rubber-bands (preferably one thick and one thin)

To start, wrap the thick rubber-band around one tongue depressor and put one straw on top and one underneath (see picture 1). Then put the other tongue depressor on top, wrap both edges of the tongue depressors (picture 2) and blow between the two straws (picture 3)! Try moving the straws closer together and then farther apart while blowing, can you hear the changes in pitch?

What you are hearing is the vibration from the rubber band. For more information about the science behind sound, follow the sound of science link.

Musically yours,

The garage creative