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Pico Cricket (Tiny Computer) Activity Ideas
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This is a web page that helps informal educators brainstorm on how to use a Pico Cricket (tiny computer) in an informal activity.

Push Pull Painter
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In this activity, learners create painting machines that can paint moving forwards and backwards.

Make Recycled Paper
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Learners shred used paper, add water, and blend it into pulp. They then strain and roll the pulp out to make new paper.

Shrinking Polymers
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In this activity, learners discover that some plastics will shrink when you get them hot. Learners bake polystyrene in a regular oven and discover what happens.

Paper making: a craft and a chemical engineering major
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In this activity, learners explore the question "What is paper?" Learners discover the processes and materials required to make paper while experimenting with different recycled fibers and tools.

Matraca
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In this activity, learners create a traditional Mexican noisemaker (a matraca) using cardboard, craft sticks, and a wooden dowel.

Exploring Materials: Thin Films
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In this activity, learners create a colorful bookmark using a super thin layer of nail polish on water. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

Night Lights
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In this activity, learners create night lights using a plastic cup, programmable PICO Cricket, tri-color LED, and sensor.

Rainbow Film
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In this activity, learners use clear nail polish to create a beautiful iridescent pattern on black paper. Learners discover that a thin film creates iridescent, rainbow colors.

Cardboard Automata
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Cardboard Automata are a playful way to explore simple machine elements while creating a mechanical sculpture.

Milk Plastic
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In this activity, learners transform everyday milk into small plastic figurines and jewelry. Use this activity to introduce learners to monomers and polymers.

Jumpy Dolls
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In this activity, learners are challenged to design and construct a jointed figure that moves in a motion (something like jumping jacks) when a string is pulled.

Make Pan Pipes
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This is a simple activity for learners to create a traditional musical instrument. Pan Pipes have developed all over the world in different cultures, from South America to Greece and China.

Balloon Nanotubes Tabletop
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This activity introduces learners to the structure and properties of carbon nanotubes.

Torsion Drum
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In this activity, learners build a musical drum using a cardboard tube, plastic wrap, and beads.

How to Make an Audio Tape Bow
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From this How To slide show, you create an Audio Tape Bow that can play distorted audio sounds by running it across a tape head.

Get It Write
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In this activity, learners explore how pens have been engineered and re-engineered over time. Learners work as a team to develop a working pen out of everyday items.

Overnight Painting Machine: Pico Cricket Activity
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This activity requires a Pico Cricket (tiny computer).

Rotational Equilibrium
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In this activity, learners explore the concept of rotational equilibrium. Learners work in teams to estimate and determine the force within a mobile design.

Building a 3-D Space Maze: Escher Staircase
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In this activity (page 95 of the PDF), learners create Escher Staircase models similar to those that were used by Neurolab's Spatial Orientation Team to investigate the processing of information about