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Battleships: Searching Algorithms
Source Institutions
This activity explores the main algorithms that are used as the basis for searching on computers, using different variations on the game of battleships.
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Tiny Particles, Big Trouble!
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners discover why some nanoscale science and technology is done in the controlled environment of a clean room, what clean rooms are like, and how scientists help keep the clean r
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Kinetic Sculpture: Program the Pico Cricket to Make Your Art Light Up or Spin
Source Institutions
Use a Pico Cricket (micro-controller) to animate your art! You can program a Pico Cricket to make your art spin, light up, or make music.
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Inkjet Printer
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners investigate how inkjet printers produce tiny, precise drops of ink.
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Smart Domino Tricks
Source Institutions
In this activity, you take regular dominoes, and turn them into conductive switches that can turn on a LEGO RCX block or Pico Cricket (micro controller). LEGO RCX block or Pico Cricket is required.
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Musical Sculpting Machine: Squeeze Play-Doh to Make Music
Source Institutions
Play-Doh is conductive! Use the semiconductive qualities of Play-Doh to make your own squeezable instrument. Pico Cricket is required.
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Fruit Xylophone: Fruit Salad Instrument of the Future!
Source Institutions
This is a perfect summertime lunch activity! Pico Cricket is required (micro controller). First, get a bunch of cut up fruit, line them up, then plug a piece of fruit with a Pico Cricket sensor clip.
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Interactive Pencil Drawings: Drawings That Tell a Story!
Source Institutions
Margaret Pezalla-Granlund, a Minnesota artist, came up with this really fun and surprising activity using graphite from a pencil, connected with a Pico Cricket to tell a story: "The first time I saw s
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Pico Cricket Compass
Source Institutions
Learners can program a compass to draw a circle by itself using a Pico Cricket, some Legos, and lots of tape! Pico Cricket is required.
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Social Fireflies: Pico "Firefly" Communication
Source Institutions
Make two firefly lanterns, then program them to blink to one another and change colors.
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Colour by Numbers: Image Representation
Source Institutions
This activity shows learners how computers use numbers to represent pictures. A grid is used to represent the pixels (short for picture elements) of a computer screen.
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You Can Say That Again!: Text Compression
Source Institutions
This activity helps students learn how computers "compress" text by identifying repeating patterns of letters, words, and phrases.
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Cactus Needle Phonograph
Source Institutions
Build a phonograph record player using a cactus needle, a record, LEGOs gear box, and a piece of paper! This activity uses a Pico Cricket to turn the motor.
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Card Flip Magic: Error Detection & Correction
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This magic trick is based on how computers detect and correct data errors.
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Musical Ice: How to Make an Ice Theremin
Source Institutions
Build a musical ice theremin by programming a micro controller, like a Pico Cricket to respond to resistance generated by the ice melting, or the ice being touched.
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Scribbling Machines
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners explore electronics and motion by making a Scribbling Machine, a motorized contraption that moves in unusual ways and leaves a mark to trace its path.
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Musical Gloves
Source Institutions
Put on a pair of gloves and be the conductor of your invisible orchestra!
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Pico Cricket (Tiny Computer) Activity Ideas
Source Institutions
This is a web page that helps informal educators brainstorm on how to use a Pico Cricket (tiny computer) in an informal activity.
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Photolithography
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners use UV light to transfer a pattern onto a plastic board. The pattern is transferred by placing a mask (a transparency sheet with the pattern) on a plastic board.
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What am I?
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners examine nanoscale structures of common things.