AR Sandbox Project

I have many people to thank for helping me build the AR Sandbox.  The idea to build it started when I really wanted our Oceans and Landforms unit to be focused on student-driven learning.  We finished a Professional Development session about letting kids adjust and learn as we go and I saw this on YouTube and decided I would spend Christmas break figuring out how to put this in my classroom. The project itself took longer than I thought (2 months).  Like any project, I also ran into some snags and difficulties.  I call this project Sandbox 1.0 (prototype).  It works great, but there will be some adjustments and add-ons I will do for Sandbox 2.0.  

First and foremost, this is NOT my original idea.  This was developed by Professors at UC-Davis.  LINK to AR SANDBOX Research HERE

Also, I used Mr. Beals Science Website for guidance as well since he had built one from scratch for his classroom.

To build one on your own takes coding experience (thankfully I had over 20 years of direct coding experience), but UC-Davis does a great job at providing the code (only minor tweaks were needed).  You need to have some knowledge of Linux (which I was only familiar with OLD Linux).  I brushed up on Linux Mint 19.1 as I was installing the software.  

Lastly, my husband and retired engineer father played a HUGE role in helping me build and design the box.  Recommendations are provided for the build, but it really takes a team to actually do the build.  There are plenty of variables to keep you scratching your head. 

After a couple of months and weekends at school tweaking, the Sandbox was ready for students to explore.  As a 5th grade science teacher our standards cover a variety of forms both on land and in the ocean.  The AR sandbox can help students develop an understanding using models and creating scenarios for inquiry.  I look forward to continue posting updates as I add more to it.