Steadiness Circuits

Group Assignment - Table groups of 3 or 4

Build the Steadiness Circuit described by Curt Gabrielson in Tinkering - pp 135-148 . Include an indicator light AND buzzer that turns on when the steadiness loop makes contact with the circuitous steel wire path.

Formative Assessment - Demo in front of class; Discuss improvements. Then, improve the Steadiness Circuit by adding a DIY on-off switch and indicator light (not the short circuit light and buzzer) to tell the user that the game is "live". Use the Design Process with your team to generate ideas, refine the ideas, select the best idea, build a prototype, test and reflect.

Do a second round of improvements - make the game better by adding features that would make your Steadiness Circuit voted best in class for display in the Fab Lab

Summative Assessment - Blog Post and Reflection on the addition of a DIY on-off switch and indicator light - Maximum Score = 60 Points

• Photos and Video of your original design and improved design: 0, 5, or 10 points
• Research Table with links, pictures and descriptions of other DIY switches that you found; identify which if any of the prior work designs were the inspiration for your design: 0, 5 or 10 points
• Step-by-step making instructions of your DIY invention: 0, 5 or 10 points
• 3rd Party Testing and User Feedback regarding the efficacy of your DIY switch: 0, 5 or 10 points
• Reflection - Did the design process improve your design and/or result in a better outcome? 0, 5 or 10 points
• Upload your photos and video to my Shared Google Drive Folder: 0, 5 or 10 points

Stephanie Jiron '18 built a Steadiness Circuit for her IB Design-Tech I/A - design a game or toy for a pediatric waiting room. Stephanie pitches her toy on demo day (left), and demos with 1st graders (right).