Wildcat Workshop @ Chester Arthur School
Grade 2
Light, Electricity, & Communication
Essential Questions
How does light help me see things?
How can we use electricity to make things happen?
How might we use light and electricity to communicate?
How can we use what we know about light and electricity to solve a community problem?
What does it mean to be a good digital citizen?
Key Projects
Digital shadow puppet story
Program in block-based code that controls the movement of an robot and helps tell a story
Communication device that uses light and electricity to address a community need
May & June 2022
We designed things using light and/electricity to solve a problem. We drew upon experiences we had with circuits, light, lasers, micro:bits, and other making resources and tools.
One student designed a nightlight for her room using Tinkercad and our 3D printer.
A few students designed prototype nightlights that featured their favorite animals (a Corgi and a tiger). We used what we knew about building circuits to create our prototypes.
One pair coded micro:bit and used cardboard and a servo to design a pancake flipper prototype.
Another pair of students coded a micro:bit and used a servo and cardboard to design a robotic arm prototype that might help them clean their room. After building it, they wondering if it might be used as a back scratcher.
We also explored how lasers send light in straight lines and how we can reflect that light with mirrors to hit a target. We also discovered that we could do some other cool things with our mirrors.
Weeks of 18 April & 2 May
We wrote stories (focusing on beginning/middle/end structure and character actions) using our Ozobot robots. We drew inspiration from other robots in stories and the different things we can make the Ozobot do with color codes.
Week of 4 April
We built a variety of mini-projects using snap circuits. We selected mini-projects to build based on our interests. Eventually, we will be designing things to solve problems in the world with light and electricity.
Weeks of 21 & 28 March
We brainstormed some ways that light systems in our communities solve problems and help us do things. Next, we brainstormed ways that we could use the LED array on the micro:bits to solve some kind of problem or help us do something. Then, we began coding and testing our designs with the micro:bits. For instance, one student wanted to use the A and B buttons to communicate how she felt by showing a heart or an upside down heart.
A few of the things we wanted to to required us to learn new concepts:
One student wanted to find a way to fairly decide whether she or her brother would get the bag of Doritos for lunch each day. We needed to find a way to create a list and then get the program to randomly choose one of the names in the list!
Another student wanted to keep track of points in a game. So, we needed to create a score variable and update it by 1 every time someone scored a point.
Week of 14 March
We worked toward earning Digital Citizen Badges for being Critical Media Consumers. This means we reflected on how a lot of the media we watch and interact with (websites and tv) have advertisements. We discussed why websites have ads and reflected on how different ads make us feel.
We also played a game about using passwords and keeping the information you put online safe.
We also explored how to code micro:bits to create LED messages. We discovered we could code the message to show up when you shake the micro:bit or press a button.
Week of 28 February & 7 March
We took a brief break from studying light and put our math and coding skills in action to create math word problems in Scratch. We analyzed an example that Mr. Smith created. The code uses an if/then statement, or conditional, to do one thing if a correct answer is entered or another things if an incorrect answer is entered. Then, we drafted our own questions on paper and created stories in Scratch.
Week of 21 February
We discussed how digital cameras work by watching a video and drawing diagrams. Then, we used a web app, webcams, and glow sticks to create light paintings. (If we’d used a regular digital camera, we’d have needed to change the shutter speed.) As we practice light painting, we developed techniques with the classroom lights off. For instance, one student discovered that pointing the webcam toward the ceiling created a less cluttered, slightly darker background to paint on. This technique caught on, and most of us used it.Then, we captured images in our super-dark podcasting booth.
Weeks of 7 & 14 February
We continued recording our scripts for our shadow puppet stories using the podcasting booth. We then added our audio tracks to our video clips in iMovie. A few of us reshot a scenes with our shadow puppets. And we all worked on adding titles and transitions.
Week of 24 January
We worked toward earning Digital Citizen Badges for being Intellectual Property Pros. This means we reflected on what the term intellectual property means and why it is important. We also also discussed and classified examples of intellectual property that may be protected by copyright, trademark, or patent.
Week of 17 January
We earned Digital Citizen Badges for being Conscientious Digital Sharers. This means we reflected on our digital footprints and what kinds of things we could and shouldn't share online. We discussed how footprints in sand or mud can disappear. But our digital footprints can be permanent.
Some students reported that their families talk to them about how other people might use the information we share online in both positive and negative ways.
Week of 10 January
We watched a video about the origin of the word algorithm. We discussed how an algorithm is a set of step-by-step rules for solving a problem or completing a process.
Then, we practiced writing detailed and specific algorithms for building Lego structures.
You could only use words and numbers, not diagrams.
We tried to use as few words and numbers as possible.
Pretty quickly, most of us realized that we could tell someone to repeat certain steps. (This is called a loop in computer science.)
We shared our algorithms with peers, who tried to build the structure using our instructions. Some of us improved our written instructions after getting feedback from a peer.
Week of 3 January
We explored sequences and loops in coding using Candy Quest from Tynker. We also tried out some keyboarding games. We can use Tynker and the keyboarding games any time at home!
Week of 20 December
We began recording our scripts for our shadow puppet stories using the podcasting booth. Then, we added the audio track to our video clips in iMovie.
Week of 13 December
We explored how to encode images and patterns using binary code (0s and 1s) using the Pixel Widget in code.org. First, we recreated simple patterns. Then, we made our own patterns and designs.
Week of 6 December
We practiced sequencing and using conditionals in code using two sites: Kodable and Code Monkey.
For Computer Science Education Week (December 6-10), we also contributed to a secret pixel message. Each student placed five Post-its based on horizontal and vertical coordinates. All digital images are made up of pixels. And some programming languages, like Javascript, use horizontal and vertical coordinates to place objects on a digital page.
Week of 29 November
We began editing our shadow puppet video clips using iMovie on MacBooks. First, we watched our clips and decided which ones we wanted to use. Next, we imported, cut, and arranged the clips. Then, we added backgrounds and text to create title cards at the beginning of our videos. Finally, we added sound effects and music.
Weeks of 1, 8, & 15 November
We continued to work on our shadow puppet stories. We improved our characters and scripts. We filmed some of our scenes.
Weeks of 25 October
We continued to work on our shadow puppet stories. To improve our stories, we watched some of the clips we recorded in previous weeks and discussed what we liked about them. We also watched videos of two different stories, The Three Robbers and The Three Little Pigs. Based on what we saw in our own videos and in the two stories, we discussed some best practices:
Be sure to have a clear beginning, middle, and end to your story.
Add objects to create a setting, like buildings, trees, or mountains.
Introduce characters. Describe something unique about them, including their voices and/or things they say. Include a motivation for what a character does. Think about how your character might change over the course of the story.
Move your puppet closer to the camera to make the shadow less blurry (unless there's a reason to have the shadow be blurry temporarily).
Be sure that your puppet is facing forward, rather than turned sideways (unless there's a reason to have it sideways temporarily).
Use sound effects and rhythms to improve your storytelling.
Weeks of 11 & 18 October
We continued to work on our shadow puppet stories. To help us draft our stories, we used two tools:
Storyboards to map out the beginning, middle, and end of our stories; and
Scripts to help us figure out what our characters would say.
Finally, we used cameras from Arthur's WHYY Media Lab to practice filming a scene from our stories.
Week of 4 October
We continued to work on our shadow puppet shows using what we learned about opacity and translucency. We focused on developing our characters. What do they look like? How will they move? How will they sound? What will their mood be? This is characterization.
Some of us looked up directions for drawing characters on YouTube. Also, we realized that the outline and details of our designs mattered because all we see is the shadow.
Week of 27 September
We're now exploring both electricity and light.
One day this week, we used a simulation to test what we needed to make a basic circuit. We realized that if we added batteries, the light bulbs seemed to shine brighter. We also realized that if two wires touched the same part of the bulb, the bulb wouldn't light up. We also created a parallel circuit that allowed us to switch off one bulb and allow the other one to stay lit.
Another day this week, we used what we’d figured out about opaque and translucent materials to start designing a shadow puppet story. We first used our hands to practice making shadows. Then, watched this video and this video to see two types of shadow puppet setups. Then, started brainstorming characters (who) and story (where, what, why).
Week of 20 September
We paused our light investigations to learn a little bit about electric lights and light bulbs. We brainstormed all of the ways that electric light is important in our neighborhood and where we find it. We observed some light bulbs up close and drew them.
We discussed how a number of inventors contributed to the development of the light bulb, including Thomas Edison and Lewis Latimer. We read a little about inventor Lewis Latimer and his work with patents. We wrote down important information about who, what, where, when, why, and how. Now we have questions about patents!
Week of 13 September
We're still investigating light! We decided to test some of the materials we wrote down last week to see which ones are best at blocking out light. Before testing each material, we made predictions about whether the material was opaque (lets no light through), translucent (lets some light through), or transparent (lets a lot of light through).
One class tested the materials at the windows. The other class tested the materials using flashlights. We recorded our data in a table. Which test (window or flashlights) was better for helping us answer our question? Why?
Week of 6 September
We continued to think about light this week. We were wondering: can we see things if there is no light? Right now, there's some disagreement in our class about whether we can or not. It's great that we disagree right now because this means we have a reason to do more investigating!
We brainstormed what materials we might need to make a closet at school totally dark. We also drafted a procedure to test our ideas.
Week of 30 August
In our first week, we were looking at how light and dark parts of the room made it easier or more difficult to see things.
First, we tallied how many people counted 0-7 shapes at 4 different stations with the lights out.
Then, we turned the lights on. We counted 6 stars at both stations 3 and 4. We counted 7 triangles at stations 5 and 6.
We figured out that the amount of light affects what each of us is able to see. This year, we will be investigating and engineering with light and electricity this year!
