Wildcat Workshop @ Chester Arthur School
GRADE 4
PATTERNS, TEXTILES, and ENCODING
Essential Questions
How is fashion important to me and others around me?
What are the environmental impacts of our fashion and consumer systems?
How can I use different kinds of technologies (computers, beads, textiles, etc.) to encode information?
How can I use design thinking to create something that is useful and meaningful to others?
What does it mean to be a good digital citizen?
Key Projects
Showcase for older peers about the connections between textiles (weaving, beading, etc.) and encoding digital information
Wearable e-textile that enhances a favorite piece of clothing and conveys some kind of story about importance of that piece of clothing
Podcast about clothing, consumers, natural resources, and environmental impacts
May 2024
We learned how circuits work and began designing our own soft circuits with conductive thread, LEDs, batteries, and felt. We sketched out designs. Next, we cut out felt pieces. Then, we sewed our soft circuits. A few guests visited our classroom to help us with our sewing: Ms. Amy, Audrey, Ms. Fleurette, and Ms. Pennypacker. Thank you to the volunteers who joined us this week!
We explored how to create polygons using move and turn blocks in Turtle Stitch. We realized that we could use the repeat block to help us make a regular polygon (which means all the sides are the same as are the angles).
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.
We shared our algorithms with peers, who tried to build the structure using our instructions.
We broke out the LEGO WeDo 2.0 kits to do some building and coding.
April 2024
We explored Tinkercad Sim Lab. We searched for ideas using a Google Image search and also found some YouTube videos to get us started.
March 2024
We held a board meeting where we summarized what we learned from a reading about how technology has helped to create “fast fashion.” We also analyzed historical primary sources to help us thinking about how technology has influenced how we make, find, and buy clothing. We continue working on podcasts about what we’ve learned.
We continued working on a podcasting project in which we are exploring the environmental impacts of clothing and fashion. We listened to an example podcast and identified some of the different voices that were included. All civic discussions have multiple voices and perspectives. As we develop our own ideas, we should understand what others are saying in the conversation.
Some students began working on projects that could be entered in the Philadelphia Media and Design Competition. Students are using different digital tools to create the projects, like iMovie and cameras from our school's WHYY Media Lab to make a digital movie.
February 2024
We continued our podcast project about the environmental impacts of clothing and fashion by analyzing infographics that describe some of the issues with our current clothing systems. We also recorded our interviews with classmates about why fashion and clothing are important to us.
Students also used free time to design in Tinkercad. Mr. J, our Digital Service Fellow, helped students print their designs with the 3D printer.
January 2024
We started working on a podcasting project in which we are exploring the environmental impacts of clothing and fashion. After brainstorming some people we might want to speak to about clothing and why it's important to them (e.g., a classmate who likes fashion; family members), we drafted questions we might ask them. We also wrote introductions for the people we planned to interview.
We used our WeDo LEGO robotics kits to build spin art devices. To build the device, we used instructions with images. Then, we used the WeDo app to control the spin of the motor.
We played Interland to review important Digital Citizenship ideas about passwords, being kind online, and protecting privacy.
To develop our digital literacy skills for designing things with digital tools, we designed buttons using Google Draw and Adobe Express. In designing our buttons, we had to pay attention to:
Sizing of our canvas and circles;
Margins around our designs to ensure the design would show up properly when put in the button maker;
Gradients;
Fonts and text alignment; and
Whether there was enough contrast to read text placed on top of images.
We printed our designs and pressed together the buttons using a button maker.
December 2022
We engaged in some creative engineering by creating scribble bots using plastic cups, motors, battery packs, switches, hot glue, tape, and markers. A scribble bot works as a motor and spinning arm placed on the side of the bot's body cause it to rock back and forth, moving erratically. When you uncap the markers that make up its legs, it draws patterns.
We also discussed an important theme in science and technology: What happens when we design something that we are not able to control or fully understand how it works? Frankenstein's monster is an example in literature.
We also coded our micro:bits to create step counters. The code told the micro:bit to update a variable for step count every time the device was shaken. Then, we designed bands and used 3D printed cases to fashionably wear our micro:bits for a day.
November 2022
We’ve continued thinking about patterns and code. We created geometric designs using repeat, move, and turn blocks to tell our digital turtles what to draw in Turtle Stitch. Then, we used our new laser cutter to carve our designs into wooden medallions.
We continued our exploration of patterns using the Artist Lab in code.org. We could program the artist to draw lines, move forward, turn at different angles, and repeat some or all steps. This resulted in shapes like squares, diamonds, and stars.
We practiced sequencing, using conditionals, and problem-solving in a beach cleanup challenge on Kodable.
October 2022
We used potholder looms and needles to weave our own patterns with two colors. Many of us chose basket weaves (and we realized that we had a harder time finishing the edges as we took them off the looms). A plain weave worked better for our looms and materials.
We explored the influence that a mechanical weaving system from hundreds of years ago had on the development of computers.
First, we analyzed three images that showing a modern version of a Jacquard loom. We noticed that there were punched cards that are hanging above the loom.
Then, we watched and discussed a video about how a Jacquard loom works. We discussed how Ada Lovelace was inspired by the Jacquard loom to write what are considered to be the first computer programs.
Next, we analyzed different weaving patterns. All weaving, whether it uses a Jacquard loom or not, involves creating patterns with thread or yarn.
Finally, we sorted punched cards, binary representations, compression representations, and images of different weaving patterns.
We practiced using binary code along with a compressed version of the code to make black and white images. We realized that we could compress our binary code most easily when we had multiple pixels in a row that are the same color.
Students also used free time to design in Tinkercad. Mr. J, our Digital Service Fellow, helped students print their designs with the 3D printer.
September 2022
We're still working with encoding images using binary code— but we began thinking about color images. We discussed how three LEDs that are the colors red, green, and blue (RGB) can be used to produce a lot of different colors. This involves turning some lights on and others off. Or making some brighter than others. We can control which LEDs are on and off using 1s and 0s, too!
We used the pixel widget in code.org to make different colors. We also tried to recreate some images in color using 6 bit codes, 2 bits for red, green, and blue each. We could make 64 colors using 6 bits.
We we also started making our own pixel art. First, we selected images that we could sample and still make out what the pixelated version was. We realized that it takes a lot of bits to encode complex images. Then, we began creating physical representations of our pixel art with plastic fuse beads. We realized it takes us a longer time than we predicted to encode things by hand even if there’s a limited set of pixels. We had to do lots of counting using the grids we created!
We continued to explore encoding information using 1s and 0s. We used a pixel widget in code.org to make black & white images using 1s and 0s.
We realized that we needed to set the width and height of our images before making them. We also realized that the more bits of information we used (that is, the smaller the square samples were), the clearer the digital image became.
We discussed how our computing devices use common code sequences in binary (8 bits or 8 zeroes or ones = 1 byte) for things like letters of the alphabet. A common example is the ASCII system. We wrote out binary code for our initials using ASCII. Then, we made two-color (binary) bracelets for our initials.
We also read a story about a boy named Jasper who liked to play video games. We wrote about how it's important to find a balance when using technology. We also identified the theme of the story: We need to find a balance between using digital devices and engaging with the world around us.
What does your family say about finding a screen-time balance at home? Here are some resources for discussing screen time.
August 2022
We discussed how computers store and communicate information using binary code. Binary code has two conditions:
0 or 1
off or on
true or false
positive or negative polarity (for hard drives)
non-reflective or reflective (for DVDs)
We worked with partners to build a simple circuit and to make up our own secret codes using on or off.
