Pandora's Box

Here is one version: Pandora’s Box

Feel free to send me other links to add to the versions of the story that you read in class.

You will be designing and making your own version of Pandora’s Box. Your Pandora Box will be interactive using the Micro:bit. How creative you take this project is up to you!

For the sake of learning you will program the Micro:bit to be a modern version of Pandora’s Box. This project will help you become familiar with the editor and transferring your code to the your Micro:bit. You will also learn about what a circuit is and what materials are conductive. Finally, you will learn how to program the LED’s on the Micro:bit.

You will learn how a conductive material or object can create an external output. With these outputs you will also learn how to write code for selection of what you want to happen using If/Then statements.

Finally, learning to fold origami is fun and fascinating so weaving in a bit of paper craft is always a good thing!

Must Have

• Micro:bit(usb cable and battery pack)
• Computer Paper
• Alligator clips

Nice To Have

• Origami Paper
• Colored Cardstock(a bit trickier to fold)
• Art Supplies to decorate the box

If Only I Had Grant Money

• 6x6x6 in boxes to replace the origami box making
• Push Buttons
• Headphones for sound

Step 1:Origami Box

YouTube Video Instructions

Step 2: Design the box to look like Pandora’s Box

• When you read the story how did you visualize the box looking?
• What color?
• Why symbols?
• How would this box make you curious enough to want to open it?

Step 3: Sketch out Symbols

“Out came disease and poverty. Out came misery, out came death, out came sadness - all shaped like tiny buzzing moths. The creatures stung Pandora over and over again and she slammed the lid shut.”

• What do these words mean? Use a tool like Vocabulary.com to help students understand the words.
• Using the 30 circles have them draw tiny sketches of these words to help put context to the meaning.

Once students have sketched out the items have them begin to make the symbols out of art supplies such as cardstock, cardboard, etc. Before they build have them explore the idea of conductive and insulator.

Students will choose 3 symbols they would like to bring to life using the Micro:bit. These will attach to ports 0,1, and 2.

If you want to simplify things like I have done in my video, then you can have them make the items out of any material and simply place them inside. I used perler beads, but you do do hand drawn images, shrinky dinks, cardboard, etc. Instead of making the items conductive you could have them make the box itself conductive.

Step 4: Conductor vs. Insulator

Conductive materials allow electric current to flow through them and are used to create circuits.

Challenge 1: Your challenge is to come up with three types of material that are conductive that could be used to make a interactive components with your Micro:bit.

Challenge 2: Your next challenge is to come up with three types of material that are not conductive, but serve as insulators that could be usedwith your interactive components with your Micro:bit.

Challenge 3: Use your new discoveries to record a video that demonstrates your understanding of what it means to be a material that is conductive and a material that is an insulator.

Watch this video to learn more or this one

Step 5: Complete Symbols

Now that you have an understanding of circuits, conductive materials, and a symbol of the ideas unleashed in Pandora’s box, it is time to finish them all up. Get them all decorated, designed, and ready to be coded.

1. Use this document to sketch out symbols of the following items found in Pandora’s Box.
2. Students can also go right into MakeCode Editor and add a Show LED block to see designs in the simulator.
3. Finally, if you want students to understand how the code works by sending signals you can have them create their own LED matrix using Google Sheets or Excel by having them learn about conditional formatting.
   • Here is an example of one

• Could you make a lid to your box with note of Do Not Open
• Could the box shake and move as if something was inside?
• Can your objects make noise?
• What else can you think of to make your box unique to the story and to you?

Share your designs to this Flipgrid

Your Flip Code is i19bovl and here is a direct link to the Grid:

https://flipgrid.com/i19bovl

Also, here is a direct link to this new Topic:

https://flipgrid.com/0b9c48a8