Minigolf Challenge

Challenge of School Year 19/20

In our minigolf challenge the participants create their own interactive minigolf lane. Sensors detect the ball, motors move different elements, light chains and speakers show a successful completion of the lane. We program a micro:bit and we work with recycling material such as tin cans, plastic bottles and cardboard. We use cardboard screws and, if necessary, hot glue and tape, for the construction. In the course of three hours, different minigolf lanes are created, which the participants can try out at the end of the workshop.

Hardware & Software

For the moving and interactive elements of the minigolf lanes, sensors (buttons, distance sensors, brightness sensors), actors (servo motors, light chains, LEDs, speakers) and microcontrollers are used.

We use the Grove Inventor Kit for micro:bit supplemented by a few additional standard components. The participants program the behaviour of their minigolf lane with the micro:bit block programming.

Rapid Prototyping

The participants mainly work with recyling material. They use cutters, tape, hot glue and reusable cardboard screws for fast construction and dismantlement.

To connect the electronic components, such as our servo motors or the micro:bit, to the cardboard, we use our own acryl glas elements. They have been designed and cut out by a laser cutter (all templates are available and free to use).

Didactic Setting

Lesson plan

The detailed course of action can be read in our adjacent lesson plan (in German). It was developed based on the Swiss Lehrplan 21. Focusing on the subject of computer sciences, the workshop includes contents of other subjects (crafts, mathematics) as well as many life competences (planing a project, overcoming adversity, working in a team, trial and error...).

This lesson plan was written for a 3h workshop but can easily be adjusted for a longer-term project.

Verlaufsplanung_Minigolf.pdf

Challenge Cards

To the right, you can see our challenge cards for the remote control car workshop (only available in German). With their help the participants learn the basics of programming with the micro:bit. The challenge cards include programming principles (such as sequences, loops and conditions) and program building blocks, as well as instructions for the sensors and actors we use in the workshop.

Challenge Cards_microbit grove Minigolf_ V3.5.pdf

Worksheet

To support the students during the think phase, we use the worksheet which you see on the right. With this sheet, the students plan the look of their mingolf lane and choose the electronic components they will need.

Examples of participants' work and the empty worksheet

Minigolf Arbeitsblatt 4.0.pdf

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