Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference Handout
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The document outlines various engaging programming activities for children at libraries, including marble roller coasters, Scratch programming, light-up art, and Arduino projects. Each activity includes details on costs, difficulty levels, equipment needed, and age group suitability, with suggestions for staffing and preparation time. Educational goals focus on introducing concepts of physics, energy, and computer programming while promoting creativity and collaboration among participants.
Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference Handout
- 1. Tinker: Made in Chicago Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference 2015 tinkerfolks@gmail.com http://tinkergroup.wordpress.com @TinkerGroup facebook.com/tinker.folks Roller Coaster Marble Runs Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 20 kids Program duration: 1 hour Prep time: Low-Medium Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: Pipe insulation, cardboard boxes, duct tape, painters tape, marbles, and buckets Precut all of the pipe insulation (purchased from Home Depot) to create tracks for the marbles. The day of the program, use the painters tape to tape up tracks of pipe insu- lation to a wall. Then set out cut-up cardboard boxes, buckets to catch the marbles at the end of the coaster, duct tape to attach other tracks together, marbles, and what- ever else you want the kids to have during the program. During the program, present the kids with challenges: get your marble to roll down the track and over a hill, then a loop, then a turn, and so on. At the beginning of the program, discuss the concept of kinetic and potential energy. Be sure to give yourself a little time at the end of the pro- gram to have the kids help you clean up! —Alison Tseng, atseng@aapld.org Paper Roller Coasters Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 12-15 kids Program duration: 1-2 hours Prep time: Medium Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: Roller coaster template from paperrollercoasters.com, cardstock, Scotch tape, large foam board (base for coaster), marbles, scissors. OR paper tubes, popsicle sticks, masking tape, marbles, large foam board, scissors There are two approaches to this program. First approach: purchase the paper roller coaster templates from the website ($20), and print off tem- plates on different colored cardstock (you won’t need as many copies of each piece as instructions recommend). Then staff can precut or have kids cut. If the kids are cutting, you need 2 hours. Kids work in groups of 3-6. Give them the jobs of cutting, taping, and engineering. Make sure you leave them at least 30 minutes to assemble and test the coasters. Second approach: gather donations of pa- per tubes of any size, and then use them with popsicle sticks and masking tape to make coasters. This ver- sion takes less time. Both versions are great for drop-in or family programs, too. —Renee Neumeier, rneumeier@cityofevanston.org
- 2. Tinker: Made in Chicago Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference 2015 tinkerfolks@gmail.com http://tinkergroup.wordpress.com @TinkerGroup facebook.com/tinker.folks Scratch Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10 kids, depending on number of computers Program duration: 2 hours Prep time: Medium-High Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: Computers, screen, projector, Internet connection Scratch is a digital media design program created by MIT Media Lab’s Lifelong Kinder- garten group. It’s often described as an introduction to computer programming. Users can make games, stories, videos, music, and more, by snapping together programming blocks. The latest version of Scratch runs in an Internet browser, and it is also available as a free download. Users can store and post their projects on the Scratch website, which has a social networking component. At Wilmette Public Library, two-hour pro- grams for grades 5-8 work best. Ideally, they’re run by one librarian and one tween/ teen volunteer. Usually, the class works on a librarian-created project as a group. Then participants work in- dependently to customize the project. Alternatively, everyone experiments on their own, helping each other when needed. —Janet Piehl, jpiehl@wilmettelibrary.info Further Resources Scratch website: www.scratch.mit.edu Tinker blog: Includes example projects. https://tinkergroup.wordpress.com/2014/04/16/scratch/ K’NEX Roller Coasters Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10-15 kids Program duration: 1 hour Passive programming: Multiple hours Prep time: Medium Staffing: 1 staff member Equipment: 1 Roller Coaster K’NEX Kit Incorporating physics and engineering into library programming is fun and engaging when designing roller coasters. It’s an opportunity to learn about the different types of motion and energy while allowing the kids to creatively make their own roller coaster. K’NEX Education offers a Roller Coaster Physics set with multiple roller coaster options. Dedicate one afternoon or evening for a “Build Night” to establish a beginning base for the K’NEX Kit and then have patrons work on it throughout the week. **Helpful hint: Sort the types of parts before the program. —Katie LaMantia, klamantia@stdl.org Further Resources http://www.knex.com/shop/16772/roller-coaster-physics/
- 3. Scratch Jr Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10 kids, depending on number of tablets Program duration: 1 hour Prep time: Low Staffing: 1-2 staff members Equipment: iPad or Android tablets, screen, projector Scratch Jr is a great tool for kids who just can’t wait to get started learning computer programming. Kids in roughly grades 1-3 can make simple interactive stories and games with this introductory programming lan- guage. They snap together programming blocks to create action and movement. Working as a group, start with one of the example projects included on the app. Then let kids use what they’ve learned to create their own projects. —Janet Piehl, jpiehl@wilmettelibrary.info Further Resources Scratch Jr website: http://www.scratchjr.org/ Tinker: Made in Chicago Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference 2015 tinkerfolks@gmail.com http://tinkergroup.wordpress.com @TinkerGroup facebook.com/tinker.folks Light-Up Art Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 12-15 kids Program duration: 1 hour-1.5 hours Prep time: Low Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: LEDs, copper tape, CR2032 (coin) batteries, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, cardstock, thumb- tacks, cardboard scraps, templates of 3D houses or pyramid lanterns, Scotch tape (Amazon.com) K-Grade 2: Have kids color their own pictures or use a drawing sheet with the intention that LED lights will be added to part of the picture. Explaining circuit basics at the beginning helps. Squishy Circuit kits or Little Bits are great for introducing concepts. Grades 3-5: Have kids draw their own pictures or cut out and decorate templates (houses, lanterns, pyra- mids, etc.). Then have them add the copper tape, LEDs, and batteries. At the beginning, make sure kids understand how circuits work. Grades 6-12: Have kids draw their own pictures, cut out and decorate templates (houses, lanterns, pyramids, etc.), or design their own piece to light up. Thumbtacks work great for creating cool patterns on cardstock (use cardboard under cardstock) to then add the LEDs to. Adding book pages or darker paper also makes cool effects on pieces. —Renee Neumeier, rneumeier@cityofevanston.org
- 4. Arduino Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10 kids (1 kit and computer for 2 kids) Program duration: 1-1.5 hours Prep time: High Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: Computers, Arduino kit (including LEDs, wires, resistors, etc.) Before the program: Download free Arduino software from www.arduino.cc and Arduino codes to the com- puters. Assemble the redboards and breadboards for each Arduino kit. Take electronics one step further than LED cards and light-up art and create simple and complex circuits with Arduino kits. Explain what circuits are and how electricity flows from the computer to redboard-breadboard and at what voltage. Exercise 1: Blinking an LED. Attach the wires, LED, and resistors as seen in the guide- book. Connect the Arduino to the computer via the USB cable and upload the pre-written code. Explain how the electric current flows from the computer to the redboard, breadboard (with LED and resistor), and back to form a current. Have the students change the placement of the wires or LED and subsequent code to un- derstand the principles behind coding and electronics. Practice running through the various circuits and exer- cises, increasing in difficulty. —Katie LaMantia, klamantia@stdl.org Further resources: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12060 Tinker: Made in Chicago Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference 2015 tinkerfolks@gmail.com http://tinkergroup.wordpress.com @TinkerGroup facebook.com/tinker.folks LED Greeting Cards Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10 kids Program duration: 30-45 minutes Prep time: Low-medium Staffing: 1-2 people Equipment: 3v 5mm LEDs, copper tape, cardstock, scissors, glue, markers, CR2032 batteries, book tape Create simple circuits on homemade greeting cards to make them extraordinary. Tape or glue the positive side of the LED (the long side of the light, called an anode) with the positive side of the battery. Tape the negative side of the battery with the shorter side of the LED, called a cathode. Use copper tape as a conductor to extend your circuit or to create an open switch, pull tab, or push feature to connect the circuit entirely so the LEDs aren’t lit up the entire time. Make sure everything is properly connected, and get creative! **Helpful hint: Make sure the battery and LED work before taping or gluing to the paper. —Katie LaMantia, klamantia@stdl.org
- 5. Tinker: Made in Chicago Indiana Library Federation District 1 Conference 2015 tinkerfolks@gmail.com http://tinkergroup.wordpress.com @TinkerGroup facebook.com/tinker.folks Cost: Level of difficulty: Age group: Size of group: 10 kids Program duration: 1 hour Prep time: Low-Medium Staffing: 2 people Equipment: iPads or cameras on tripods; flashlights, light-up toys, glow sticks, or string lights Darken the room completely and photograph designs made with lights. To cap- ture the traces left by the lights, lengthen the exposure time on a digital camera mounted on a tripod. For even better results, use an app like LongExpo on an iPad. You won’t need a tripod if you’re using this app. For light sources, use flash- lights and toys from the dollar store. For added color, put a balloon over the end of a flashlight. This project works well when kids work in pairs. The partner with the light stands about ten feet away from the partner with the camera or iPad. Light painting is really a big experiment in science, technology, and art, and it’s fun to see how participants put their own spins on the project. —Janet Piehl, jpiehl@wilmettelibrary.info Further Resources: Wilmette Public Library’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/wilmettelibrary/ photos_albums Light Painting Contributors Katie LaMantia Teen Librarian Schaumburg Township District Library klamantia@stdl.org Renee Neumeier Young Adult Librarian Supervisor Evanston Public Library rneumeier@cityofevanston.org Janet Piehl Youth Services Librarian Wilmette Public Library jpiehl@wilmettelibrary.info Alison Tseng Youth Services Technology Librarian Algonquin Public Library District atseng@aapld.org