If I can help kids make robots, so can you! Despite a total lack of mechanical aptitude or experience,
Miss Becky hosted a second robot-making event on September 25 at the Prescott
Public Library. Our first event, during the Summer Library Program, was
Brush Bots, made with a truly foolproof kit from Maker Shed.
I made a Brush Bot at WLA last year and felt comfortable using the kit and
running this program.
The second time, I stepped well outside my comfort zone to
find the instructions, assemble the supplies, make a prototype and conduct the
program, and it paid off. Our Draw Bots were awesome! I can't wait to figure out what we'll do for our next maker
program.
Nitty-gritty:
We set the age level of this event for 7-14 years old and
encouraged (but did not require) parents to attend. We had 9 kids and 5
parents attend.
We ordered motors, battery packs and batteries from Radio
Shack. It was pricey ($120), but we got free delivery within 5 days. There are
websites where these supplies are cheaper, but they charge a lot for quick
delivery.
We bought the hex nuts and other supplies (cups, markers, electrical tape) from
Walmart.
I made a prototype (with the help of someone more
mechanically inclined than I, thank you dear hubby) to get the kinks out ahead
of time. This also helped me figure out what STEM terms to talk about: kinetic
energy, potential energy, completing the circuit, conservation of momentum, and
eccentric weight.
For set-up, we covered tables with white paper and set up a
separate table with all of the supplies. Each attendee got a
"shopping list," and a set of instructions, and I also wrote the
instructions on huge pieces of paper and hung them on the wall in back of
me. I also taped a huge piece of white paper in the hallway, so the kids
could really let their bots draw.
The motto of the day was "trial and error."
It took about 40 minutes to go through the assembly process, with some kids
(and their very hands-on parents) getting done sooner. We scheduled the
event for an hour, but kids and parents were hanging around tweaking their bots
and testing them for at least 30 minutes more.
Experimenting with flipping the bots
What about next time? I'll get my shopping list done
early, so I can take advantage of cheaper prices on-line. I'll be less
nervous about having it work perfectly. When the eccentric weights fell
off (actually, went flying off) the kids thought it was fun and got to work
putting them back on.
If you're still nervous about doing a mechanical maker
program by yourself, I'm sure there are people in your community who would love
to help you.
