Light Painting

Who would black out a room with construction paper and trash bags (boy what a task) move everything in the room to one side, set up a couple of tripods and place digital camera's on them and say, "Alright you guys, you ready for your photo shoot?" Good question only D.I.S. teens would be outrageously up for this challeged. Check out this pic!!!

Panthers LED Throwies

Graffiti has been taken to the next level and it has sparked the idea's and thoughts of the D.I.S. staff. What if we could tag objects, buildings, and walls and leave our mark and make it last for a couple of weeks or so. LED throwies are very fun and Panther teens took it as far as they could from becoming fashion statements to taggin the D.I. cabinet to leaving their mark on the ceiling for everyone to observe.

Panthers Short Stop to Stop Motion Animation

Why not take a little time and become a "Life Givers." The idea of becoming a Creator of something takes time and it takes practice but the best thing about being a Creator is making your creation come to life. Teens at Panther were game when it became time to make simple crafts sticks come alive and take motion to form things that only their minds could imagine. In groups of two, teens were given laptops and intel cameras and sent to explore the wonderful world of stop motion there were many things the teens learned in there first few minutes like the importance of making small movements and keeping your hands free of the camera while taking shots. Panthers will see Stop Motion Animation again in the near future but what I cant wait to see is the wonderful things the will create with the emotional challenges that will be presented next time.

The beginning of the Panther DesignIt take over!!

The beginning of another wonderful year of D.I.S. here at Panther. Today not only were the teens presented with a delicious pizza party but they also were faced with their first D.I.S. challenge. There were about 10 pico crickets that each were equipped with its on sensor. Today's challenged was to understand what type of reaction made the pico change it's current state. The teens had a lot of fun passing pico's back and forth seeing if they could accomplish the challenge. Great start Panther many wonderful things to come in the Future.

LED Christmas Ornaments

Big Idea: Have kids made Christmas ornaments for decorating their Christmas tree or house for the holidays using LED lights.

Time: Great activity for the Christmas season

Participants: Northside Boys and Girls Club

Activity: Using felt, popsicle sticks and other craft material create a Christmas icon or decoration. Use lithium batteries and LED lights to give your ornament a bright and festive look.

Best Part: The kids now have a unique, creative and high tech way of decorating their home for the holidays.

Worst Part: Not having enough time to work on project with kids before the winter break. Not having a way to preserve battery power. After being made the LED light will last a most two weeks and may not be reusable.

Improvements: Try adding a switch to the LED lights.

Mini Christmas Tree

Big Idea: Create miniature Christmas trees that play music or light up when the sensor is triggered.

Time: Great Christmas project

Participants: Northside Boys and Girls Club

Activity: Create three triangular pieces using six wire hangers. Electrical tape is good to bind the wire. Attach a set of 35-50 count Christmas lights. Cover with any style Garland. Add a PICO cricket that perform the task of your choice.

Best Part: Having a room full of tiny Christmas trees

Worst Part: Not being able to keep the PICO cricket

Improvements: Find a way to sustain the lights without using the power outlet.

Christmas Card Light Painting

Big Idea: Create pictures using light painting techniques that can be turned into a unique Christmas card.

Time: Great activity for the Christmas season

Participants: Northside Boys and girls club

Activity: With the lights turned out in a totally dark room set your camera's shutter speed for 5-15 seconds. While you are taking the picture draw in mid-air a Christmas icons or scenes using Lithium battery powered LED lights. The LED lights can be soldered to a switch which will make it easier to get the light when and where you wanted for a better outcome.

Best Part: Being able to give someone a unique hand made Christmas card

Worst Part: More practice in painting with light will help you create a better looking picture. The switches are not always easy to make and maintain.

Improvements: finding a better way to make and maintain a switch for the LED lights.

Christmas in the Stockyards

Big Idea: To take Mindfest components and recreated them outside the museum, within the community.

Time: Saturday December 2nd

Participants: All interns

Activity: Bottle rockets, social and interactive PICO creatures, Liquid nitrogen shows, Diet Coke and Mentos experiments

Best Part: Seeing how some of the more shy interns learn to interact with the public, also Diet Coke fountains/ showers.

Worst Part: The weather a bit chilly for a hay ride

Improvements: Having more activities and hopefully draw a larger crowd.