Liveology Lab: Week One

On this, the first week of Liveology Lab the interns brought Spin Art to the public. Liveology Lab is an exhibit where each aspect is interactive. On weekdays we have bubbles, bottle rockets, melon harp, Keva block building, live animal presentations and liquid nitrogen experiments.
The interns host a special activity on weekends.
Spin Art was a hit with our visitors. We took pieces of Lego blocks and a Lego motor to create a spinning motion, that we could then add a table top to. Once we had the tables completed we set out paint and brushes and the creation of art commenced.
The kiddos loved it and the interns had fun as well. This is an easy activity that can be done to draw in large crowds. Our only problem was trying to shut down for the day. People kept pouring in. Finally we had to eliminate our spinner one at a time, until were down to one. I think this is an activity we will do again before Liveology is done.

Martin Robo Art

Since we are still in the beginning stages of a partnership with the Martin Boys and Girls Club many of our activities are short, simple, and as always fun. Robo Art provides an opportunity for all of the above. Taking the simplest PICO Cricket program and adding a few Lego pieces to make the spinning motion really swing it will make the robot tidder and todder. All we have to do them is create the robot body using Styrofoam board, paper cups and a bit of hot glue. The kids can be a creative with this as they can. Seeing as how our teens at Martin are still new to the tinkering and creating, having a few examples helps fuel and direct their creativity.
The best and more artistic part is using thin markers for the robot legs. Once your ready tape large sheets of paper to the floor, uncap the markers and turn the Crickets on. The robot with wobble around the paper leaving behind its colorful track pattern.

Martin Spin Art Photos

Martin Spin Art

Big Idea: Create circular art patterns using a Pico Cricket powered spin table.

Associated Concepts: This activity helps the newbies become familiar with the Pico Cricket program and with building with legos (you can build anything with legos).

Participants: 18 of martin Boys and Girls Club teens; interns -Ashley, Eddie and Rachel; Coaches- Sammie, Gabe, Rockey, and Eric.

Activities: We put together simple spinning lego motion modules and attached a wood board for a base and a foam board for a top table. We them place a piece of paper on the top table and held it on with a paper clip. When the table was on the kids squirted paint on the paper to created different colors and pattern

IT: The PICO programs can range from a simple motor on to making the spinner senor reactive. See www.pienetwork.org for spinning motion module ideas.

Best Part: We had a great turn out and the kids we truly enthusiastic. This was a fun and creative project to introduce them to PICO and Design IT.

Worst Part: We had only expected to have about fifteen participants and we a bit short on supplies. We compromised by making groups of 2-3 and they worked with a coach or intern.

Improvements: Bring more supplies. Splash guards would help keep the paint from splashing.

Our First Day @ Martin Boys and Girls Club

Big Idea: To expand the Design IT Family to include the Martin Boys and Girls Club in Eastside of Fort Worth on E. Rosedale.

Participants: Thanks to our long time Design IT friend Santiago we are able to bring Design it to the kids in the Polytechnical Heights Neighborhood... Thanks Santiago.
Coaches from ever site came to welcome our new prospects: Sammie from the ALA site, Gabe from the Panther site and lovely Rockey from the Northside site. Part of the outward and upward expansion of Design IT is to enlist the help of our high school interns to help out at different sites. Rachel, Ashley and Eddie have been given the opportunity to work with the Martin team.

Activity: The coaches talked to the kids about Design It and showed them examples of activities they would be working on through out the Spring Semester. While they were there we filled up their tummies with yummy snacks and socialized with them a bit.

Best part: A new group of teen brings a whole new group of possibilities for Design IT Studios. Many of them were very energetic and feel Design It will be fun time.

Photo Stamping: the artsy side of technology

Big Idea: Take a picture, using a digital camera of each teen then transfer and transform their portrait into a watercolors painting.

Associated Concepts: An more artistic activity in digital photography to help the Design IT kids become better familiarized in using the digital cameras. This knowledge will help them with future activities within the Spring 2007 Photography Cycle.

Participants: Coaches present were Rockey and Eric, Joey is the intern for Northside. We had about 12 participants with about 5 new faces.

Activity: Each teen had a picture of themselves taken and printed out on normal printer paper. From then we tape the picture face on a piece of mat board . With a wet sponge we dabbed the paper until the colors transferred to the mat board surface giving the illusion of a watercolors painting.

Best Part: The kids really enjoyed this project. We started out with three participating ended with twelve, good news travels fast.

Worst Part: It is always better be over prepared than under prepared. We would have had a few more kids participate if we had a few more mat boards.

Improvements: Get internet access and bring more supplies.

Pumpkin Bash

A few weeks before halloween Panther teens explored the art of pumpkin carving with a little electronic twist.

The first task was to do the dirty work and that consisted of cleaning out the pumpkins. (This was a lot of fun and it was also my first time doing it thanks D.I.)

Second task was to carve into the pumpkin. Many images ranged from evil bats, to hands growing out of the ground.

Third task was to take a pico cricket and light up your pumpkin. Then we placed our pumpkins into Panthers Hunted House and as club kids walked by the pumpkins began to wake up.

Two of our pumpkins where entered into the Boys and Girls club pumpkin carving contest and they both won us Second place. Good job Panther!!!!