Second and Third Graders Host Book and Bot Parade…with an Assist from Seventh Grade CompSci Students
The annual Book and Bot Parade looked a little different this school year. Not only were the robots moving, but so were some of the buildings in the “cityscape” that lined the parade path.
Designers were second, third, and seventh graders. Second graders began this project in library class, with Head Librarian Ruth Malwitz. In order to research and understand their Lower School audience, they took a poll on popular book characters. The characters who won were then selected as various parade float inspiration. In coding class, with Lower School and Grade 5 Coding Teacher Rachel Kaplan, second graders were challenged with making sure their floats would be recognized by their audience – they planned which details to include to help their characters be known. They then programmed their robots to light up and move across the parade path.
Meanwhile in coding, third graders considered which buildings make up a city. They came up with places to eat, watch sports, take your dog for a walk, and more. They then worked in small groups to create these buildings out of cardboard. With their groups, third graders chose one building to “come to life” by wiring and coding circuits. The chosen building would have a sensor (to know when a parade float would be passing), and then somehow react (examples: lights, something spinning, or waving).
Seventh graders in computer science class, with Academic Technology Coordinator / Portal Content Director Diana Day, brainstormed things people see in cities (examples: vehicles, street lights, street signs, benches, etc.). They then designed these items in TinkerCAD and printed them with the 3D printer. Buildings were interspersed with the 3D designs to make up the final parade path!
Rachel Kaplan also noted that “there were many, many trials and errors, several iterations, and a great deal of meaningful feedback beautifully given and received throughout the entire making of each design.”