Search Results
Showing results 1 to 20 of 30
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-151.jpg?itok=mvcZffDc)
A-Mazing Robot
Source Institutions
This activity lets you program your 'robot' (a willing friend) to pick up and dispose of some 'toxic waste' using as few commands as possible.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-653.png?itok=69YhohO-)
Kinetic Sculpture: Program the Pico Cricket to Make Your Art Light Up or Spin
Source Institutions
Use a Pico Cricket (micro-controller) to animate your art! You can program a Pico Cricket to make your art spin, light up, or make music.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-651.png?itok=ZrukUpPQ)
Musical Sculpting Machine: Squeeze Play-Doh to Make Music
Source Institutions
Play-Doh is conductive! Use the semiconductive qualities of Play-Doh to make your own squeezable instrument. Pico Cricket is required.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-650.png?itok=81KFdKMO)
Fruit Xylophone: Fruit Salad Instrument of the Future!
Source Institutions
This is a perfect summertime lunch activity! Pico Cricket is required (micro controller). First, get a bunch of cut up fruit, line them up, then plug a piece of fruit with a Pico Cricket sensor clip.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-652.png?itok=QPvv497U)
Interactive Pencil Drawings: Drawings That Tell a Story!
Source Institutions
Margaret Pezalla-Granlund, a Minnesota artist, came up with this really fun and surprising activity using graphite from a pencil, connected with a Pico Cricket to tell a story: "The first time I saw s
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-001-567.jpg?itok=PXxjDz1n)
Count the Dots: Binary Numbers
Source Institutions
Data in computers is stored and transmitted as a series of zeros and ones. Learners explore how to represent numbers using just these two symbols, through a binary system of cards.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-001-995.png?itok=E9nL6ARP)
Programming Languages: Harold the Robot
Source Institutions
In this activity related to computer programming, learners give directions to a "robot" (either an adult or another learner) and find out which instructions the robot is able to follow, and how their
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-001-566.jpg?itok=Pp6xvpY9)
Color by Numbers: Image Representation
Source Institutions
Computers store drawings, photographs, and other pictures using only numbers. Through this activity, learners decode numbers to create pictures using the same process that computers use.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-001-564.jpg?itok=420yePDB)
Lightest and Heaviest: Sorting Algorithms
Source Institutions
Computers are often used to put lists into some sort of order—for example, names into alphabetical order, appointments or e-mail by date, or items in numerical order.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-001-996.jpg?itok=Jq8XOQLX)
Programming Languages: Marching Orders
Source Institutions
In this activity about computer programming, learners follow instructions in a variety of ways in order to successfully draw figures.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-979.png?itok=gb7ksbyI)
Pickle-oh!: Musical Pickle Instrument
Source Institutions
What's a Pickle-Oh? Two pieces of pickle on a stick are connected to a Pico Cricket (micro controller). When you slide the pickles apart the note changes.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-167.png?itok=uEuoi3Pq)
Clap Sensor: Build a Sound Sensor Using a Pico Cricket
Source Institutions
This activity requires a Pico Cricket (tiny computer). Learners work on designing and building a sound sensor out of household materials, like plastic wrap and cardboard.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-704.jpg?itok=W_f5MKGH)
Peanut Butter and Jelly Robot
Source Institutions
This is an activity about robotics programming. Learners will discover how precise programmers have to be as they instruct a friend to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-003-610.gif?itok=MmrOyvTT)
Art Cars
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners design miniature cars. Learners can create a telephone car, soccer car, merry-go-round car, or any other theme car they can imagine.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-003-604.jpg?itok=9U5w_qhd)
Night Lights
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create night lights using a plastic cup, programmable PICO Cricket, tri-color LED, and sensor.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-003-605.jpg?itok=VI4HBUQK)
Push Pull Painter
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners create painting machines that can paint moving forwards and backwards.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-002-001.jpg?itok=Y9m4EbMl)
Treasure Hunt: Finite-State Automata
In this computer science activity about finite-state automaton (on page 45 of the PDF), learners use a map and choose various pathways to find Treasure Island.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-163.png?itok=qKDdO4n7)
Overnight Painting Machine: Pico Cricket Activity
Source Institutions
This activity requires a Pico Cricket (tiny computer).
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-003-603.jpg?itok=sOOGhJ8Q)
Wandering Wands
Source Institutions
In this activity, learners construct wands that play different notes depending on information from light sensors programmed via a PICO Cricket.
![](/sites/default/files/styles/square_100/public/resource_images/smile-000-000-000-654.png?itok=dpFMApYW)
Musical Ice: How to Make an Ice Theremin
Source Institutions
Build a musical ice theremin by programming a micro controller, like a Pico Cricket to respond to resistance generated by the ice melting, or the ice being touched.