Light-up Unicorn Magic- Project Explore Flynn Elementary

This week the fifth graders at Flynn began working with me.  They are terribly frustrated that they do not yet know what their "theme" will be, and that I am making them figure it out, although I think they'll be onto me in a couple of weeks. Maybe you, lovely reader, will guess it first.

Anyway, students began by drawing something that lights up.

Robots light up! Oh, yes, they sure do.

Apparently, so do hot air balloons, unicorns, and spider eyes.

(Yikes. Spider eyes. Just imagine it.)

Next, I gave everyone an LED and battery to play with, to discover how it lights up (or not), and what else they could stick into the circuit and have it still work.  Scissors, pliers, barrettes, yes. The chairs they sat on, no. Wire? If they could figure out how to connect it.

Some tape + pressure, in a circle with the battery and LED.  You know, circle. Circuit. Don't worry, I am new to this too.

Their goal with the wire was to create a one-touch pressure switch that would allow me (and them, and anyone else) to turn on the LED with a light touch.  

If I am making this sound like it was easy for them, it was not. It took most groups well over an hour. Some of the partnerships are still working on it, but a few finished.  So, what did that have to do with the drawing they made?

Yay!  Paper Circuitry.

Doesn't this make most every other drawing seems woefully, well, in need of electricity?

This stole my unicorn-loving heart.

These are on display at Flynn both inside and outside of the main office.  

Go check them out!