Teen Space Program

with Miss. Amanda

In this month's Techno Star Hour, we created circuits using littleBits.

"littleBits is a system of electronic building blocks that snap together to turn ideas into inventions." (Source)

After playing around and getting to know the pieces, teens were tasked with creating spinning device.

While snapping the pieces into the board was a bit of a challenge, success did come in creating the circuit and the spinning device.

It's amazing what you can create with littleBits.

[📷Credit: Alan]

Teen Space Program

with Miss. Amanda

The bad weather didn't stop some teens from stopping by the library for this month's Techno Star Hour program. This month we did Makey Makey coding.

With Makey Makey you can use everyday objects such a fruit, play dough, aluminum foil and even pencil graphite. We attempted to use modeling clay but the one purchased didn't work as a conductor. Instead we switched to aluminum foil which worked great.

Teens connected the aluminum foil to the Makey Makey controller using the provided alligator clips. This controller was hooked up to our laptops with the program opened.

For today's session we used the bongos and piano found here.

We also played Tetris found at that link as well.

While nobody was able to compose a masterpiece, everybody had lots of fun.

[📸&🎥credit: Alan]

Teen Space Program

with Miss. Amanda

Do you love playing video games? Ever wanted to make your own?

With Bloxels you can!

At last month's Techno Star Hour teens who attended used the BloxelsBuilder app, and a board with colored blocks to create their own video game. 

Teens had to use the blocks to design their setting and obstacles based on what each color cube meant. For example pink is coded as a power-up and purple as an enemy. The next step is to design your board so instead of seeing a boring blue square you can see water or instead of a boring purple square you can see the enemy.

The game also allows for creating your own game character. In this case the colors of the cube just represent the colors that will appear and have no other meaning. The same goes for creating enemies, hazards, power-ups, and more. 

For everything you create for your game on the board, you have to take a picture of it through the app to upload it for your game.

Once teens were done creating their game, they got to actually play it on the provided iPads.

Sound like fun? Look out for our monthly Techno Star Hour programs, especially June where we will be once again using Bloxels.

[📸credit: Miss. Amanda]

Teen Space Program

Techno Star Hour

For December's Techno Star Hour teens attempted to program Spheros by using block coding.

For some the act of coding was a little challenging so they decide to just move the Sphero around like a remote control car. That though wasn't easy either but they still had lots of fun making the Sphero roll around the room.

There were somes challenges like having the Sphero land on a piece of paper, navigate a turn, go under some book easels, and land under the chairs.

[📸Credit: Miss. Amanda]

Teen Space Program

Techno Star Hour

This month for techno star hour we decided to get low tech and not concentrate on the T in S.T.E.A.M. but the E instead. Each teen was given plastic straws and tape in order to build a bridge that was strong enough to hold one or more books.

First teens, decided what type of bridge they wanted to build. They all thought a Beam Bridge would be the best (and easiest) to make but all had their own may of putting it together.

The first test came by seeing if their bridge could hold a lightweight eraser. 

If there bridge didn't collapse under that weight, it was time to test the books. 

A couple teens even tried both the erasers and book.

The strongest bridge was able to hold all 6 books. Unfortunately, it collapse, when she decided to see what else it could hold. 

[📸Credit: Miss. Amanda & Alan]

Teen Space Programs

Register Now For:

Teen Space Program

Behind the scenes photos from Techno Star Hour the other day. Check out the stop motion short films created in our earlier post here.

[📸Credit: Miss. Amanda]

Teen Space Programs

Teens who came to Techno Star Hour today tried their hand at creating stop motion animation films. 

Watch their creative creations below.

"Lego friends feat. Groot and Bob"

"Bob leaves"

"Clumsy Olaf"

"Untitled"

Teen Space Program

There are still some spots left in this month's Techno Star Hour.

Stop by the Teen Space to register or Click here to register online.