Genius Hour With Makey Makey!

This activity has three key elements: Makey Makey, Genius Hour and the book named ""What do you do with an idea". If you're here it is because you are interested in any of this three, stay, read through it because you still don't know, but you are going to be interested in them all!

This instructable then, will show us how to implement an activity that works the use of STEAM in all its fields; in addition to the improvement of language and the contents' creation.

The Makey Makey is a controller that allows us to connect any conductive material to a computer or tablet. With this we can create interactive and accessible posters and stories, musical instruments, games and everything that can come to our minds.

The Genius Hour is a process where we look for a problem and try to solve it with the means that we've got.

And finally, the "What do you do with an idea" Book inspires our students to think BIG, to see that any idea is amazing as long as you think about it and work it out.

"What do you do with an idea" Book

Makey Makey Standard Kit

Tablet or Computer

Scratch

School supplies (colours, paint, pencils, crayons, cardboard, glue...)

The first step will be reading through the book: "What do you do with an idea".

If you haven't got it, you can use this video.

After reading the book and reflecting upon it, we will move into the Genius Hour project. We can watch the first video for the students to get inspired.

We will explain how a Makey Makey works and some examples (banana piano...) sharing with them the second video and explaining them that we need conductive materials to make it work such as play dough, pencils or aluminium foil.

After this, we will divide the students in groups of three or four and follow these steps:

1. Choose a research topic (one session)

Here is where the students look for a problem that they can find in their everyday life or something that worries them.

2. Pitch your "Genius Hour" project (30')

In one minute, the students should "sell" their project to the others, this makes them self-conscious of the objectives of their project.

3. Project development (1-10 sessions)

Here is where each group of students works in their own projects and the teacher is there to help them out, as an assistant. They are constructing their own knowledge while creating their prototype.

Here they might need help coding the Makey Makey with Scratch if they are not keen on using it. They can watch the third video, which includes a tutorial to code the Makey Makey.

4. Presentation of conclusions (one session)

Here is where, once finished, they can present their prototype to their classmates explaining where they found some problems, how they solved them and how are they going to use their invention.

5. Self and co-assessment (one session) Finally, we will end the project creating a rubric for self and co-assessment where everyone can share their feedback in a constructive and direct way.

Hope you've liked it and you're ready to start creating your project!!