The Apollo Press Student Publishing Center in the Sunset High School Library is a place where students can come together and be creative. This Makerspace provides materials and equipment to help students design and build innovative projects to demonstrate their learning in class.
We know that not all students have access to a color printer, art supplies, and technology tools, so that is why the Sunset High School library is committed to exposing students to newer and innovative software and hardware. For us, it's an equity issue. That is why we have lots of creative supplies, a green screen, iPads, a 3D printer, and devices like a Makey Makey and Spheros that students can use and explore.
We want to take this a step further and share with the SHS faculty how they could incorporate engineering design and coding into everyday classroom projects - such as building book character mini robots for English / Language Arts classes. The Hummingbird Bit Classroom bundle provides enough hardware for a class to collaboratively work together to design and program robots.
After reading a book of their choice, students will program the Hummingbird Bit using Scratch software and a Microbit controller. Book summaries will be recorded and saved. Students will design robots with everyday materials and add sound files, servos, moving parts, and LED lights to make their book characters come to life. The fun and creative project involves many different skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, engineering design, and collaboration.
Robots will be build in selected 9th grade ELA classes - around 120 students. After the robots are completed, other classes can use the equipment for science experiments, dioramas in Social Studies, health games, and more. Sunset High School has over 2000 students.
The funds will be used to purchase a Hummingbird Bit Classroom Bundle (Medium) for $1575.00 that will provide enough equipment (Hummingbird Bits, Microbits, and all of the necessary accessories) for eight groups of students to work together to build robots.
Thank you for considering our project.
This project is supported by the Beaverton Education Foundation.
Founded in 1988, the Beaverton Education Foundation raises money to provide hands-on innovative academic enrichment and advancement programs & projects that go beyond normal school funding at all Beaverton public schools and is a 501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit organization. BEF mobilizes community resources to fund innovative classroom, summer and after-school programs.
In the event that this project does not reach its goal, BEF may apply the funds received to another project in need.
