December is the designated month for schools to participate in Hour of Code opportunities. Last year, we had all students in sixth through eighth grade visit the library with their STREAM classes to code with the Finch Robot from BirdBrain Technologies. This company also offers a coding tool called the Hummingbird Bit. Over the summer, Mrs. Lambert, Mr. Kwietniewski, and I took part in a training with Erie 1 BOCES instructor Antonio Scordo so we could better use these kits.
The Hummingbird Bit consists of a circuit board, Microbit computer chip, LEDs, and a variety of servos and other attachments. Students will need to use Microsoft MakeCode to program their Hummingbirds, then build a robot in which to house the Hummingbird's components. This allows for plenty of flexibility and creativity, all while learning coding, design, and engineering principles.
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| The Hummingbird Bit. |
Mr. Kwietniewski brought his seventh grade STREAM students to the library for December 2019 and part of January 2020 to participate in a challenge involving the Hummingbird Bit. There would be only four class periods devoted to this project, which made for a tight timeline!
On day one of the project, students selected their own groups of 4-5, then broke into subgroups of coding teams and design teams. The coding teams learned how to assemble the Hummingbird Bit. Due to the technical nature of this task, step by step directions were provided via a PowerPoint tutorial. The design team created a blueprint for their robots, then decided how they would construct their robots. Each robot had to contain spots to accommodate the five LEDs that the programming group was working with.
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| Programming groups first built their Hummingbird Bits. |
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| Students then had time to view some programming tutorials. |
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| Design teams sketched their plans for their robots. |
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| Some of the design sketches were very involved. |
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| Each design group also listed the supplies needed for their project. |
On days two and three of the project, groups worked extensively on programming their Hummingbird Bits and constructing the robots. Some teams even decided to devote more time to the project by visiting the library during lunch and study hall! It was interesting to see the robots come together. The programming groups also challenged themselves by creating detailed programs using Microsoft MakeCode. Many groups figured out how to have their LEDs change colors or blink on and off. Other groups even learned how to incorporate music into their codes.
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| Using programming to light the LEDs. |
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| Some students brought in their own supplies for their robots. |
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| Students visited during study hall to perfect their designs. |
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| Cardboard was the base for most of the creations. |
The fourth day of the project was devoted to presentations. Student groups worked together for the first half of the class to finalize their programs and embed their Hummingbirds into the robots. Each group provided a demonstration and brief presentation about their robot and program. Every group also consulted with Mr. Kwietniewski about how well their team worked together on the project.
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| Finished product - gingerbread man |
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| Christmas tree scene. |
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| Snowman robot |
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| A hardworking two person team! |
To see a gallery of all student groups and their completed robots,
click here.
At the conclusion of the fourth day, students filled out a feedback survey outlining their impressions about the project and if they are interested in any future STEM activities. This feedback will help us as we plan the activity for next year. Overall, students enjoyed the freedom to work with their friends on a project that was completely their own design. It seemed that many students would have liked more time devoted to this project.
It was a pleasure having Mr. Kwietniewski and his seventh grade STREAM students in the library! Hopefully this is just the beginning of many more Hummingbird projects to follow.
