This is a discussion for The Cue Fade With Multiple LEDs experiment. Feel free to connect with the Learning Team here, or to discuss experiment tips, ask questions, leave comments or suggest experiment variations here.
Q: Which color on the visible light spectrum has a wavelength of 395 nm?
A: Violet
I’m having some trouble with this set up. I don’t have a blue light, like in the diagram, so I used a yellow one. The yellow one is the only one that lights up. What am I doing wrong?
Since I have let students use, test, experiment with this kit (easier to just blame it on them…ha), I have found some of the LEDs blown or jumpers busted. I use a watch battery to test my LEDs before I use them on the board, just in case!
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Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)?
This lesson would fit into our math curriculum pretty easily where applying variables and constants to create an algebraic relationship. While we do not specifically study light, this could be adapted to concentrate more on the photoresistor and the role it plays in the system. This could include its history and exploration of how humans currently utilize them. As always, a great tool for maintaining focus through adversity especially when placing wrong jumpers or leads.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
Students would need extra support in the area of placing the jumper wires. Students would most likely need prompting in exploration and what values could be changed to make the visual change occur.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
I would act as a facilitator in this lesson, providing key moments for inquiry and expansion of mindset. A successful teacher would monitor student groups to ensure students are maintaining predictions and continuing a path forward. Teachers should be asking prompting questions so students remain curious, while maintaining an inquiry mindset.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
Students would play an exploratory role during this lesson. Student success would be understanding how to apply the pulse speeds, constants, and how to conduct an experiment while keeping it organized and recorded. Also, a more concrete version way for the students to measure success would be informal assessment of how altering the code makes the lights flash slower or faster, why that code makes the change, and being able to explain a photoresistor.
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Any tips on how I could expand this to use a sensor?
I am also letting student volunteers complete these. They are waiting in line to be able to participate!
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Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)? This does not fit into my grade 8 curriculum, but I can use it in my STEM Club and it will fit next year in my grade 7 STEM Class.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful? So far, and to my amazement, students that have volunteered to work through these lessons have needed very little support. The directions and images are all they have needed to work through the lessons.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson? Answers and asks guiding questions and supports students who need more time to process and those ready to move forward on their own.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like? Always the facilitator and support when needed.
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Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)?
I tried to think of a way for this to fit into Utah 8th grade science but it just doesn’t seem to be a great fit. It doesn’t mean it is not a good lesson though. It seems more appropriate for a math class or a STEM club activity. If there was a way to incorporate a sensor or collect data but that seems outside of the scope of the lessons and there are plenty of other lessons we could use. I did enjoy this and found it challenging and rewarding to think through and find which values would have the desired effect of cycling through the fading lights.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
There are some math concepts in this lesson that some students would need extra support in understanding, but I think that through this experience of exploration and discovery the students would come away with a deeper understanding then they would get through traditional methods of instruction.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
I don’t think I would use this lesson in my regular science class but I could see it being used in an after school math or STEM enrichment program with some sort of challenge or competition element to create a cool light sequence or show.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
This is different sort of activity as the last activity we looked at in that there is no sensor to use to collect and analyze data (these activities provide active roles for more students so large groups of 3-6 would be manageable). This would be more student discussion and experimentation and may be more challenging to manage and keep kids engaged if they are in large groups.
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Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)?
My class will enjoy recoding this lesson to create other light patterns.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
Debugging code is always the most challenging part of a lesson, and I have a binder that I put out for students to use - it’s called the “In a Bind-er”. They can only use it for help when they and others have not been able to find a viable solution. It is a point of pride for students to leave the Bind-er alone. I know that will help here, as well.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
I can see using this lesson with all sorts of LED lights - I even have some Christmas lights that I have been told are “hackable” - we will see. In addition, I would like the students to come up with wearables that they design. My role is usually as facilitator or lead learner.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
My students are used to working in small groups or partners, and they are used to being the lead investigators. All students have the ability to change roles halfway through, so everyone is working.
Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)?
Any time we take out the lights… they’re hooked! I’m telling you, it’s like MAGIC! They’re just instantly excited! We saw these and thought of a stop light. We didn’t do it this time, but I’d LOVE to figure out how to code a traffic light timing situation! Maybe even a sensor to cue the green to turn on? Maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself!
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
I wish we would have done this before the RGB mixing! We were BLINDED by the big LED so the fade would’ve been nice to know!
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
Of course, I have big ideas, but not always the best “practical” ways to implement, but I’d like to have students use this new knowledge of the fade/pattern to either design/or analyze a lightshow (think Christmas time choreographed lights) to get them thinking about how impressive those shows are (they tend to be underwhelmed because everything looks so “easy” to them!). With every lesson we’ve done with Arduino, they always say, “I had no idea this much work went into something so simple!” I love the new appreciation they gain from having to create! <3
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
The students are in the driver’s seat (haha - traffic light pun) on this one! Next implementation, after they master the fade/pattern, I want to see them in a Civil Engineer role where they have to design a traffic light pattern that would keep order in their “town”. How fun would that be?
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Don’t you love how there is NEVER a shortage of enthusiasm? Makes my teacher heart so happy!
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I switched my LEDs out and got it working!
Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum?
I really like the job of the photoresistor. I teach a Future City team which competes each year in building a futuristic city that, this year, focused on an energy resiliency theme. The project requires the team to create a SimCity model as well as a 2’x4’ physical model. It would be great to incorporate the arduino to create automatic streetlights, traffic lights, or solar road studs that could help to keep residents safe. Last year we were tasked with creating an Age-Friendly City. The line-following robots could come in very handy to perform tasks for the residents. We could also program nightlights to come on so that residents wouldn’t get injured walking in the dark. I will definitely find a way to incorporate this into next year’s competition.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
I think that the hardest part of this assignment was physically setting up the circuit. There are a lot of wires and a lot of tiny holes to count to get those wires placed correctly. It takes a good set of eyes and a steady, gentle hand.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
I would walk them through the set up of the circuit, then have them test out the variables to see if they can alter the brightness of the lights. I really like that we are able to go in to the code and change things around while having the safety net of easily rebooting back to the original program. It gives us the freedom to try things that I would be hesitant to alter otherwise.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
Students would feel successful if they could get their lights to shine at a variety of brightness levels. I would also expect them to be able to talk about some real-life applications of photoresistors. It would be interesting to create a list of all of the interactions that we have had with them without ever thinking about it.
I love the “In a Bind-er” binder! Very funny! I I’m impressed that your students try to avoid the binder and work hard to try to problem solve any issues themselves.
Having students take on the role of civil engineer applies perfectly to my Future City team. If your kids can figure out a successful traffic light pattern, please send them up to Boston!! After spending billions of dollars on our Big Dig project, the traffic is just as dreadful.
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Is there a way to extend the wiring pattern so that we can incorporate more lights?
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This lesson does not fit in my Science curriculum- it is a good lesson, it just doesn’t fit any obvious standards. I could see having this as an option for students who finish another lab early and need something to do! (I have several of these options.) However, it was not an easy lab for me to follow so it might require more intervention and help from me. Setting up the circuit was difficult for me - I would have liked to try this out with students, but we were out 4 days last week due to the cold, so I was on my own!!
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I love the idea of coding a traffic light. I wouldn’t be surprised if I didn’t have some kiddos that could figure out how to do that! My students tinker around and figure out how to do anything!
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Where does this lesson fit in with your curriculum (if the lesson is not a fit for the class you teach, how could the lesson be modified so that it is applicable to your curriculum)?
This lesson fits perfectly with my curriculum. We study light energy and electrical energy and this would be a perfect activity for the students.
Which part or parts of the lesson would your students need extra support in order to be successful?
Some students might need help with the wiring, but with directions I think most students would be successful with this activity.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your role during the class. What does a successful teacher actively do during this lesson?
I would want to make sure all students were actively engaged and had all supplies and were understanding what was happening during the activity. Perhaps some student feedback would be good during this actvity.
If you were to teach this lesson to your class, describe your student’s role during the class. What does “student success” look like?
I like to give my students a lot of control during activities and allow them to figure things out on their own. I think this would need to be a group activity in my classroom simply because I have so many students with special needs that require a peer helper.
You’re ahead of me… I also used the yellow, but I cannot get anything to light up!