Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#241

Post by wiseleo » Tue, Jun 04, 2019, 6:54 PM UTC

Adafruit Circuit Playground.

https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-circuit-playground/ov...

This thing is quite amazing, very pretty visually, self-contained, and can interact with Bluetooth modules.

If you have the skill to program it, it will be impressive and bright LEDs will show well.

Make a LED level, for example, using the accelerometer. A sound meter using the microphone, thermometer using the temp sensor, light meter with the photo sensor etc.

As for the finishing touch, I would show that I have been using my free phone as a full desktop computer to both conduct this presentation and control the device. That should blow everyone's mind when they realize they have unrestricted computers disguised as phones in their pockets. :)

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#242

Post by twothamendment » Wed, Jun 05, 2019, 1:50 PM UTC

eggsome wrote: post #215

twothamendment wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I could create on my 486, but since it didn't have a math co-processor I could only create a Doom level, I couldn't build them. I spent hours blindly building and checking it over and hoping that when I put it on a floppy and took it to my friend's house that all the doors would work, the elevations were correct, etc. Good times.

Doom did not require a maths co-processor. It ran just fine on my 486SX-33. Perhaps you're thinking of Quake?

No, I never made Quake levels. Mine was an SX-20 and it played ok, but building a level complained about a math co-processor. I tried an emulator once, let it build all night and it still wasn't done.

Salvation came through Wal-Mart of all places and I convinced my mom that this $20(or $40, maybe I was paying half?) chip would just drop in that empty socket and double the speed of our computer. 486DX-40, that was nice...

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#243

Post by woolybully » Wed, Jun 05, 2019, 4:23 PM UTC

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #116

penagwin wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh gosh I just realized I don't have the self control to teach children. Context: I'm a software engineer. All my explanations would be the "realistic" but kinda sarcastic answers. Computer Engineer - Copy's pastes code until it works. Rocket Scientists - Spend 50% of the time designing rockets, and 50% of their time hoping the rocket doesn't explode. Locomotive Engineer - Whoops this isn't a real engineer! /s /s

So what do you call an engineer that designs/optimises/etc. locomotives?

Well, another term for a locomotive is an engine, a train engine. So a person who works on those is an engine-eer.

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#244

Post by godelmachine » Fri, Jun 07, 2019, 8:34 AM UTC

alok-g wrote: post #176

imhoguy wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly, start with basic but overlooked concepts. Give them magnifying glass and ask to watch subpixels while playing with MS Paint color fill. As 5th grader I learned electricity with some old book from my father's shelf which explained it with hydraulic analogy[1]. [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_analogy

Exactly! I have delivered a three-hour session going from the meaning of voltage to understanding how a simple microprocessor works, using that analogy! This was intended for software developers and titled, "How does a Processor Execute my Code! And Why?!" I am planning to open it up outside my employer company. Also, am looking for some easy way to make water flow animations to go with it. :-) Having explained many…

Eagerly waiting for "How does a Processor Execute my Code! And Why?!" to come out in the public domain.

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#245

Post by jacobush » Fri, Jun 07, 2019, 8:57 AM UTC

delinka wrote: post #114

cyrix100 wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are some interesting applications for drones in the nuclear industry. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/multimedia/podcasts/monitori...

but no one in the nuclear engineering industry is involved in building any part of a drone

Nowadays... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto

Re: Ask HN: I need ideas to impress fifth graders with technology

#246

Post by Davertron » Fri, Jun 07, 2019, 2:22 PM UTC

pryelluw wrote: post #9

Ive done something similar before. Went with a videogame and showed them how it editing the code changed the game. They started requesting silly changes and went from there. Super fun.

Someone at my company recently showed us blueprints in Unreal engine, and everyone there (mostly web developers) had a blast having them mess with different things. The presenter started with the FPS template I believe, and then we were throwing out ideas of things to do, i.e. create a launch pad that throws the player into the air when they walk over it, etc. You would probably score huge bonus points for relating it to things in Fortnite etc. I would have eaten that stuff up as a kid if someone showed me that stuff.