Interactive Electronic Pets
An Athenian 2022–23 Fall After-School Computer Science Class
Short link to this page: bit.ly/db-tas-20 Go to the latest lesson.
In this class, for up to ten beginning and experienced programmers and makers in grades five and up, you’ll create your own interactive electronic pet, while developing your programming and making skills, and being exposed to the big ideas of computer science.
You can develop these skills:
- Computer Programming
- using a micro:bit and the Python programming language and the Microsoft MakeCode or MicroBlocks block languages
- Electronics
- using the micro:bit with a motor or sensor
- Laser Cutting and Engraving
- using a vector drawing program to design your pet
- operating the laser machine
- 3D Printing
- using a modeling program to design your pet
- slicing your model
- operating the 3D printers
When you’re done, you can keep what you make, including the micro:bit microcontroller.
Dave Briccetti is a highly skilled programmer and experienced computer science teacher. Watch him teach on his YouTube channel.
Bring your own laptop computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux, or use one provided by the school.
2022-10-03
What is an Interactive Pet?
Tour of the Maker Space
- Laser cutter/engravers
- 3D printers
Getting Familiar with the micro:bit
2022-10-05
We all got temporary, example pet bodies (a cardboard cat). We reviewed the BJC Interactive Pet instructions.
Getting Familiar with the micro:bit
We reviewed the radio features, and had some successes (and some failures). Perhaps students will make their interactive pets interact with other pets using the radio. We tried a few ideas, like having a shake make a sound and show an icon.
2022-10-10
Designing a Pet Body with Adobe Illustrator
2022-10-12
Computing in the News
Take a ride around San Francisco in a driverless taxi
Designing a Pet Body with Adobe Illustrator
2022-10-17
Designing a Pet Body with Adobe Illustrator
2022-10-19
More with the micro:bit
In this program, you must feed the pet before it runs out of energy.
More Pet Bodies?
3D Printing?
2022-10-24
More with the micro:bit
This program gives you a math problem (yes, only one at the moment), then collects your answer via button presses.
Laser Cutting and 3D Printing Pet Bodies
2022-10-26
More with micro:bit programming with MakeCode
