Simple Machines

• Simple Machines Lesson from TeachEngineering.org
• The advantage of the incline plan from TeachEngineering.org
• Rube-Goldberg Activity from TeachEngineering.org
• Powerful Pulleys lesson from TeachEngineering.org
• Collection of activities and lessons about simple machines from TeachEngineering.org

• Pulley-ing Your Own Weight

Sprouts Game

A neat pencil and paper math game, popularized by Martin Gardiner:

• Sprouts

Fold and Cut Challenge

Did you know that it has been mathematically proven that any shape with straight sides can be cut with one cut, if the paper is pre-folded in the appropriate way?

• The Fold and Cut Challenge

Egg Drop Challenge

Some inspirational videos:

• Mark Rober on the Egg Drop Challenge
• Two Basic Ideas - Science Adventures Egg Drop Project
• Incredible Science Top 10 Egg Drop Challenges
• Spangler Science TV

Watering Plants with Microwaved Water - Step Two

Now, what do you think of this?

• McGill University post - watering plants with microwaved water

Watering Plants With Microwaved Water - step one

What do you think of this?

• Watering plants with microwaved water

To be continued... Look for another post.

Geometry Dash Instructions

These are some on-line instructions, but I found them hard to follow.

• YouTube video instructions - Step 1
• Step 2

I would recommend the YouTube videos by GriffPatch about how to make scrolling games in Scratch:

• Griffpatch's scrolling game videos

Here are basic instructions I created. The final project can be found here:
- Basic Geometry Dash

Make these sprites:



 Create these variables for all sprites:
 

Add this code for the Player Sprite:
 

Add this code to the Platform 1:

 

Add this to Platform 2:

Add this to Platform 3:

Scratch Programs That Use Arrow Keys

Here are two Scratch programs that use the arrow keys:

• Chaser Game
• Obstacle Course

Geodes

Here are some interesting links about geodes:

• Geodes - Wikipedia 
• Geology.com - all about geodes
• How Geodes are formed - Youtube video
• Cracking Open a Geode - Youtube video 

Drinking Water Protection

Keeping our drinking water clean is important! Here's a short video that talks about what is being done in Ontario:

• Drinking Water Protection

Fun With Pascal's Triangle

On the next Caribou Contest, there will be a question about Blaise Pascal, the French mathematician for whom Pascal's Triangle is named. Pascal was not the first to discover the triangle, as it was known in ancient China. Regardless, it is full of lots of interesting patterns!

• Interesting Facts about Pascal's Triangle

Pi Day 2019

Pi Day is coming up on March 14 (3/14)! Here are some fun videos about Pi:

Raytheon Pi Day Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TPjRoWm8Ck&app=desktop

Calculating Pi Using Pies (3 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=ZNiRzZ66YN0

Mile of Pi (6 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0r3cEKZiLmg&index=1&list=PL4870492ACBDC2E7C

How Pi was Nearly Changed to 3.2 (5 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFNjA9LOPsg&list=PL4870492ACBDC2E7C&index=3

Pi and Buffon’s Matches (6 min)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJVivjuMfWA&list=PL4870492ACBDC2E7C&index=6

Fluor Engineering Challenge 2019 - Volleyball

Here is an overview video of this year's Fluor Engineering Challenge:

• Volleyball Challenge Overview - video

The specific instructions can be found here:

• Detailed instructions

Scratch Chaser Game

Choose a new sprite, here it is a balloon. Add these blocks to that new sprite. The other sprite in this program is Cat 2.

Add these blocks to the sprite that can move with arrow keys.

Add a background to the game.

Use this button:

Sodoku Practice for Caribou

Here are some websites that provide multiple Sodoku games:

• My Puzzle Sodoku
• Sodoku VIP

Fractal Tree Scratch Project

Fractal Tree Scratch Project

• Choose the Ball
• 
• Make these variables:
• 
• Add the Pen Extension.  Find:
• then
• Add this code on the ball sprite:
• Run the program:
• 
  

Scratch Project Ideas and Instructions

Here are a few choices of Scratch projects to make:

• Platform Game by CS First
• Launcher Game by CS First

Bonus Computer Program Challenges

Need an extra challenge when programming in class? Try these!

1) Write a program called "LeapYear" in which the user is asked to enter a value - a year to be tested to see if it is a leap year. Have the program say either, yes, the entered year is a leap year, or no it is not.

Hint: How to Calculate a Leap Year

1. Start off using the year you want to calculate.
2. See if it is evenly divisible by 4 (a whole number with no remainder). If it is not, like 1997, it is not a leap year. ...
3. See if the year is divisible by 100. If a year is divisible by 4, but not 100, like 2012, it is a leap year. ...
4. See if the year is divisible by 400. If a year is divisible by 100, but not 400, like 1900, then it is not a leap year. If a year is divisible by both, then it is a leap year. So 2000 was indeed a leap year. 

Hint 2: Try using the "modulo" or "mod" operator. The modulo operation finds the remainder after division of one number by another. e.g. 10 mod 2 = 0, 10 mod 3 = 1, 5 mod 2 = 1, 1999 mod 4 = 3. 2012 mod 4 = 0.

2) Write a program that asks the user for a number and then outputs all prime numbers less than that number. (Look up "Sieve of Eratosthenes" for help with an algorithm.)

3) Create a program that simulates the rolling of two six-sided dice and calculates the sum of the two face values. Have the user enter how many times the dice will be rolled. Keep track in a List of the total number of times that each possible sum was observed. Specifically, create a List called "Sums" and in position 1, count all the times there is a sum of 1 (this should be zero); in position 2, count all of the times the sum is 2; in position 3, count all of the times the sum is 3, etc. Calculate the probability of getting the sum 12. How does this match with your simulation? What if you repeat the simulation more times? What about the sum of 7?

Scratch 3.0 is here!

Scratch 3.0, the latest version of the popular block-based programming language, it now available for all users!

• Scratch

Scratch 3.0 will work on both desktops and tablets alike, and has some exciting new blocks: you can make your characters speak out loud, and there is built in support for Makey Makeys!

Scratch was first developed over a decade ago at MIT, as has continued to be a leading resource for students looking to learn to write their own computer programs.