Proposal Year6 - Design Interactive Garden Archway

• IF UNABLE TO ACCESS YOUTUBE VIDEO (requires Flash) TRY: Viewpure Garden sound & light-show

Students design an inter-active pathway using touch switch technology. Students set up a table in the hall, where they explain the science and demonstrate how they designed, built and programmed their exhibit.

• Students design and build an interactive, arched pathway
• Visitors walk through a tunnel - (a series 3metre x 3metre cube-shaped marquees placed in a row)
• Visitors view an animated light system they progress through the tunnel
• The lights must switch on and of in a 'chaser' sequence.
• Using the supplied materials, students must design an electronic system to control the lights

• Students will work in two groups
• Each group must build four simple circuits using the supplied components
• Students must devise a way to sequentially switch each of the four devices on and then off.
• The devices must be turned on and off in a smooth sequence (to emulate a 'light chaser')

• Students should discuss some possible strategies
• Students must write down their plan before starting to build

• Each group must prove that they have succeeded in making an effective 4 channel 'chaser'
• The two groups must then agree on a method to combine all devices to create a successful 8 channel chaser

• Students will use 'Trinket' to code an eight channel light chaser

• Example materials
  • Bunnings metal archways at $20 each
• Example effects
  • Simple animated LED archway
  • Singapore Gardens By The Park
  • LED Tunnel of Light - Archway
  • Tokyo Dome Lake Lights

Most of the activities should be do-able within the context of normal classroom activities. This should not involve extra duties/administration for teachers. Costs for Christmas lights and control systems are minimal (using Christmas lights provides cheap, off-the-shelf lights/electronics which come pre-approved for safe outdoor use).

The visual aesthetic is determined mostly by how the representational plants and animals are arranged and by the associated lighting effects - the quality of workmanship for plants and animals need only be very agricultural/crude.

The use of SOUND is extremely important in creating an emotional audience experience.

Lots of other possibilities depending on the creativity/interest of teachers/students/community. The ideas to be student-directed as much as possible, with big people focusing on the practicalities.

It would be great to find funding/sponsorship for lights/materials.