Students will employ their creativity to make wearable electronic textiles that light-up and serve a specific purpose. Students first learn how batteries generate electricity, then learn about conductors and insulators to guide them toward an understanding of open and closed circuits. They will build simple circuits in their design guides using conductive copper tape and LEDs. Finally, they will create a wearable light-up textile using copper tape and felt.
This workshop encompasses a number of new minds-on and hands-on skills for students to add to their expanding toolkits. Minds-on skills include learning about the history of electronics and practicing/exploring the design process. Hands-on skills include creating a closed circuit, recognizing conductive and insulating material, and a general understanding of electronics. Students will be encouraged at the end of this unit to conceptualize an invention that meets a real-world need in the Design Challenge.