I attended a slew of great sessions, most of them classroom/lecture-type but the first was a hands-on exploration workshop where we could create Sribble Bots (robots that scribble). These Scribble Bots are called a variety of things online such as Scribbling Machines and VibroBots (because of the way they move and shake).
The sponsor for the session was the awesome Montshire Children's Museum in Norwich, Vermont. If you live nearby, it's worth the drive. I'd go during the warmer months when they also have their outdoor water exhibits open and the kiddos can splash and play outside. However, the museum is cool anytime and has trails and TONS of great activities and exhibits going year-round.
They have visitors create these Scribble Bots as part of one of the Maker-classes they offer and, I hear, they offer kits in their gift shop for people to buy and take home if they want the scribbling to continue!
The folks from the Montshire brought everything we needed to create a Scribble Bot (see images) and had directions posted. I just followed the directions, fiddled a bit, and built my own. It was lots of fun and would be a great STEM to STEAM project. I named my Art-Bot "Jackson" after Jackson Pollock, and you could connect his work and the work of other great artists who used various, innovative mark-making techniques. It might also be neat to have students explore different ways their bodies could make marks (their feet, their elbows, etc.) or various tools they could use to make marks (fly swatters, paint-filled balloons, homemade paintbrushes or found-object stamps). The sky's the limit!
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| This person made her Scribble Bot to look like a kitty and it created perfect circles over and over--amazing! My Art-Bot just shook all over and scribbled furiously :-) |
