It’s all about electricity and CIRCUITS! We will be building and creating our own circuit inventions with wire, copper tape, LEDs, motors, and batteries, as well as working with a cool tool called a Makey Makey. Think of Makey Makey like an external computer keyboard, but with all the keys ripped off so you can mess with the circuits underneath. Using the Makey Makey, you can add any conductive material to the circuit and turn it into a keyboard key! The possibilities are endless! We can build pianos out of bananas, game controllers from gummy worms, or even turn your classmates into keys!
S.T.E.M. Class
Electric Inventions
Grades 4-7
5/5
Where bananas become piano keys!
Learn the shocking secrets of electronic circuits and make inventions of your own using wire, copper tape, LEDs, motors, and batteries! Also use a fun tool called a Makey Makey to build fruit pianos, gummy game controllers, and wacky keyboards!
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What’s an electrical engineer’s favorite ice cream flavor? Shock-o-late!
Description
Good fit for...
This class is for nerds who are creative, inventive, and sometimes silly! Anyone who finds circuits intriguing and wants to learn more about how electronics work will have a blast in this shockingly fun class!
Nerds make...
Nerds in this class make some shockingly awesome electrical creations! Using the Makey Makey and basic circuitry, they can make things like fruit pianos and custom game controllers! We even make some cool artsy circuits like spin art machines. Of course, students are also free to make their own evil genius inventions >:)
Nerds learn...
Nerds in this class learn about a handful of cool electronics and electrical engineering topics. We will explore electricity, series and parallel circuits, conductors and insulators, and capacitive sensing. We’ll also look at how we can apply some of these technologies into our own creations during class activities!
Class Structure
Our Big Nerds classes for grades 4-7, are engaging and exciting and vary greatly in content and structure, but in some form there is always direct instruction from the teacher, guided practice, and independent or small group work with help and support from peers and staff. We usually begin the day with a team building activity and move into our first lesson. Next is a hands-on activity or project. Halfway through the class, kids will take a brief recess and snack break. A second lesson follows break and the kids will do another project/activity or continue one they were working on. It’s always fun and engaging with hands-on projects!
What to Bring to Class
SUMMER & BREAK CLASSES ONLY: Class is 3hrs each day, so bring a snack for break time. Also, bring your own refillable water bottle. Don’t have one? Add our Nerding water bottle to your order and pick up on first day of class!
Gallery
Your nerd will build and discover like these nerds have.
The first electric circuit was made in 1800 - it used bowls of salt solution connected by metal strips!
Electronics work by controlling the flow of electrons - teeny tiny negatively-charged particles!
Never connect the two terminals of a battery together! That's called a "short circuit" and it's bad news!
COVID-19 Safety
Read about the measures we are taking to provide safe in-person summer STEM classes.
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Register
$159 - $195
Locations, dates, and times vary by time of year.
Summer
Opens March 4, 2023 @ 10am
School Year
View our After School page to see if this class is offered. Not all classes are offered after school.