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Everything you need to teach STEAM effectivly using the Piper Computer Kit.

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ALL MAKE GUIDES


  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Walker Race
  5. Walker Dance
  6. Walker Detect
  7. Runaway Rover
  8. Rover Sensor Steering

  1. Lighthouse
  2. Frog Frenzy
  3. Game Controller
  4. Minecraft Controller
  5. Retro Racer

  1. Security Zone
  2. Ultrasonic Drum
  3. Resistor Piano
  4. Ther-Mood-Stat
  5. Color Coded
  6. Pulse

  1. Beam Break
  2. Car Race
  3. Motion Ball

  1. Solar House
  2. Soil Sensor
  3. Air Guitar

  1. Light Show
  2. Light Show Animation

Make-A-Thon

PIPER MAKE

EDUCATOR GUIDES


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Gaming expedition

Mission 5 of 5

Gaming expedition: Mission 5 of 5

Retro Racer


Intermediate

30 mins

Grades 3 - 8

MISSION OBJECTIVE

The Wheldon Brothers are at the race track preparing for the Intergalactic Championship. Can you build a controller and help them do a few laps around the track?

Piperbot and Pip have found the course of the Intergalactic Championship. The Wheldon Brothers are there and are ready to do a few practice laps before the big race. Let's help the Wheldon brothers run a few laps around the track before the big race!

View student interface at make.playpiper.com
MISSION CHARACTERS

Piperbot

Pip

Sebastian Wheldon

Oliver Wheldon
MISSION MATERIALS

Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit

MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. Students will build a controller using the breadboard to control a video game
  2. Students will understand what a function is.

Learning Activities


The following sections will contain step by step instructions for Math extensions directly related to this Mission. Adjust the directions to fit your Math standards.

Math Extension: What is Speed?

Speed is a way to measure how fast something is moving. Imagine you're riding your bike or running – speed tells us how quickly you're getting from one place to another.

In simple terms, speed is how much distance you cover in a certain amount of time. For example, if you run 5 miles in 1 hour, your speed is 5 miles per hour.

There’s a formula to calculate speed: Speed = Distance/Time

This means you take the distance you travel and divide it by the time it takes. If you know how far you've gone and how long it took, you can figure out your speed!

Speed can be measured in different units, like miles per hour (mph) or meters per second (m/s), depending on what you're measuring.

Everyday Examples:
  • A car might drive at 60 miles per hour (mph), meaning it can go 60 miles in one hour.
  • When walking, you might go about 3 miles per hour.
  • A cheetah can run up to 70 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest animals on land!
  • Speed is important because it helps us understand how quickly things move, whether it's a person, a vehicle, or an animal!

Career Connections

Software Quality Assurance Analyst: Salary $99,620/yr
Web and Digital Interface Designer: Salary $83,240/yr
Computer User Support Specialist: Salary $71,530/yr
Video Game Designer: Salary $83,240/yr

Blueprint

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Have an different version? Look for more information on the Support Page.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • What does “LOW when pulled UP” mean? 
    • This generally refers to pull-up or pull-down resistor circuits. In this case, this allows the signal to be rounded UP to the binary TRUE when the button is pushed, and the circuit is complete.

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Gaming EXPEDITION RESOURCES

Vocabulary Words

Console Personal computers built for gaming (e.g., PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch)

Modding Making "modifications" to how a game sounds, how it plays, looks, or functions, usually by users

Graphic User Interface (GUI) A way to display information on the computer screen where the user can use a mouse to click on buttons to do things.

Playtesting Playing through new builds to find bugs, ensure flow, and get new ideas to build on

Virtual reality (VR AComputer technology that makes a person feel like they are somewhere else, requires players to wear a headset and use input devices to play games

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