My goal is to make interactive science notebooks engaging for 5th grade and middle school science students while improving science test scores. NGSS expert, teacher, tpt author, mom, & widow

Connect With Nature: Fab Lab Raspberry Pi Bird Camera & Feeder


On Sat., July 16, my 14 year old brainiac and I took a Raspberry Pi Bird Camera & Feeder class at San Diego's Fab Lab. It was our first journey to Fab Lab. My 14 year old is a tough audience. He is a math brain and extreme tinkerer who gave the class an 8 out of 10 with 10 being the most fun ever. An 8 is high praise from Mr. Teenager.

Fab Lab is a work space for makers where access to laser cutters, 3D printers, tools, and collaboration with other tinkerers is freely available. Engineers hang out here for fun and work on their own projects. One guy was working on his remote control cupcake that was mounted onto a red tricycle. I didn't feel smart enough to be there. I am not an engineer. I am a teacher/mom who is teaching a Maker Studio elective and learning with her students. I am fortunate to have Mr. Priest helping me. He is the Director of Technology for a local charter school and is my tech guru.

The class was $45 plus $25 for materials. We were to bring our raspberry pi and power cord.


It was not an easy class but our instructor, Devon, and his assistant, Ricardo, were with us until the camera and sensor were working. We had more failures than successes but that is how my experience with coding has always been. I am not an expert and I don't know others have more successes than failures, but we don't. Sticking with something hard makes success all the more sweeter. Our instructor, Devon, was patient and diligent in working through the glitches. He is an engineer and he was trying out this new project he created. The bird feeder parts were were created in a laser cutter that we got to see finishing up as we arrived.

Our bird feeder is not installed but today we hooked it to our wifi at home. The camera and motion sensor work. Our instructor, Devon, also coded the project to send the pictures to Google drive. We also sanded the sucker to get off the chunks of Gorilla Glue. We will probably paint our epic creation. I will update you soon on the final touches and installation! Keeping our fingers crossed!