Our 5th graders combined medicine, engineering, and coding to create their own interactive version of the classic Operation-style game using Makey Makey technology!
Inspired by our recent visit to Cody Regional Health’s robotic surgery division and a special classroom visit from a veterinarian at Lifetime Animal Hospital, students explored how precision and technology play a role in modern medical procedures. Then they put that inspiration into action.
Using Makey-Make, students designed and built interactive games inside cardboard “patients.” Aluminum foil created conductive pathways, while tweezers acted as the surgical tool. When the tweezers touched the foil edges, the circuit closed, triggering a sound they coded in Scratch — just like the classic Hasbro game where touching the sides makes the buzzer go off!
Through this hands-on challenge, students practiced:
🔌 Circuitry & conductivity
💻 Coding with Scratch
🧠 Problem-solving & engineering design
🤝 Collaboration and creativity
By combining art, coding, and electrical circuits, students turned simple materials into fully interactive games that buzz, beep, and challenge players to have a steady hand — just like real surgeons!
Learning experiences like this show how technology and creativity can transform the classroom into an innovation lab. 🚀
