FitBitcoin
http://blockchainedu.foundation/health.html
Using fitness data (steps taken) as the main datatype for lessons. This activity addresses the challenge of finding common ground with students who don't have bank accounts or much experience with finance, while still introducing them to the main characteristics of Blockchains
Using Fitness Trackers to Teach Blockchain Concepts
one block at a time
Relevant Data
Using fitness trackers to record their physical activity, students can produce a source of data they can relate to. By recording the number of steps taken, students can create their own chains of data (day by day, week to week). The chronological, linear nature of a Blockchain and its repeating structure can be introduced without the burden of unfamiliar complexities like the economic aspects of Bitcoin (transaction fees, mining, etc)
Personal Bests
Olympic records, world records, school records... students are probably familiar with the concept of record keeping from a sports perspective, but don't have much personal experience with the methodology and significance of these processes. Discuss why it can be useful to keep records, and whether or not it would be fair to falsify records.
Acquire Data
Use fitness trackers to record the number of steps taken during a day/week. Activity levels and timeframes are recorded by the devices and can be used as the basis of additional learning activities
Store Data
FitBit provides applications to sync the data from the trackers to their web platform as well as devices. While this is an easy way to view and record the data, students can be introduced to the concept of centralization vs decentralization. What happens if the FitBit service becomes unavailable? What can students do to preserve their data?
Transform Data
Explore data presentation techniques and various graph types. Students can try exporting data from the FitBit platform to generate their own dashboard through other graphing packages rather than relying on what FitBit offers
Validate Data
Introductions to concepts such as immutable objects and a Blockchain's structure can be tied to the way fitness trackers work and how the fitness data is recorded. Instead of recording financial transactions the way Bitcoin does, this project has students creating fitness data based Blockchains. By incentivizing activity levels (milestone rewards for steps taken), students can discuss scenarios where being able to change past data is fair/ideal, and when such adjustments would be unfair