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Lessons / Helping plants grow

Helping plants grow

Design challenge

2 activities

MakeCode

11-14 yrs, 14-16 yrs

Two design challenge activities that could last for one or more extended sessions in a formal lesson, code club or maker space context.

In the Tree protector project, students use the radio on the BBC micro:bit to create a prototype sensor to send alerts when trees are being illegally cut down.

In the more advanced Auto-farmer project, students make moisture sensors and create a prototype of an automated farming system. 

Computer systems:

Input/output

Design & technology:

Electronics

Global Goals:

15 Life on land

Networks:

Communication

IoT

Arm School Program

These projects are contributed by the Arm School Program

Download design challenge

Activity 1 details

Overall key learning

  • Learn how technology can help protect plant life for the benefit of the environment and growing food.
  • Discover how wireless networks are used for practical purposes.
  • Design, test and build physical working prototypes using programming and, optionally, with some simple electronics.

Additional skills

Design thinking, prototyping, iterative process.

Activity 1: Tree protector

Use the micro:bit’s radio functionality to make prototype sensors to protect forests by sending alerts when trees are being illegally cut down. Learn about how in the real world, sensors are connected through gateways to the internet.

Key learning:

  • Understand what the Global Goals are
  • Understand what goal 15 is and its significance
  • Understand the basics of IoT
  • Produce an IoT ‘tree protector’ product to meet the success criteria
  • Develop the product further with additional features
Activity 1 details

Activity 2: Auto-farmer

Use relays and home-made moisture sensors to make a prototype of an automated farming system that senses when crops are dry, saving water and increasing food production.

Key learning:

  • Understand what the Global Goals are
  • Understand what goal 15 is and its significance
  • Understand the basics of transmitting data
  • Produce a data node product to meet the success criteria
  • Develop the product further with additional features
Activity 2 details

This content is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) licence.

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