Objective: 

Students will design a system that uses sensors to collect data on soil salinity, moisture, and temperature, analyzing tradeoffs between Bluetooth or USB connections for exchanging data.

Materials Needed: 

• Paper

• Pencils

• Scenario descriptions

• Sensor diagrams.

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore and discuss how sensors help monitor soil conditions in farming and environmental conservation. 

  • They consider the tradeoffs between wireless (Bluetooth) and wired (USB) connections in terms of power, mobility, and cost.

• Group Activity: 

  • Students are divided into groups to design a sensor-based soil monitoring system, choosing between a Bluetooth or USB connection for data transfer. 

  • They sketch diagrams of their designs, focusing on functionality, efficiency, and cost.

• Evaluation and Reflection: 

  • Groups present their designs, explaining the tradeoffs they considered. 

  • The class discusses how different decisions impact the overall system’s effectiveness and applicability in real-world settings.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-drawn diagrams of sensors and connection types to students who need additional support with visualizing technical components. Encourage mixed-ability groupings to promote peer learning.

Real-World Application: 

Connect the lesson to current agricultural practices, such as precision farming, where sensors are used to optimize water and fertilizer usage based on real-time soil conditions.

CS Practice(s): 

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students analyze the problem of monitoring soil conditions and define design solutions that address the technical tradeoffs between Bluetooth and USB connections.

Standard(s): 

• CA NGSS MS-ETS1-1

• CA NGSS MS-ETS1-2

• CA CS 6-8.CS.2

Objective: 

Students will use Arduino to design and simulate a sensor-based system that collects soil data, like salinity, moisture, and temperature, and evaluate tradeoffs between Bluetooth and USB connections for data transmission.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers with Arduino

• Online Arduino simulators (e.g., Tinkercad)

• Virtual sensors.

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students learn that Arduino can be programmed to collect data from sensors. 

  • Students discuss the pros and cons of using Bluetooth versus USB for transmitting data, focusing on power and mobility.

• Group Activity: 

  • Students work in pairs using Arduino simulations to build a system that collects soil data. 

  • They program the system to use either Bluetooth or USB, experimenting with both options and evaluating the system’s performance.

• Testing and Refining: 

  • Students test their designs in a virtual environment, refining their code to improve power usage and data transmission efficiency. 

  • They document the tradeoffs in their design choices and adjust accordingly.

Equity and Access: 

For students who need extra support, provide guided video tutorials or written step-by-step instructions for setting up the Arduino simulation. Encourage collaborative coding, pairing students with different skill levels.

Real-World Application: 

Discuss how engineers use similar sensor technology in environmental monitoring to measure soil conditions, informing decisions in agriculture and conservation.

CS Practice(s): 

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students iteratively test and refine their virtual Arduino systems, adjusting their code to optimize data collection and transmission.

Standard(s): 

• CA NGSS MS-ETS1-1

• CA MS-ETS1-2

• CA CS 6-8.CS.2