Growing plants with the help of technology – SCOPES-DF
More Options

Lesson Details

Subjects *
Computer Programming, Science
Age Ranges *
8-11, 11-14,
Fab Tools *
3D Printer, Laser Cutter, Computers, Classroom Materials, Hand Tools,
Author
Carlos Luna

Author

Carlos Luna

Summary

Working together with the Science area, students will build a model of a greenhouse and include in the model automation systems to handle some of the tasks associated with it.

 

When designing the automation systems on their models, students will learn to recognize opportunities for applying technology to an existing facility to make it easier to operate. They will also learn how technology is used in real life in similar places and when it makes sense to use it, and under which circumstances.

What You'll Need

  • Cardboard, wooden sticks, cellophane, paper, popsicle sticks and any other material that can be used as a base for building the model
  • Hot glue
  • Scissors
  • Cutters
  • Microcontroller board: micro:bit is recommended, specially if used with some expansion board with easy connectors (like SEEED Studio´s Grove connectors) because it makes it easier to build a system with sensore and actuators without worrying about electronics.
  • Sensor modules: to be used for data collection and automation tasks in the model. PIR, soil moisture, temperature, sound and relative air humidity are the recommended ones. If using an expansion board make sure these sensors can be used with it.
  • Actuators and other electronics elements, like motors and lights, can be handy. If using an expansion board make sure these components can be used with it.
  • 3D printer, laser cutter or any other DF technology can be handy, but is not indispensable.

 

Learning Objectives

  • Learning about sensors and actuators
  • Learning about automation and its advantages
  • Identifying opportunities for automation in everyday life to make people´s lifes easier and more productive.
  • Designing, building, programming and testing an automation system for a certain task.

 

Reflection

Working with colleagues is always an enriching experience, but can be a challenge when it comes to coordinating times and goals. In this case I tried to work with the Science teacher of the level in which we made this project. She liked the idea of the project very much but was focused on the learning goals she had already defined for that group, so collaboration in this task was unfortunately minimal. She worked all the plant growing part by herself, let me know the problems they found when working and then I took over the project for the design, building and programming part. This taught me some things about collaborating with colleagues and how anticipation can be key, in the sense that this project, if programmed and prepared before any of us had begun preparing their own classes, could have had a better result in the integration of areas.

 

When working with the students on the design and building stages there were a few challenges:

Time: this is a time consuming project, and some steps may take more than one class to complete. This poses the challenge of adequately storing the works in progress, but also having the students remember that they need to bring some materials from class to class to continue their work.

Component availability: since some of the solutions students proposed were not known beforehand, there were some materials we didn’t have ready when needed because of the time it takes for the school to buy parts.

 

Fortunately, since this project has many tasks that have to be completed, everybody always was able to find something to do if their original task couldn’t be completed at any given time. This also applies when focusing on diversity: there were many tasks, so finding something appealing or within reach of everybody’s abilities and talents was not that hard.

 

I wanted this lesson plan to be at least interdisciplinary, but given the way it was executed, I have to say that right now it is multidisciplinary. In the future I’ll try to get other teachers involved from the planning stage so they can help shape the project to have more integration between areas.

 

The Instructions

Introduction and preparation

In this step we will establish the basis for the activity. As part of their work with the science area, students should be working on planting and growing crops, observing the different tasks that must be accomplished in order to give the best conditions for plants to grow. They will also take note of the problems that might arise from the infrastructure (or lack of it) as well as those caused by external variables (climate, water and energy availability, plagues).

  • Students will work on the chosen gardening space planting and growing crops.
  • They will take note of the steps involved in this task.
  • They will take note of any problem or inconvenience that arises from the actual working conditions (for example, if they forgot to water the plants, if birds, insects or any other animal attacks the plants, if there is too much or too little light at certain times, etc.)

 

Learning about automation

In this step students will perform a quick research on how the problems they have detected on the previous step can be handled and how human errors can be prevented with the help of technology. We will guide them to and through the concepts of automation, sensors and actuators.

  • For each of the identified tasks of step 1, propose a way of doing it better/accurately and without human intervention
  • For each of the problems identified on step 1, propose a way of solving it. Could the solution be implemented in such a way that it works without human intervention?

 

Designing the model

In this step students will design and build a model of a greenhouse. Their designs will integrate the ideas of step 2 in order to avoid or solve the problems identified on step 1.

  • Start by designing the physical model. For this task students can use “low tech” tools like pencil, paper and ruler, or digital technology, like some CAD software. They can do it on any floor planning software or on any 3D modeling software. They have to take care of getting dimensions right: the idea is that the model represents an actual space.
  • Students will have to make an outline of the automation systems they will include in their models.
  • The designs need to have the space needed for the automation systems. Most likely these components will not be to scale, but will need to be accommodated to work in the model, once built. There will be space needed for sensors, motors, programmable boards and even batteries. Students will also need to plan ahead cabling, to make sure they can connect the different parts of their systems once mounted on the model.

 

Building the model

In this step students will build, integrate and test the different parts of the model.

  • Using different kinds of fabrication techniques (digital or other) students have to build the model according to their designs. They can make use of cardboard, paper, different kinds of paints, hot glue, and also 3D printings and laser cut parts. For this they will have to model the parts they need to have printed or cut.
  • Using any of the programming languages available to the programmable board they have chosen, students will have to integrate (connect the different pieces), program and test their automated systems. The idea is that once put into the model, these systems will perform the tasks they decided to automate on their models.
  • Once ready, students will have to prepare a small presentation showing their finished models and working systems. They’ll have to explain what the model does, how it works and how it improves plant growing.

 

You can see a video of some completed models using this link: video.

 

 

Lesson Feedback

Contact us

Having trouble? Let us know by completing the form below. We'll do our best to get your issues resolved quickly.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Email*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
↑ ?