Smart Plant Care System

• Activities:

1. Welcome and Icebreaker (5-10 minutes): Quick introductions and icebreaker activity.
2. Introduction to Arduino Uno (15-20 minutes):

• Explain what Arduino Uno is and its purpose in simple terms.
• Introduce the soil moisture sensor, LED, and water pump. Explain how they work together to automate plant watering.
• Demo: Show a simple pre-built project where the soil sensor reads moisture and triggers the pump and LED.

1. Present the Challenge (10-15 minutes):

• Challenge: Design and build a “Smart Plant Care System” that detects dry soil and automatically waters the plant while lighting an LED as a notification.
• Goal: Students will create the circuit, program it using drag-and-drop coding, and design a 3D-printed led holder and name tag for the system.
• 

Find stl here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LvMZjCR3w66nuaIakGWXFRp086SqVZd1?usp=drive_link 

• Activities:

1. Introduction to 3D Design Tools (15 minutes): Show how to use Tinkercad for 3D modeling.
2. Hands-on Design Activity (1 hour):

• Students design their name tags and then the 2 led holders for their plant care system.

1. Saving & Preparing for Printing (15 minutes):

• Save designs in STL format for printing.
• Explain the basics of 3D printing settings (e.g., layer height, infill percentage).

• Activities:

1. Introduction to Basic Electronics (15 minutes):

• Explain circuits, breadboards, and how components (sensors, LED, relay, pump) are connected to the Arduino.

1. Hands-on Circuit Assembly (1 hour):

• Connect the soil moisture sensor to the Arduino.
• Connect the LED and water pump using a relay module (for safety).
• Power the Arduino and pump with separate power sources (e.g., USB for Arduino, 9V battery for the pump).

1. Testing Connections (15 minutes):

• Test the soil moisture sensor’s output using Tinkercad Circuits simulation or directly with the Arduino.

• Activities:

1. Introduction to Drag-and-Drop Coding (15 minutes):

• Demonstrate Tinkercad Circuits or Blockly for Arduino.
• Show how to create a simple program to read the soil moisture level and control the LED and pump.

1. Programming the System (45 minutes):

• Write a program where:
• The soil moisture sensor reads the soil condition.
• If soil is dry, the pump activates to water the plant.
• The LED lights up as an indicator.
• Use drag-and-drop coding blocks to create this logic.

1. Upload and Test Code (30 minutes):

• Upload the code to the Arduino Uno.
• Test and troubleshoot if necessary.

• Activities:

1. Printing the Printed Parts (45 minutes):

• While the 3D designs are printing, guide students on assembly instructions.
• Explain the importance of alignment and securing parts properly.

1. Assembling Components (45 minutes):

6. Reflection, Presentation, and Wrap-Up (45 minutes)

• Objective: Reflect on the project and share learnings.
• Activities:

1. Project Presentations (30 minutes):

• Each student presents their “Smart Plant Care System.”
• They explain how it works and discuss any challenges they face.

1. Wrap-Up Discussion (15 minutes):

• Reflect on what they learned about 3D design, electronics, and coding.
• Discuss potential future improvements or applications for their system.