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Energy expedition

Mission 2 of 3

Energy expedition: Mission 2 of 3

Soil Sensor


Beginner

1 hour

Grades 3 - 8
MISSION OBJECTIVE

Learn how to collect and display data using loops, actions, and variables.

Piperbot and Pip are excited to find sustainable farming operations on Mars! Let's build a Soil Sensor to measure how much water reaches the plants.

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MISSION CHARACTERS

Piperbot

Pip
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MISSION MATERIALS
MISSION RESOURCES Learning Goals Learning Activities Career Connections Hardware Diagram Tutorial Steps Blueprint Troubleshooting Tips
EXPANDED RESOURCES Term Glossary Standards Alignment
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MISSION MATERIALS

Computer with USB port and Chrome or Edge browser
Piper Make Base Station or Starter Kit
Soil Sensor
MISSION RESOURCES

Learning Goals

  1. Students will practice breadboarding and wiring.
  2. Students will review and understand the computational concepts of:
    • Loops: Running the same sequence multiple times.
    • Sequence: Identifying a series of steps for a specific task.
  3. Students will demonstrate core computational thinking concepts, including algorithm design, by creating an ordered series of instructions for solving similar problems or doing a task, such as turning a light off and on in the correct order.
  4. Students will create programs that include events, loops, and conditionals.
  5. Students will practice organizing problems into smaller, manageable tasks.
  6. Students will test and debug a program or algorithm to ensure it accomplishes the intended task.
  7. Students will perform different roles when collaborating with peers during the program development's design, implementation, and review stages.

Learning Activities

The following sections will contain step by step instructions for ELA, ELD and Math extensions directly related to this mission. Adjust the directions to fit your ELA, ELD and Math standards.

ELA Extension: Write a Story

Ask students to write a narrative story from the point of view of the plant.

  • Have students explain how water helps a plant grow.
  • Ask them to explain how the sensor saved the plant's life.
  • Tell students to get creative and have fun with their characters!

Math Extension:

Ask students to use the reading in the Console to determine the average.

  • For older students, have them calculate the average.
  • Ask younger students to choose the number that looks closest to the average.

Career Connections

Natural Sciences Manager: Salary $144,440/yr
Agricultural Engineer: Salary $83,260/yr
Environmental Engineer: Salary $96,530/yr
Soil and Plant Scientist: Salary $65,730/yr

Hardware Diagram






Tutorial Steps

Soil Sensor

Blueprint

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Troubleshooting Tips


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EXPANDED RESOURCES

Term Glossary


Fossil Fuels Sources of energy made from prehistoric plants and animals (coal, oil, natural gas). (CE)

Renewable Energy Energy sources from natural resources that can be more easily replenished (solar, water, nuclear). (CE)

Capacitance An object's ability to hold an electric charge.

Pollution Anything that dirties the Earth, such as litter, smoke from cars and factories, or water contamination. (CE)

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Standards Alignment


Individual Standards
  • CA 3-5.CS.2 Demonstrate how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.
  • CA 4-ESS3 Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment (5.ESS3.C; MS.PS3.D; MS.ESS2.A; MS.ESS3.A; MS.ESS3.C; MS.ESS3.D
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