• 4th Grade - Electrical Engineering
     
     

    In 4th grade we'll be working on Electrical Engineering projects with woodworking and other skill builders built in.

     

    Digital and Tinker Kits, Spark Fun SIK Kits and Robotic Arm

    We'll start with analog circuits with the Tinker Kits then move to build 16 digital circuits using Spark Fun's Aurduino Red Board. We'll program with the Arduino IED and each circuit will grow in completxity.  Along the way we'll learn about how electricity works and electrical components like LED's, resistors, diodes, capacitors and breadboards.
     

     

    Tinker Kits - Analog Circuits
    Tinker Kit Manual
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Tinker Kit Journal Questions 
    Copy and paste the questions below into a new SeeSaw Note.  Then answer questions in complete sentences in SeeSaw.  Bonus points will be given for illustrations and diagrams that you add later in a new SeeSaw entry as a Drawing.
     
    Electricity
    1. How does electricity flow?
    2. With conductive material, electricity flows through easily.  List some conductive material.
    3. Insulators don't allow electricty to flow easily.  List some insulators.  
    4. How are cables (wires) both conductive and insulators?  
    5. What's the measurement for how hard or easy it is for electricity to flow through a material?
    6. The amount of electricity flowing (like the amount of water) is called a ________, which is measured in A (_________). What is more important for our experiments is electric potential, which is measured in V (__________).
    7. What's the potential energy of two 1.5V AA batteries?  
    8. What is a curcuit?  What happens when a circuit is open and closed? In a new SeeSaw entry, draw a diagram of a circuit and label the components.  Look at pages 7 and 8 in your Tinker Kit Manual for component descriptions.
    9. What is a "short" circuit?  How can you avoid one? Draw a short circuit and label the danger!

     

    Components

    • Battery Holder Box
    • Alligator Test Leads (4)
    • AA batteries (2)
    • Electric Motor
    • Releasable Zip Ties (4)
    • LED's (2)
    • Wood Craft Sticks (6)
    • Large Paper Clips (5)
    • Cork Slice
    • Hot Glue Stick
    • Small Piece of Cardboard

    Units

    1. Making a switch with cardboard and paper clips
    2. Mounting an LED
    3. Using a Multimeter to check battery strength
    4. Mounting the motor both horizontially and vertically
    5. Spin Art
    6. Art Bots
    7. Flashlight and Painting with Light (Glowdoodle at MIT) & https://www.exploratorium.edu/tinkering/projects/light-painting
    8. Steadiness Circuit (Mr. Foss)

     

     

    Beginners Guide to Microcontrollers

    In SeeSaw, using the following website, make a list of the microcontrollers mentioned and briefly describe each one.  Which controller or two do you think you would most likely pick for a project and why?

    https://www.instructables.com/id/A-Beginners-Guide-to-Microcontrollers/

     

     
    Spark Fun - Digital Circuits
    Spark Fun Journal Questions
     
    4th Grade Curcuit Projects