Gathering data through sensors

  • 15 minutes

The curriculum series starts with Section 1, Gathering Data through Sensors. This section is intended to be taught over the duration of five to seven days. Each day is considered a 45-minute class period. A detailed timeline can be found in FarmBeats for Students Teacher Guide. Educators should follow the sequential order of instructional days to ensure a cohesive and meaningful learning experience. Time may need to elapse in between the instructional days to allow for data collection.

Before starting this section, ensure you have these instructional resources and materials:

Teacher documents

  • Teacher Guide - Activity 1.1, Activity 1.2, Activity 1.3
  • AI4K12 Poster: 5 Big Ideas

Student documents

  • Activity 1.1 Soil Sense
  • Activity 1.2 Surrounded by Sensors
  • Activity 1.3 Thirsty Notification

PowerPoint presentations

  • Introduction to FarmBeats for Students
  • Big Idea 1: Perception
  • Big Idea 2: Representation and Reasoning
  • Big Idea 5: Societal Impact

Supplies and materials

Materials - per group:

  • micro:bit Go V2 Kit
    • 1 - micro:bit V2 board
    • 1 - micro-USB cable
    • 1 - battery pack
    • 2 - AAA batteries
  • 2 - alligator clips
  • 2 - nails
  • 1 - soil moisture sensor
  • 2 - 250-ml plastic cups
  • 1 - 500-ml container
  • Water source
  • Paper towel
  • Soil
  • Computer with web access
  • MakeCode in web browser
  • Soil (vary the soil textures made available to students: sandy, loamy, clay)
  • Microsoft Excel (or another data software of your choice)

Sensors are devices that detect and measure specific environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, light, soil moisture, and nutrient levels. They serve as the "eyes," "ears," and "noses" of technology, collecting real-time data about their surroundings. This data helps farmers make more informed decisions, leading to better resource management. By applying sensor technology, farmers conserve water, apply fertilizers more efficiently, reduce waste, and improve crop yields.

Explanation of activities

There are three specific activities with Section 1, Gathering Data through Sensors:

  • Activity 1.1: Soil Sense
  • Activity 1.2: Surrounded by Sensors
  • Activity 1.3: Thirsty Notification

Activity 1.1 - Soil Sense

This activity orients students to understanding soil moisture, the variable amount of water in different types of soil at any given time. They learn how and why producers use sensors to manage soil moisture, optimize crop growth and production, and conserve water.

Students assemble the micro:bit and sensors. Then, they use the micro:bit to measure the soil moisture of various soil textures as they add water. This activity utilizes the Get Started Tutorial in MakeCode. The tutorial provides students with step-by-step instructions to build a soil monitoring system.

  • Steps 1-6 in the tutorial show the moisture reading displayed as LED screen rows lit up.
  • Steps 7-11 in the tutorial show the moisture reading as a scrolling number on the LED screen.

Activity 1.2 - Surrounded by Sensors

In this activity, students use the micro:bit, a soil moisture sensor, and MakeCode to generate data via the micro:bit data logger. With this data they gain insights into the environmental conditions (soil moisture, air temperature, sunlight level) surrounding their plants.

Students build the next level of the plant monitoring system by adding alligator clips and the moisture prong. Then, they use the premade MakeCode program to aid in their data collection. Download the already built program.

Activity 1.3 - Thirsty Notification

In this activity, students set up a notification system using predefined parameters to monitor the health of a plant and send a notification when it is "thirsty."

Students design and construct a model of an automated soil moisture monitoring system controlled by the micro:bit and MakeCode. They then download data from the micro:bit data logger, save it as a CSV file, upload it into Excel, create a data visualization chart, and share the collected data.

This activity utilizes a premade MakeCode program.

This activity uses a spreadsheet app of your choice. In this example, Microsoft Excel is used to download, analyze, and visualize the data gathered in Activity 1.3. This video provides an overview of how this process can be facilitated with students.