The MathAndCoding Arduino workshop will introduce kids in 4th-7th grade to electronics and programming. Students learn the fundamentals of circuit design and programming on an Arduino micro controller. By the end of this course, students will understand concepts in electronics such as current, voltage, resistance, and Ohm’s Law, as well as how to build circuits with LEDs and push buttons. This course is mainly intended for students who have little to no experience with computer programming or electronics.
The course will consist of three sessions of two hours each. Students will perform activities and experiment on their own with electronic components and the Arduino. As each class builds on top of the previous one, please register only if you can attend all of the sessions. If possible, please also bring your own laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux) with the Arduino software installed (https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software). Depending on the hosting library, laptops may be provided.
Curriculum
Session 1: Breadboarding and Circuits
Session 2: Programming
Session 3: Hardware + Software
The course will consist of three sessions of two hours each. Students will perform activities and experiment on their own with electronic components and the Arduino. As each class builds on top of the previous one, please register only if you can attend all of the sessions. If possible, please also bring your own laptop (Mac, Windows, or Linux) with the Arduino software installed (https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software). Depending on the hosting library, laptops may be provided.
Curriculum
Session 1: Breadboarding and Circuits
- Introduction to the Arduino
- Introduction to electricity
- Breadboarding basic circuits: LEDs, resistors, pushbuttons
- Introduction to the Arduino programming environment
- Input/output pins
- Circuits built:
- LED circuit
- LED on/off via Arduino
- Pushbutton + LED on/off circuit
Session 2: Programming
- Arduino program flow
- Variables
- If/else statements
- Circuits built:
- Read push button value
Session 3: Hardware + Software
- Circuit schematics
- Current, voltage, and resistance
- Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law, Kirchhoff’s Current Law
- Circuits built:
- Read push button and toggle LED