Computer-controlled servos enable industrial robots to manufacture everything from vehicles to smartphones. For this maker challenge, students control a simple servo arm by sending commands with their computers to Arduinos using the serial communication protocol. This exercise walks students through the (sometimes) unintuitive nuances of this protocol, so by the end they can directly control the servo position with the computer. Once students master the serial protocol, they are ready to build some suggested interactive projects using the computer or “cut the cord” and get started with wireless Bluetooth or XBee communication.

This task is for students who know how to use base 10 blocks.

This task is a straightforward task related to adding fractions with the same denominator. The main purpose is to emphasize that there are many ways to decompose a fraction as a sum of fractions, similar to decompositions of whole numbers that students should have seen in earlier grades.

Students learn the components of the rock cycle and how rocks can change over time under the influence of weathering, erosion, pressure and heat. They learn about geotechnical engineering and the role these engineers play in the development of an area of land, the design and placement of new structures, and detection of natural disasters.

This tasks lends itself very well to multiple solution methods. Students may learn a lot by comparing different methods. Students who are already comfortable with fraction multiplication can go straight to the numeric solutions given below. Students who are still unsure of the meanings of these operations can draw pictures or diagrams.

Students redesign and justify the packaging used in consumer products. Design criteria include reducing the amount of packaging material by 25%.

Students learn about engineering applications in artistic venues by designing and creating eye masks that each contain three LEDs. They explore parallel circuits with their LEDs, and sew with conductive thread to create light-up displays on their masks, gaining hands-on experience in using engineering technologies as well as custom product design and assembly.

This book will teach you how to make graphical computer games in the Python programming language using the Pygame library.This book assumes you know a little bit about Python or programming in general. If you don’t know how to program, you can learn by downloading the free book "Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python" from http://inventwithpython.com. Or you can jump right into this book and mostly pick it up along the way. This book is for the intermediate programmer who has learned what variables and loops are, but now wants to know, "What do actual game programs look like?" There was a long gap after I first learned programming but didn’t really know how to use that skill to make something cool. It’s my hope that the games in this book will give you enough ideas about how programs work to provide a foundation to implement your own games.

This is the first of two fraction division tasks that use similar contexts to highlight the difference between the ŇNumber of Groups UnknownÓ a.k.a. ŇHow many groups?Ó (Variation 1) and ŇGroup Size UnknownÓ a.k.a. ŇHow many in each group?Ó (Variation 2) division problems.

This is the second of two fraction division tasks that use similar contexts to highlight the difference between the ŇNumber of Groups UnknownÓ a.k.a. ŇHow many groups?Ó (Variation 1) and ŇGroup Size UnknownÓ a.k.a. ŇHow many in each group?Ó (Variation 2) division problems.

Students use everyday building materials sand, pea gravel, cement and water to create and test pervious pavement. They learn what materials make up a traditional, impervious concrete mix and how pervious pavement mixes differ. Groups are challenged to create their own pervious pavement mixes, experimenting with material ratios to evaluate how infiltration rates change with different mix combinations.

Students create large-scale models of microfluidic devices using a process similar to that of the PDMS and plasma bonding that is used in the creation of lab-on-a-chip devices. They use disposable foam plates, plastic bendable straws and gelatin dessert mix. After the molds have hardened overnight, they use plastic syringes to inject their model devices with colored fluid to test various flow rates. From what they learn, students are able to answer the challenge question presented in lesson 1 of this unit by writing individual explanation statements.

As a weighted plastic egg is dropped into a tub of flour, students see the effect that different heights and masses of the same object have on the overall energy of that object while observing a classic example of potential (stored) energy transferred to kinetic energy (motion). The plastic egg's mass is altered by adding pennies inside it. Because the egg's shape remains constant, and only the mass and height are varied, students can directly visualize how these factors influence the amounts of energy that the eggs carry for each experiment, verified by measurement of the resulting impact craters. Students learn the equations for kinetic and potential energy and then make predictions about the depths of the resulting craters for drops of different masses and heights. They collect and graph their data, comparing it to their predictions, and verifying the relationships described by the equations. This classroom demonstration is also suitable as a small group activity.

In this lesson, students learn about sound. Girls and boys are introduced to the concept of frequency and how it applies to musical sounds.

The purpose of this instructional task is to motivate a discussion about adding fractions and the meaning of the common denominator. The different parts of the task have students moving back and forth between the abstract representation of the fractions and the meaning of the fractions in the context.

Science offers students powerful tools for understanding
the world and engaging with complex issues in their lives
and communities. All students need and have a right to learn
science. The importance of making science accessible to
all students is emphasized in the Call to Action for Science
Education: Building Opportunity for the Future (NASEM, 2021).

This is an introductory-level course designed for global post-secondary educators interested in learning more about open education, open educational resources (OER), and open educational practices (OEP). The purpose of the course is to increase awareness and use of OER as part of global teaching and learning, and to connect education communities with each other. Participation within the course discussion forums requires enrolment through the OpenLearn system and may enrich your learning experience through interactions. There will also be social media and blogging opportunities to connect through Twitter and other spaces that you choose.

The goal of this maker challenge is to demystify sensors, in particular the ambient light sensor, and to map its readings visually. In today’s world, we make sense of the environment around us by filling it with sensors, and we use output devices to display real-time data in a meaningful way. Take any smartphone as an example. Aside from the embedded camera and microphone, a number of other sensors collect a wide range of data. Depending upon the model, these sensors may collect data on proximity, motion, ambient light, moisture, compass, and touch. Some of these data are directly visualized through an app, while many operate internally and without a user interface, just below the surface of the screen. In order to become more familiar with the technology that we use (and often take for granted) on a daily basis, your challenge is to assemble a light sensor circuit, observe its readings using the Arduino Serial Monitor, and then create your own unique visualization by interfacing with the Processing software. Students learn how to use calibration and smoothing to capture a better picture of the data. Afterwards, they share their visualizations with the entire class. The time required for this challenge depends on students’ prior knowledge of Arduino and Processing software. Background resources for beginners help students get up to speed on microcontroller hardware and offer additional challenges for intermediate and advanced users.

Students apply sound-activated light-up EL wire to create personalized light-up clothing outfits. During the project, students become familiar with the components, code and logic to complete circuits and employ their imaginations to real-world applications of technology. Acting as if they are engineers, students are challenged to incorporate electroluminescent wire to regular clothing to make attention-getting safety clothing for joggers and cyclists. Luminescent EL wire stays cool, making it ideal to sew into wearable projects. They use the SparkFun sound detector and the EL sequencer circuit board to flash the EL wire to the rhythm of ambient sound, such as music, clapping, talking—or roadway traffic sounds! The combination of sensors, microcontrollers and EL wire enables a wide range of feedback and control options.