This project is part of the Black History Month celebration because it supports a Black teacher or a school where the majority of the students are Black.
My Students
My students are 9th and 10th graders at an urban school. They are creative, resourceful, intelligent, and insightful. Though they face a wide variety of challenges, I am constantly astounded by their curiosity about the world and their innovative ideas.
The best part of teaching is watching students learn.
Kids get excited when they can do something new, too. The room is full of joy and pride as kids learn to create circuits to turn on a buzzer, an LED, or a motor.
My Project
Circuits are my favorite part of the 9th grade physics curriculum, as well as a highlight of the 10th grade engineering course. Adding Arduino boards to our project repertoire will ramp up the excitement even more. Each Arduino board contains a microcontroller chip that can connect to multiple inputs, like buttons, knobs, distance sensors, or light sensors. The Arduino's outputs can drive motors, lights, speakers, and more. We will be able to write code on a computer, then download it to the Arduino's microcontroller and watch the lights blink and motors spin in whatever way my kids design.
I can think of a hundred things my kids will be able to build, like clocks, googly-eyed robots, alarm systems, temperature-activated mood lighting... but I know my students will think of thousands more.
Arduinos will help kids bring their ideas to life, while motivating them to learn more about electronics, computer science, and mechanical design. This is Part 3 of my Arduino project, so that I will have enough supplies for a full class of students to build anything they can dream up.
Kids are often consumers of technology, but this project will help move them into the driver's seat. Thank you for helping my brilliant students create!
DonorsChoose is the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.
As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Eckels and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
