Mackenzie's ETEC Blog

Having just completed my makerspace course at TAMUC, here are some thoughts on my journey and what comes next! What was the build that you are most proud of and why? While my dancing baby Groot project was a personal favorite, in that it both challenged me and made me smile the most, the project that I would most like to showcase is my "bathymetry" sonar scanner project . As a science teacher, the motivation for this project (to model the bathymetry work of scientist Mary Tharpe) using our Arduino kit's sonar sensor has deep roots in my passion for teaching scientific concepts through hands-on discovery. If I can get students using new technology to do science, while also learning about science, and throw in some female science role models, I feel like I've hit the trifecta! Hopefully, I'll be able to develop this activity into some practical lesson plans I can use with my Middle School students. Go back to your first week and read each week's submission with...

1. Project: For this week’s challenge, we took on the "Iron Chef Challenge" of creating something using motors and sensors. I was inspired by the idea of creating a dancing baby Groot! Embracing the true maker's experiences, I did a lot of prototyping, building and rebuilding. I played with all three of the motors that came with my kit! And ultimately, my project morphed from a dancing baby Groot to a chill baby Groot spinning his favorite record on his finger tip! Original Inspiration: Dancing Baby Groot! 2. Code: This is the code I developed this week. It uses what I learned about the ultrasonic sensor last week to turn on the DC motor (for a minimum of 3 seconds) when something is within 10 centimeters of the sonar detector. 3. Circuit Design: The following described my circuit design for the DC motor triggered by the sonar detector. Video of Circuit for Iron Chef Challenge (0:36) 4. Electronic Diagram: The following electronic diagrams were taken from my design journa...

1. Project: For this week’s challenge, I attempted to use the sonar sensor to create an array output that I can use to generate a topography map. I was motivated to try this because I've been looking to create projects inspired by female scientists. Mary Tharpe 's success at mapping the ocean floors using sonar data, leading to the discovery of the mid-Atlantic ridge, is relevant to our middle school science curriculum. Using Arduinos would give them the opportunity to practice bathymetry, following in the footsteps of this groundbreaking scientist! 2. Code: This is the code I developed to record sonar mapping data from my sonar sensor. After testing, I modified it to include lights that blink as a visual indicator when data is taken.  A challenge for students trying to breakdown / understand / modify this code could be: how would you modify for bathymetry to adjust for the speed of sound through water vs. the speed of sound through air? 3. Circuit Design: The following circuit...