[Solved] Hi, my name is Michael Taggart. Brand new to this!

Hi Michael, welcome to the forum.

The kit you selected looks like a good value, and I like the Elegoo R3 models as they have the pin functions printed on the connector as well as the board (like genuine Arduino's), so they are easier to work with.

Does each child have his own computer (with Internet access) as well, or are you just using one computer to teach and load the programs onto the Arduino with?  It would be ideal if they each had one so that each of them could learn to work with the Arduino IDE, which is probably the first skill you need to teach them.

The kit does come with a CD, but it probably isn't necessary, as all the code you will ever need is available online or in the IDE.  In fact, for beginners, the sketches in the "Basic" section (File/Examples/01/Basics) in the Arduino IDE are where to start:

• First run an "empty" sketch like "BareMinimum" to stop the R3 board from blinking, which is how it comes from the factory. This will also illustrate the concept of uploading code, and if you have anything wrong hardware-wise with your setup it will show up here, and you can fix it.
• Next, run the classic "Blink" sketch. Thrill over how the LED blinks, then show them how to change the delay time values to speed it up or change its duty cycle.
• Now hookup an LED with a dropping resistor to pin 13 and run Blink again. If you hooked it up correctly, the LED will also blink along with the onboard LED. Explain to them how the onboard LED is internally connected to pin 13.
• Modify Blink to use another constant instead of LED_BUILTIN, and set the new constants value to "13". If all is done correctly, it will keep on blinking. Now change the value to "12" and hook the LED to pin 12. This will show how to work with constants and how to write to I/O pins.
• Get out a 10K potentiometer and open the "AnalogReadSerial" sketch. The sketch has instructions for hooking it up to Ground, 5 Volts and analog input A0.  They will learn the concepts of analog vs. digital, binary numbers and analog to digital conversion.
• Now leave the "01.Basics" section and go to "02.Digital". Open the "Button" sketch and follow the instructions for hooking up a pushbutton and pull-up resistor, along with an LED and its dropping resistor. The sketch is well documented, and they will learn how to work with digital inputs.

That should get you started. Have fun!

😎

Bill

@dronebot-workshop Thank you so much for the advice! I don't think I can organize the kids to bring a laptop to the activity. I only get an hour with them every other week, and I was thinking that I would generally go through the interface with them; Then I will have preprogrammed all of the kits so that they can just connect it correctly and it will work as designed. 

Is there like a software that I can use to model for them so that they can see how they need to put it together that you would suggest?

@michael-taggart 

One thing I discovered early in life was most people are not all that interested in how things work which is all electronics and science in general comes down to. They are probably too young to have any interest working on microcontrollers. Science at that age (and for most at any age) is just magic. Science for kids involves explosions and magical stuff like liquids foaming up or liquids changing colors.

https://www.weareteachers.com/easy-science-experiments/

https://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/top-science-experiments-for-kids/

and so on ...

Hi @michael-taggart,

  Sorry, I am not sure if I fully understand your question, but this is an attempt to address it...

 Please note, this discussion refers to the general process ... a particular design may have 'quirks', but these should become clear as part of our pre-lesson preparation. I have never needed to do the process I am describing, so it is possible an 'unexpected' glitch will appear, so I recommend doing it in well in advance of the student activity.

----------------

 Re: Is there like a software that I can use to model for them so that they can see how they need to put it together that you would suggest?

Bill (@dronebot-workshop) briefly described building a project in the 'conventional' order of wiring first, then building a sketch, and download the sketch to the board, but the order can be changed to pre-programme a number of Arduino-style boards, before the lesson, so that the activity can concentrate on the wiring and powering up the boards.

I am assuming you intend to use the Arduino IDE to construct the software (sketch), including compiling and downloading to the Arduino-style board.

-----------------

Note, some projects use the  Arduino IDE Serial Monitor, at least for debug printing, whilst others only need the programmed boards to be provided with power. If the students do not have a computer for each board, then some projects will need modifying or be impracticable. However, others should be fine, so chose wisely.

-----------

If I were in your position, then as part of the pre-lesson preparation, I would build the project, following the instructions in the order they are presented, to make an 'instructor' board example. At the end of this process, you should have an Arduino IDE with a compiled sketch, plus an 'instructor' board with external wiring completed, and the board project working as expected.

Assuming the students will have a power source, rather than a PC, to power their board, check that the 'instructor' board works by disconnecting the USB link at the board end, connect a power supply, and check the board with the external wiring functions as expected.

--------------------

Assuming all of the above has been successfully completed:

To pre-program the 'student' pile of boards, connect the PC USB link to each board in turn, and download the software. It is not usually necessary to connect the other external wiring at this stage.

So far as I know, it is probable that you will need to click the combined Arduino IDE's 'compile and download' button for each board, which will waste a few seconds for each compile, but is otherwise harmless.

Perhaps someone else can point to a method of only repeating the download, if it exists?

---------

Some (maybe most?) forum members have had problems with serial port connections at some point in time. If all of your Arduino-style boards are identical, hopefully there will no problem with plugging in a stream of new boards, but I offer no guarantees.

----------------

I hope this is clear, answers your question, and seems a reasonable approach. If not, perhaps it would be useful to provide some clarification of what you would like to know.

Best wishes and good luck, Dave 

@robotbuilder How sad, my experience in Canada was and remains much different.

@robotbuilder Can't say that I agree, sorry.

There are several examples of young people building tremendous things with microcontrollers, and the fact that the children that Michael teaches responded positively to the Lithium battery experiment makes me think that they would enjoy learning how things work and developing ideas to build new items.

Back when my son was young, I used to occasionally bring a science demo into his classroom, when he was in grade 6.  One of them was a solar-powered car that generated a lot of interest (just a solar cell connected to a motor on a balsa-wood frame). We tested it out in the schoolyard, and I was bombarded with questions as to how it worked, how we could make it go faster and if we could build one big enough to drive in.

I discovered electronics at age six, and it literally changed my life. And I'm sure that there are many children these days with a keen interest in knowing how the gadgets they take for granted actually work.  And they already know more than we ever did at that age!

@michael-taggart However you choose to teach it, the basic concept that you need to get across is the purpose of the microcontroller (in this case, the Arduino). The fact that it is a device that can essentially do anything you want, if you just hook it up and program it correctly. 

And that's kind of like showing them something magic, then telling them how to do the trick!

😎

Bill

@davee @robotbuilder Thank you for the detailed suggestions! I have never done anything with microcontrollers before, and look forward to exploring this! I have some time before we launch this activity (January or February). I think what you suggest is the practical approach. The hope is to do this first one, and if a positive response to continue the same method several times throughout the year.

I apologize for not being detailed in what I am asking. I am brand new, and this is probably why it is not detailed. Ultimately the process you described (davee) is exactly how I envision it. Here is some further clarification on the following question:

Is there like a software that I can use to model for them so that they can see how they need to put it together that you would suggest?

I mean something like the image above. Is this done through the Arduino IDE? I thought maybe this was a completely different software or something where one would create this kind of diagram. I think having an image will be helpful to walk through the flow of electricity. *trying to tie it back to the prior exercise.

@dronebot-workshop

@robotbuilder Can't say that I agree, sorry.

That's ok. My experience was very different.

I discovered electronics in my mid teens. I don't remember anyone else at High School with similar interests (except for one). I was raised in the country. It was machinery (cars, tractors and motor bikes), football and shooting wild life that all my peers enjoyed. I was the weird kid who loved wild life and never understood the thrill of running down kangaroos and shooting anything that moved in the bush.

Not being as smart as some of you guys I ended up on the farm. Once my father gave me a big lecture about the need to concentrate on running the farm instead of playing with electronic stuff (it was a hobby) so I sold my oscilloscope and tossed all my electronic stuff in the bin to keep him happy and spent most of my working days mindlessly picking oranges and grapes and other farming activities.

My own son had no interest in science or nature. His interest was racing motor bikes cross country with his mates. The only interest he had in computers in his teens was to play violent computer games with his mates. We get on ok and accept that we are different.

My impression is still that most people are not interested finding out how things work, that wasn't suggesting that none of the kids wouldn't go on to learn how it works. I suspect all kids enjoy the science shows but how many are then inspired to do science is another question.

@michael-taggart

I mean something like the image above. Is this done through the Arduino IDE?

No. The Arduino IDE is used to write code for the microprocessor.

The trick is how to make it fun for a general audience. Any serious understanding requires more than being amazed or entertained although that is a good start. There are probably some good utube animations of the "flow of electricity" so you wouldn't have to make them yourself.

There are also fun electronic projects on the internet. If any student shows an interest in how it works then you can explain it to them. You might take inspiration by viewing these utube projects.

@michael-taggart

I thought they might really be interested in working on microcontrollers.

This comes down to programming.

The ARDUINO IDE enables you to write and then load a program to the microprocessor on an Arduino development board via a usb port.

Bill's post really covers the first steps to take on this adventure.

Posted by: @zander

↑

@robotbuilder How sad, my experience in Canada was and remains much different.

So if you select a random 100 young Canadians and ask them how a circuit works how many could tell you?

Getting students interested in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) I thought was an issue in most countries.

@robotbuilder Asking how a 'circuit' works is a silly question. Asking how underlying principals work  is more relevant.

Gentlemen, I suggest we cease the debate whether children are interested in microcontrollers and get back to the purpose of this thread, which was to assist Michael is using his Arduino kits to entertain some kids who have already expressed an interest in technology.

@michael-taggart Are you asking about software to draw block diagrams, or schematic diagrams?

😎

Bill

@michael-taggart I think what you really need to do is think of a project you can build with your group.

Depending upon how long you have with them, you could construct something simple like an LED traffic light or a burglar alarm. They seem to enjoy your original experiment, so perhaps a flashing lightsaber. 

If you have many sessions with them, you have enough components in those kits to put together a small robot.

You can get a lot of great ideas by visiting the Arduino Project Hub.

😎

Bill