Arduino kits/supplies for new school makerspace

[pwhslib]

I am installing a makerspace in my high school library. What are the must-have kits and/or supplies for getting started with Arduino?

[flounder]

I'm adding to this because I may be involved next summer in setting up a computer lab for an inner-city school, and helping run a program. While programming video games in Java might be fun for a while, the abilities to do sensor processing, robotics, etc. I think will hold more promise in capturing the attention of the students. Anyone who has suggestions on what would make a good "learning kit" that would let the students invent their own projects would be welcome to comment. I have my own list that I'm working up, because eventually I'm going to have to submit a budget. I'm retired, have fifty years developing software, and now I'm moving back to my first love, hardware, again. A set of volunteers are meeting some time in the next few months to discuss different ways we might shape this program.

My own list includes: small, inexpensive x86/Windows boxes to run the Arduino IDE (perhaps along the lines of netbook-style); a server, maybe; each student gets a USB flash drive to save their work, but since these can get lost, I'd like to keep backup somewhere, perhaps the cloud. The expectation is that we will have ten students. So that sounds like a dozen Arduino learning kits, and an assortment of sensors such as ultrasonic sensors, an assortment of displays, a couple tiny cameras, some stepping motors, servo motors, and shields, the usual assortment of wires, LEDs, and the like, some hand tools, and that's about as far as I've gotten. But we're going to have to out and beat the bushes for grants, and some idea of the size of the grants needs to be in by "about March".

We have a Techshop here in Pittsburgh, and I'm hoping to be able to use their advice on some of the other aspects of putting together a facility, but any advice from those who are already doing it would be appreciated.
joe

[stephendathomas]

Hi

I do Arduino/Raspberry Pi events in both primary schools, 11 and under, and secondary schools, over 11, in the UK. This is what I have found:
1) Must be quick buzz, especially if the youngsters have not done anything similar. Unfortunately the Arduino and the Pi do not lend themselves to this. I usually do a quick, couple of hours, event with Lego's RCX Mindstorms. Old, yes, and not made any more, a trip to eBay, but very intuitive and gives the youngsters a boost of confidence. The RCX can be programmed in C, handy if that's what you want to look at later.
2) This may just be a problem with the UK but youngsters lack hand skills. You will have seen many Pi/Arduino projects on the net with prototyping board and leads all over the place. OK for the experienced but not school youngsters. The first thing I would look for is a shield/breakout board that brings the input/output pins into a convenient layout, ideally so that the sensors can easily be attached. This will limit you to one type of connection system but the time it will save you later will be great.
3) Talking about sensors, do not make my mistake. I bought too many different types. Stick to the popular ones - light,touch etc, leave the exotic ones until a project comes along.
4) Remember that the Pi/Arduino can not deliver much current, a led is about it. Simple on/off control of a dc motor can be achieved by using a single stage transistor as the interface circuit and should be easy to patch together on prototyping board or even solder it (can be a heath and safety issue in the UK). More than that, like reversing, you will need a motor shield.
5) If you are going along the Internet of Things then make sure your Arduino board has connectivity.
6)What is to be controlled? The physical placement of the motors, gears, pulleys, animation mechanisms etc was the next problem. I took the cowards way out. I made the task into turn old battery operated toys into interactive devices. In this way the gears etc were already in place.

Hope that may help. I should add that I found the exercise very enjoyable.

Steve

[pwhslib]

Steve,

I would love to see some photos and hear more about your Arduino projects. I'm having a hard time drumming up interest with my students about it.

[Franklin97355]

My own list includes: small, inexpensive x86/Windows boxes to run the Arduino IDE

Don't forget the Arduino IDE runs on Linux also. Would be less expensive than windows.

[stephendathomas]

Hi

Drumming up enthusiasm can be a problem. In the UK it is generally accepted that by the age of 14 youngsters have made up their mind what NOT to do. This should mean that high levels of funding for STEM should be aimed at under the age of 14 (in the UK mainly in the primary sector), but this is not the case. I have always found primary youngsters to be very receptive, keen and enthusiastic and, if you think about it, that would be the way to increase the take up in STEM for over 14 age group.
The long and short of it, is that in any group of over 14 aged youngsters you will find the majority not that interested in STEM.
I was reflecting on my work over the last few years. There is primary work, under 11 year olds or there about, where I take on whole classes but it is a different story for secondary, and especially over 14. I expect this is the age group you are looking at. In about 95% of the cases the youngsters are selected by their keenness on STEM. This is usually done by the school but if I’m offered whole classes I try and get the youngsters to self select by doing a short Lego RCX event or a make a non interactive model to show them what it’s about.
So my suggestion would be that you run with the Arduino project with a small group of enthusiastic youngsters, make it a day event, and go for longer with a touch of coding, and some short sharp events to drum up trade with the rest.

As for the Arduino projects. Make it plug and play. Try and not have too many leads or too much prototyping board. Make sure that the unit to be controlled has motor, gears etc in place.
One project was to add sensors to a fuel cell toy car. It was the electric car assembly that I was after, not the fuel cell. This was a day event and very successful it was but an interesting statistic came out. I went to north of the UK to do this event in 4 very rural secondary schools. The youngsters made up their own minds to do the event. In 2 of the schools the vast majority of youngsters selected the event as their first choice and in 2 schools a sizable minority had it as their second or third choice. Well in the evaluations 2 schools’ youngsters said I could walk on water and the other 2 schools’ evaluations had me with my head just above the water – for the same event. No prizes which way round that was. This really means get enthusiastic youngsters aboard and if not watch out for middling evaluations.
One project I’m developing uses a battery operated toy called a Repeating Parrot. The idea is to make it interactive. The toy is made of hardened plastic and houses the motor, gears etc, great for re use and has space to hide the Arduino and wires.
Both projects are rapid prototyping, held together by masking tape and not a commercial product; in fact all of my events are this.
These events are one day but longer would include coding, perhaps using C++ or S4A (Scratch for Arduino).

Sorry for the ramble.

Steve

[flounder]

Thanks for all the good feedback.

I believe that in the coming semester all the students will by 14 or over, and for the summer they will be mostly 11-13.

The Windows/linux decision goes to linux only if Windows is not free. For most schools, the school-system-wide Windows license effectively makes the OS free for the labs. What may not be free is the platform.

The idea would be to do a "project a day" with simple breadboarding and shields (where "day" is defined as 2-3 hours), then move to more complex tasks, such as a simple vehicle with an ultrasonic sensor that does wall avoidance. This may take several sessions. I found a nearly-free vehicle (mostly 3D printed) and the major investment is the Uno, the motor shield, and two continuous servos. And two stretchy bracelets for the treads. I was told the 3D part files are free downloads. I don't expect to get more thsn two teams.
joe