Solving Environmental Problems through Engineering

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 20.04.12

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale 
  3. Objectives
  4. Unit Content
  5. Teaching Strategies and Activities
  6. Teaching Resources
  7. Appendix on Implementing District Standards
  8. Bibliography
  9. Endnotes

Engineering and Testing a Soil Moisture Sensor

Jhansi Sunkerneni

Published September 2020

Tools for this Unit:

Objectives

The main goal for creating this unit is to teach students the importance of water, and the need to conserve it. In an effort towards conserving water, students will learn to work as teams to build a soil moisture sensor by following the engineering design process. Students will also learn the importance of recycling the materials used in electronic devices in an environmentally responsible and resource efficient manner. Later, students should be able to use the engineering design process for future science fair projects.

Comments:

Jhansi Sunkerneni

April 11, 2022 at 4:26 pm

Soil Moisture Sensor Reflections

I was able to complete this unit with students, as students are back in the classroom after Covid. Here is a summary of my reflections: Students who didn’t finish this project got help from teams that completed early. 80% of the students were able to complete building and testing the soil moisture sensor. Some of the challenges that students faced are listed below: Short circuited the snap connector and the battery. Had to cut, strip the wire, and twist the wires before inserting it in the breadboard a second time. Made wrong connections, as they didn’t follow the instructions carefully. Fixed the problem by re-reading the instructions and following the instructions carefully. Using the wrong resistors in the circuit. Realized later, that the resistors that need to be connected to the soil must be the 100K Ohm resistors. The wires were loosely connected to the breadboard. Corrected the problem, by ensuring that the wires were connected securely. The snap connector was not connected correctly. Figured out the positive and the negative markings on the battery, and made the correct connections. The LED bulb didn’t glow due to polarity (placed incorrectly in the breadboard). Fixed the problem, by making the correct connection of the leads.

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