Electricity and Electronic systems are a defining element of modern devices, and they enable us to explore our environment, create motion and sound, or generate light for a myriad of applications.
Students are equipped with the fundamental theory of DC circuits and a virtual playground in Tinkercircuits to develop and test their understanding before they build them out of physical components.
We can simulate our electronic circuits using Tinkercircuits. This virtual environment is incredibly realistic and allows in-depth explorations of complex electrical components and systems. Tinkercircuits also introduce control systems with microcontrollers and allow a natural transition to programming with snap coding.
We can test our ideas out in a virtual simulator while maximizing safety and availability. After an introduction to Tinkercircuits, we learn the equipment and skills of building real circuits and soldering them together for our projects. From lights, sensors, and motors to bioelectricity and microcontrollers, we learn what it takes to actuate our ideas by putting them to practice.
It’s shocking what a little know-how and less than $10 of materials can enable you to do. After some training in soldering and a little DC circuits theory, you could build endless YouTube science projects. Here is one of our favorite videos by wemyour with 3 quick projects you can do using basic electronics and recycled materials:
Our internship program has developed demos to help our students learn how to assemble, wire, and ultimately program electronics:
- For a step-by-step procedure on how to complete a robotic arm that is controlled by a joystick download the instructions here.
- For a step-by-step procedure on how to control motors through an H-bridge with an Arduino download the presentation here: H-bridge motor control
Additional at-home tools and resources to help students develop and understand electronics:
- MakeCode (Adafruit): learning projects to bring code into the physical world using Adafruit electronics https://makecode.adafruit.com/
- Falsted: A more sophisticated free circuit simulator than Tinkercircuits https://www.falstad.com/circuit/
For a crash course on electronics, we recommend “Electronics Foundations: Fundamentals” from LinkedIn Learning.
On the right, we have the intro video and link for this short course.
Stay tuned for a major announcement regarding how we are bringing these principles to early childhood education in Gainesville, FL.
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