Introduction: #Deedu Automated Gardening Plant - Activity 2
The objective of this activity is to have an view of environment by observing and recording datas from a plant connected to sensors. After followed the first activity link, kids will already have an awareness of how a plant is growing and have observation of how plants grow in different countries. The first activity will also provide them a lexical about plants and the sensors
This kit is a good point for debate and exchange and encourage kids to do it in english with their camarade and their correspondent from other countries.
Step 1: Kit
In following this link you will find the tutotarial to assembly of the automated watering kit developped for the European Project #Deedu, Digital and Environmental EDUcation.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Deedu-Automated-Gardening-Plant-arduino-Uno/
Step 2: Activity
The activity was designed for the Deedu project between 4 partners
Digijeunes (France)
Horizonlab (Italy)
Educentrum (Czech republic)
Pralnia makerspace (Poland)
Each organisation received a kit and for each organisation was made an formular on Google drive. The link of those unique formular are laser engraved on te side of boxes dispatched by country.
The information compiled by the formular are:
-The status of the plant alive or not Important for the rest of the test
-The number of spreading water with the number of spreading we can observe the needs of water of the plant and the soil, and determitated if plant have maybe to much sun or an too warm room who dry the soil.
-The value of the light sensor The light (Sun) is an important component of the photosynthesis operation because plant need sun to change CO2. the sun is also an part of the evaporation of water from soil.
-The value of the CO2 sensor More CO2 is an sign of quality in air and indicator of pollution, plants are taking CO2 and transform in Oxygen using sun
-The actual temperature Temperature is an value important for the evaporation of water and the life of the plant because some plants like to have an medium temperature to live well.
-Picture of the plant the last step in the form is the picture who is an good way to observe the plant, how much leaves, are there green or brown ?
Step 3: How to Find the Formular ?
(on the picture the QR code is hided by a piece of blue tape)
On the left side of the box there is a QR code, Using a smartphone with a camera a QR code reading app(Example of QR app on Google play hlink).
After installing the app, launch it and use the camera on the QR code in the side of the box, then an internet page will open on google drive.
This formular should be filled once a week
Step 4: How to Find Value on the Kit
To fill the form you should enter value and for read them it's really easy.
On the basic screen you can read
TEMP: for temperature in celsius degree
HUM: humidity in pourcentage
Moisture: is expressed in conductivity 1000 will be for water conductivity the maximum, less the number is important more the ground is dry.
Pressing the first button the screen will show you
Number of spray: the number is number of time than the kit put water in the ground
Pressing the second button the screen will show you
CO2: co2 is expressed in PPM for Particule Per Meter cube
LIGHT: expressed in number, 0 is dark total.
(As a plant need some light to grow is goof to put close a window)
Step 5: Further
At every moment all the classes will have access to the form to observe (with numbers) the growing of their plant.
Every months or month and half classes can have a video call to exchange in english the value that they observed and the size of the plant. If on plant is growing more we can use the data from the spreadsheets to observe that one maybe had more lights or an higher temperature and then develop less or more...This activity and data can be used by teacher to sensibilize student about citizen science, global warming , deforestation or other topics related to environment. This plant will grow on the long term and students will observe development of it week after week, an introduce time needed to plants for growing.
Step 6: Credit
This activity was made by Pralnia Makerspace, Poland under the supervision of Digijeunes.
This tutorial has been produced as part of the DEEDU project, co-financed by the Erasmus + Programme of the European commission. Project n°: 2018-1-FR02-KA205-014144.
The content of this publication does not reflect the official opinion of the European Union. Responsibility for the information and views expressed therein lies entirely with the authors. For more information, email us at info@digijeunes.com
