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Robot Day LED Breadboard Activity

LEDs are wonderful low-cost and safe ways for students to get familiar with concepts such as batteries, breadboards, circuits, switches, polarity, current, and voltage. Once you have the basic breadboard and components there are dozens of concepts we can teach. The goal is to figure out what is appropriate for a Robot Day event where students might spend a few minutes at each activity station.

Prompt

We have the following materials:

  1. a half-size solderless breadboard
  2. a 3-volt battery pack
  3. different colors of 3mm LEDs
  4. 220-ohm resistors
  5. momentary switch buttons

Design an activity for a 5th-grade student interested in robots. The activity should last about 5-10 minutes. The activity will be led by an adult volunteer. Provide a clear description of this activity including some hands-on things that the student will do to earn a checkbox towards a robot expert badge.

Return the response as a single raw markdown file that is easy to download.

Response

Objective

To introduce 5th-grade students to basic electronics and circuit design through a hands-on activity, fostering their interest in robotics. This activity will help students earn a checkbox toward a robot expert badge.

Materials

  1. Half-size solderless breadboard
  2. 3-volt battery pack
  3. Different colors of 3mm LEDs
  4. 220-ohm resistors
  5. Momentary switch buttons

Duration

5-10 minutes

Activity Description

Step 1: Introduction (1 minute)

  • The adult volunteer explains the basic concept of a circuit and its relevance in robotics.
  • Briefly introduce the materials: breadboard, LEDs, resistors, battery pack, and switch buttons.

Step 2: Building a Simple Circuit (3 minutes)

  • Guide the student to place an LED on the breadboard.
  • Show them how to connect the LED to the battery pack using wires.
  • Explain the importance of resistors and help them add a 220-ohm resistor to the circuit.

Step 3: Adding a Switch (2 minutes)

  • Introduce the momentary switch button.
  • Assist the student in incorporating the switch into their circuit, explaining how it controls the flow of electricity.

Step 4: Testing and Exploration (3 minutes)

  • Let the student test their circuit by pressing the switch to light up the LED.
  • Encourage them to experiment with different colored LEDs and observe the differences.

Step 5: Conclusion (1 minute)

  • Discuss with the students what they learned and how it applies to robotics.
  • Award the checkbox towards the robot expert badge.

Safety Note

Ensure adult supervision at all times, especially when handling the battery pack and electronic components.