Microcontrollers allow students to create interactive projects that connect the physical and digital worlds. They can be used to make projects more exciting and bring math concepts to life. Popular microcontrollers for education include Arduino, Microbit, and Raspberry Pi. The Arduino board can be programmed to receive input from sensors and control outputs like motors and lights. The IDE software is used to write programs and send them to the microcontroller board. Microcontrollers enable projects using components like motors, lights, sensors and more. Many math concepts can be taught using microcontroller projects involving computing, engineering, and design skills.

2. Microcontrollers
Brain To Computer

3. Think About
! How have your students constructed
projects in the past?
! How can projects, designed by students,
be more exciting, or come alive?
! Where do STEM tools, coding, micro
controllers and robotics fit for math?

4. Microcontrollers allow
!Creation of working prototypes, coding
and connecting the physical world to the
digital world
!Students to break out of the traditional
project box and CREATE meaningful and
effective constructions
!Students to think, design, plan out, create,
test, and reflect upon their OWN
constructions

5. Microcontrollers
! There are several companies producing
microcontrollers for educational use including
! Arduino
! Micro Bit
! Makey Makey
! Chibi Chip
! *Raspberry Pi (different, more complicated, in
fact it is a general purpose computer)

6. Arduino Board
! A small computer that can be programmed to
connect and control various electronic parts.
! Has a number of pins that can be set as either
input or output
! INPUT – receiving data from items like
switches, buttons and sensors
! OUTPUT – sending data to control items
such as motors, lights, and buzzers.

8. Arduino Board has two main
elements:
! Hardware– the brain of the board.
! Software– use to send programs to the
brain – called the Integrated
Development Environment or IDE.
! There are many companies that have
created their own specific IDE’s with
their own types of boards.

9. BBC Microbit

10. Makey Makey

11. *Raspberry Pi

12. Using Arduino - The Integrated
Development Environment-
! Simple interface that runs on a computer
running Windows, OSX, or Linux.
! Use the IDE to create a “sketch” – Arduino
program – that you then upload to the
Arduino board using a PC and USB cable.
! The “sketch” tells the hardware – Arduino
Board – what to do.

13. BreadBoard
! Allows for connections to be made.
! Acts as a construction base for electronics
prototyping.
! Breadboard dates back to when
electronics projects were created on
wooden boards. Nails were hammered
and wires were wrapped.

14. Today Breadboards are made of plastic
with predrilled holes called tie points.
! You insert components or wires that are
held in place by clips.
! The holes are connected by strips of
conducive materials running under the
board.

15. The IDE (Integrated Development
Environment) is free to download.
! http://www.arduino.cc/
! Note – Many boards do not require IDE’s or
Breadboards to create and construct. Many
companies now make kits allowing users
ease of access to coding and ease of
connections
! Birdbrain Technology Hummingbird
Robotic Kit

16. Microcontrollers allow you to
construct projects that -
! Use Motors to make things turn around.
! Use Servos to allow for 90 degree
movement.
! Use LED’s that allows you to include
different types of lights.
! Use Sensors that allow a project to utilize
temperature, Light, Distance, Sound.
! Use LCD’s to allow you to display
messages and data.

17. Projects that use Motors

18. Projects that use Servos

19. Projects that use LEDs

20. Projects that use Sensors

21. Projects that use LCDs

22. Products based on Microcontrollers-
Pi-Top with Raspberry Pi

23.
Piper with Raspberry Pi

24. Kano with Arduino

25. Hummingbird with Arduino

26. Chibitronics with Chibi Chip

27. Example Project-
Introducing Arduino Board
Microcontrollers with LEDs
! https://youtu.be/e1FVSpkw6q4

28. Math-based Projects with Microcontrollers-
Pi-Top and Pi Day

29. More Math-based Projects using
Microcontrollers-
! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/exponent-game
! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/least-common-multiples
! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/angles-hummingbird
! https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-
fair-projects/project-ideas/CompSci_p053/
computer-science/musical-light-show

30. ! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/laser-cut-mechanisms
! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/illustration-fraction-equivalence
! http://www.hummingbirdkit.com/teaching/
sketches/factor-pairs
! https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-
fair-projects/project-ideas/CompSci_p060/
computer-science/make-a-spirograph

31. • Engineering
• Design
• Computational
Thinking
• Algebra
• Geometry
• Trigonometry
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Probability
Engaging,
interesting,
Fun.
Hands-on
math
curriculum-
based
projects with
purpose.

32. TechTerra Education
@TechTerraed