TERM ONE
22nd - 26th February
School Camps
8th - 12th March
WALT: Understand, connect, test, and represent simple circuits
Introduction and overview. Expectations and deadlines. Explore simple circuits and concepts of voltage, current flow, and resistance using water analogies. Introduce circuit diagrams and basic components including resistor colour code. Construct cardboard circuit boards. Soldering.
22nd - 26th March
WALT: Assemble and solder a circuit board
Explore resistor functions: current limiting, voltage dividing, pull-down resistors. Introduction to various components. Issue Equipment Packs. Safe use of multimeters.
TERM TWO
19th 23rd AprilWALT: Program a microcontroller
Construct Simple PIC kit. Introduction to computer control and software. Explore programming on Simple PIC kit with simple BASIC commands: high, low, pause, goto, If...then,
3rd - 7th May
WALT: Control inputs and outputs using a microcontroller
Introduce and use comments, symbols, white space, and labels when programming. Use Rudolph Boards to explore more advanced commands such as readADC and sound.
17th - 21st May
WALT: Control ports, servos, 7-segment displays; and prototype using breadboards
Use t4 boards to explore control of whole ports, servos, and 7-segment displays using the servo and letpins commands. Also explore the gosub...return command. Introduce 'breadboarding' concept, then PEBBLE software. Students develop real-life circuit on breadboards, transfer designs to PEBBLE, then explore PEBBLE for use with microcontrollers.
31st May - 4th June
WALT: Clearly outline and justify a design concept
Introduce Proposal concept with expectations and deadline. Assemble and solder 20M Project Board. Introduce concept of system flowcharts to illustrate inputs, processes, and outputs. Students develop proposals.
14th - 18th June
WALT: 'Cost' and create action plans for a design project
Students trialing ideas, completing proposals, conferencing with tutor, costing projects, planning term three timeline.
18 June - 2 July
Spare week
TERM THREE
26th July - 10th September
Independent work according to individual project requirements and agreed timeline.
Independent work according to individual project requirements and agreed timeline.
20th - 24th September
Complete Portfolios with documentation including personal profile, proposal, video demonstration, photos, program code, neat circuit diagrams, explanation of circuit functionality with flow-diagram, evaluation, and appendix.
Complete Portfolios with documentation including personal profile, proposal, video demonstration, photos, program code, neat circuit diagrams, explanation of circuit functionality with flow-diagram, evaluation, and appendix.
TERM FOUR
11th - 15th October
Package and send completed projects to BrightSparks for judging. Individual invoices sent home to cover cost of consumables.
