Getting Started on a Breadboard

Hi Karen,

There are lots of simple circuits to blink, buzz, move and even sense on a breadboard as you point out. I think the key with kids is to get results quickly, at least at first, and tie it to something they understand and interests them. In the past I have started with a LED and battery, then progreesed to motors and buzzers.  Inexpensive transistors can be used as switches for all sorts of circuits - say with an IR beam that buzzes when interrupted (burglar alarm).  All without a microcontroller. 

But microcontrollers can be done inexpensively on a breadboard also.  I use a MSP430 in most of my projects and it is easily breadboarded and a single Launchpad can be used to program multiple microcontrollers.  The same with an Atmel/Arduino.  It is surprising how needs to be added to a modern microcontroller to get it working.  See for example:  Use Your Launchpad as a Programmer | Four-Three-Oh!

I have enjoyed putting together theres type of classes and know how much effort it can take. Good luck and thanks for what you do to educate!

I agree, that kids really need results quickly. At least at first. And keeping projects relevant is always key to keeping them interested. All very good points. Hmmm. I'll have to look into using an MSP430. Thanks for the input!

Some children need 'real world context' applied to their education and yet schools often appear to totally overlook this aspect. Also you often need an element of progression rather than just repetition to keep the interest going.

Pico Technology have a list of educational experiments (mainly centred around data acquisition) which may give some ideas of how to interact with the real world:

https://www.picotech.com/library/experiments 

Looking at the school curriculum and trying to spot areas where real world context could be applied via the maker type scene would probably be beneficial as well. The sciences should be a good bet, however I suspect that maths needs it more than anything.

As already has been mentioned, visual and audible stimulus can help maintain interest at the start however there is a limit to the wonder of a flashing LED. Sooner or later you are perhaps going to need to turn that flashing LED into a DIY 7-segment display that can count from 0 - 9 at which point you can progress to ready- made 7- segment displays at which point you can progress to counters at which point you can start counting real world events, and then timers to time real world events...

Some children need 'real world context' applied to their education and yet schools often appear to totally overlook this aspect. Also you often need an element of progression rather than just repetition to keep the interest going.

Pico Technology have a list of educational experiments (mainly centred around data acquisition) which may give some ideas of how to interact with the real world:

https://www.picotech.com/library/experiments 

Looking at the school curriculum and trying to spot areas where real world context could be applied via the maker type scene would probably be beneficial as well. The sciences should be a good bet, however I suspect that maths needs it more than anything.

As already has been mentioned, visual and audible stimulus can help maintain interest at the start however there is a limit to the wonder of a flashing LED. Sooner or later you are perhaps going to need to turn that flashing LED into a DIY 7-segment display that can count from 0 - 9 at which point you can progress to ready- made 7- segment displays at which point you can progress to counters at which point you can start counting real world events, and then timers to time real world events...