Planet Arduino

Stephen Hawking once said, “No one undertakes research in physics with the intention of winning a prize. It is the joy of discovering something no one knew before.” That joy is exactly what we hope to ignite with Arduino’s Science Kit R3, bridging theory with practical exploration with a complete toolbox that science teachers can use to develop hands-on and engaging STEM experiments in the classroom. 

From the relationship between color and temperature to the effects of electrical currents on magnetic fields, the kit provides a comprehensive learning experience that allows students to interact with the very core of scientific investigations – also through real-time data collection and analysis. By measuring, recording, and interpreting data with the Arduino Science Journal app, the learning process becomes interactive and dynamic.

So, how does the Science Kit R3 make physics the coolest subject in school?

• Enhanced understanding of physics: No more passive reading. Dive deep into physics, understanding complex concepts through hands-on experimentation.
• Promotion of scientific literacy: The real-time data collection and analysis features nurture scientific inquiry skills, priming students to thrive in our data-driven world.
• User-friendly design: No prior coding or electronics knowledge is required, ensuring educators and students can jump straight into experiments with minimal setup.
• Designed for education: The kit has been designed with teachers, for teachers and students.
• Critical thinking stimulation: The kit’s design encourages students to apply what they’ve learned to real-world situations, sharpening their problem-solving abilities.
• Self-directed learning: Through open-ended investigations, we’re giving students the reins, allowing their curiosity to guide their learning process.
• Comprehensive teaching support: The Science Kit R3 isn’t just for students. We’ve also equipped educators with an intuitive guide to streamline the teaching process.

If, like us, you believe that learning is most effective when it’s interactive, relevant, and fun, the Science Kit R3 is for you! You can find more information here or sign up to get early access. 

The post Discover the world of physics, for real – with the new Arduino Science Kit R3! appeared first on Arduino Blog.

Note: Google Drive is available to all users over the age of 14. This is so we adhere to the COPPA compliance requirements for students under 14-years-old.

Students and teachers can now sync Google Drive with their Arduino Science Journal experiments. This means you can access experiments from any device using your Arduino account. The brand new Google Drive integration is available now through the latest app update.

Benefits of using Google Drive

You can benefit from Google Drive sync immediately. Simply sign in with your Arduino account and authenticate the Google Drive connection. Then select the folder where you want to back up your experiments. From then on, all your experiments will be accessible from any devices whenever you log in.

Don’t worry. You’ll still be able to use Arduino Science Journal without logging in. But your experiments won’t be associated with your Arduino account, and will only be locally stored. 

What else is new?

You’ll also find new useful links on the sidebar of your app, so learning becomes even simpler. With just a few clicks, you’ll be able to access the free Science Journal activities, browse the help center articles, and learn more about the Arduino Science Kit straight from the app.

The Arduino Science Journal content platform welcomes seven new activities, as well as great new partners and content creators. The Tech Interactive, Alison Green and Isabella Liu have helped us create some amazing new lessons. Check them out here.

You will be able to experiment with motion and sound, as well as a step-by-step guide to help you access Google Drive on your Science Journal app!

We’re also delighted that the Arduino Science Journal is certified by the Educational App Store with a 4-star rating! 

We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of educators with remote teaching, and we strive to make data literacy and scientific thinking more accessible, wherever you are. If you’re an Arduino Science Journal user, you can help out by recommending the app to your fellow educators. And we’d love to hear how you are using the app in your classroom!

Tag us on social media to show us what you’re working on with #ScienceJournal.

If you don’t have the app already, join over 700,000 other teachers, students and makers by downloading it now!

The post Sync Google Drive with Arduino Science Journal projects appeared first on Arduino Blog.

The last year has clearly been challenging for educators around the world due to the pandemic. Yet despite these difficult times, educators and students haven’t stopped getting hands-on and experimenting with STEM.

But how is it possible to create a systematic environment for student ideas through scientific observation when the science lab is no longer accessible?

It’s down to creativity and innovation, which haven’t been put on hold even during a pandemic. Teachers have had to adapt quickly to this fast-changing environment, and technologies like Arduino have supported this adaptation, providing educators with flexible tools to keep experimenting from home. 

Arduino is committed to making STEM accessible for all students, with free tools and resources like the Arduino Science Journal app to collect data, leveraging either your mobile device or external sensors connected to Arduino, or a portable science lab for your remote needs (now on sale).

Teachers can also take advantage of different boards to experiment with science, which is what UK-based physics teacher, Alan Bates, did. Bates created an experiment to demonstrate the phenomenon known as the conservation of momentum, published in the February edition of The Physics Teacher.

Bates combined an Arduino Uno Rev3 and a PASCO Smart Cart to create a movable rubber band launcher to investigate the conservation of momentum, and the energy transferred by the system as the potential energy of the rubber band is released. The Arduino board was used instead to activate the motion releasing the rubber band, and consequently, the cart.

The launcher was made with a wooden stick, a nail, and the rubber band, placed on a low-friction track, and mounted on top of a PASCO smart cart base. Masses are added to the cart every three measurements of recoil velocity. 

Thanks to this scientific investigation, Bates was able to demonstrate and verify that, “elastic potential energy is not only transferred into kinetic energy, but also into other types of energy that include thermal and sound energy.”

For more information on the findings and analysis of the Conservation of Momentum with Dual Technologies, get your copy of the February edition of The Physics Teacher.

This article was written by Valentina Chinnici, Arduino Education Product Manager

Arduino acquired the Science Journal app from Google on August 5th, and the final handover takes place on December 11th, 2020. 

From that date, the Science Journal will no longer be supported by Google. If you haven’t exported your experiments and imported them into the Arduino Science Journal, we strongly encourage you to do so now, as your data will no longer sync with Google Science Journal after that date.

Here’s a short guide to help you transition to the Arduino Science Journal: 

1. How to export your experiments 

We’ve created a series articles to help you export your experiments:

• How to export experiments (Apple)
• How to export experiments (Android)
• Bonus: What happens to my existing data once Google’s Science Journal apps are no longer supported?

You’ll find these articles – and many more – on the official Arduino Help Center. If you experience issues with your export, you can contact us using this contact form.

2. Why you need to export your experiments

From December 11th, the Science Journal app will be made available, maintained, and supported by Arduino. This means that the Arduino Science Journal app will only be available on the main app stores. 

You can rest assured that we’ll stay loyal to Google’s principles, and ensure high quality standards for the community we inherited. 

In this current climate of remote learning and as advocates for openness, the app will be available for free, and the repositories are publicly available on GitHub.  

We strongly believe that every student has the ability to reach their full potential, and we’re pleased to support the next generation of STEAM leaders with tools that help their learning process.

3. What’s coming next for the Arduino Science Journal app?

While we can’t disclose too much about our future plans for the app, we can tell you that we’ll ensure it will offer easy access to a stream of data that leverages your smartphone sensors, as well as Arduino sensors. The aim is to help learners understand the importance of an inquiry-based educational method rather than passive consumption of information.

We’ll also continuously improve the accessibility of the app for all users, and find new ways of experimenting with science. 

In the near future, we’ll be interacting more with users, so you’ll hear more from us soon! We’ll also be adding more tutorials on our platform dedicated to Science Journal! 

Last, but not least…

…if you want to support us, leave a feedback or simply rate the app, don’t forget to add a review on the app store of your choice: App Store, Play Store, Huawei App Gallery. 

We’re looking forward to supporting your teaching in the future, and welcome you to this amazing community of Arduino educators!

P.S. Do you use the Science Journal as a teaching tool? Are you planning on using it for teaching in the future? Let us know!  

The Arduino Science Journal is a mobile application that allows anyone to conduct scientific experiments by measuring the surrounding world with sensors, documenting and comparing data, developing and validating hypotheses, and taking notes. The app and all learning materials are free, open-source, and available for download on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and starting from today on Huawei App Gallery.

The Arduino Science Journal encourages students to explore how the world works, record data, document observations, and experiment like a real scientist – all through their mobile device, providing in effect a pocket-sized science lab!

We are happy to announce that the Arduino Science Journal surpassed today the 100k total downloads since launch!

Students can choose between dozens of hands-on science experiments, designed by education experts.

All experiments are free and cover a range of different areas, such as light, sound, motion and electricity, and can be used to enrich the learning experience within a variety of subjects such as math, physics, biology and chemistry.

The Science Journal is aligned with the UK National Curriculum for Science and NGSS in the US.

We want to thank all students, educators and all our community members that have downloaded the app, empowering the Arduino Education Community! 100K times thanks!

Help us build an even bigger worldwide community of scientists! For more information visit https://www.arduino.cc/education/science-journal. 

Share this article and download your app today on Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Huawei App Gallery.

This post was written by Valentina Chinnici, Arduino Product Manager.

Arduino and Google are excited to announce that the Science Journal app will be transferring from Google to Arduino this September! Arduino’s existing experience with the Science Journal and a long-standing commitment to open source and hands-on science has been crucial to the transfer ownership of the open source project over to Arduino.  

The Google versions of the app will officially cease support and updates on December 11th, 2020, with Arduino continuing all support and app development moving forward, including a brand new Arduino integration for iOS. 

Arduino Science Journal will include support for the Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board, as well as the Arduino Science Kit, with students able to document science experiments and record observations using their own Android or iOS device. The Science Journal actively encourages students to learn outside of the classroom, delivering accessible resources to support both teachers and students for remote or in person activities. For developers, the Arduino version will continue to be open: codes, APIs, and firmware to help them create innovative new projects.

“Arduino’s heritage in both education and open source makes us the ideal partner to take on and develop the great work started by Google with the Science Journal,” commented Fabio Violante, Arduino CEO. “After all, Arduino has been enabling hands-on learning experiences for students and hobbyists since they were founded in 2005. Our mission is to shape the future of the next generation of STEAM leaders, and allow them to have a more equitable and affordable access to complete, hands-on, and engaging learning experiences, in line with UN Sustainable Goals of Quality Education.”

In 2019, we released the Arduino Science Kit, an Arduino-based physics lab that’s fully compatible with the Science Journal. Moving forward, all new updates to the app will take place through Arduino’s new version of the Science Journal, available in September. 

The new Arduino version of the app will still be free and open to let users measure the world around them using the capabilities built into their phone, tablet, and Chromebook. Furthermore, Arduino will be providing better integration between the Science Journal and existing Arduino products and education programs. 

Stay tuned for Arduino’s version of the Science Journal, coming to iOS and Android in September 2020!