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Precision Watering with Mobile Irrigation Vehicles

Difficulty: Grade 9-10
Time: 90-120 mins
Categories: Smart Farming, Smart Vehicles

In this lesson, students will explore the critical importance of water conservation in agriculture, especially as climate change impacts precipitation patterns. They will learn how technology can be leveraged to address this problem and design their own sustainable mobile irrigation system.

Get Started
What this lesson includes
Lesson Content
Data Analysis, Modeling, Water Cycle
Real-World Example

Coding Tutorial
Block-based
Assessment
Triangulated Assessment Options
Educator Resources
Finished Code Link
Quickstart Guide

Looking for more resources? Look  here.

Learning Goals

  • Analyze historical drought, precipitation, and temperature data from San Joaquin County
  • Describe how rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall impact water use in agriculture
  • Explain the types of water waste in traditional irrigation systems
  • Compare the effectiveness of mobile irrigation systems to traditional methods for reducing water waste
  • Build a mobile irrigation system with the Climate Action Kit that:
    • uses sensors to detect plants and control watering
    • incorporates loops and conditional statements to optimize the irrigation process

Materials

  • Climate Action Kit or Smart Vehicle Kit
  • micro:bit V2
  • Computer with access to Microsoft MakeCode
  • Pencil or dry erase marker
  • Light Bristol board or chart paper for the mobile irrigator to drive on
  • Ruler
  • Small, flat objects to represent plants (e.g. paper cube)

Get to Know the Content

  1. Make sure you've completed our 'Getting Started with the Climate Action Kit' course
  2. If it has been awhile, review the kit components featured in this lesson:
  3. Review the lesson, particularly the following thinking routines from Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education):

Big Idea (30 minutes)

Students will:

  1. Analyze real world, historical drought, temperature and precipitation data from San Joaquin County
  2. Discuss how climate change impacts the water cycle and water use in agriculture
  3. Explore the ways technology can minimize irrigation water waste

Take Action (60 minutes)

Students will learn about precision agriculture and build their own mobile irrigation system prototype that conserves water by detecting and watering crops only when necessary.

We've provided 3 ways students may build the project to support scaffolding and differentiation in your classroom: 'Use', 'Modify', and 'Create'.*

Activity Description
Use

Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build & use their mobile irrigation system. They will perform some basic modeling to understand the water usage of their prototype compare to alternate systems.

Success Criteria

I can:

  • build a mobile irrigation vehicle using the Climate Action Kit
  • explain how each component of the vehicle contributes to its operation
  • calculate the speed of my vehicle using distance and time data
  • apply mathematical equations to model water usage from different irrigation systems

Resources

Tutorial
Final Code
Modify

Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build their mobile irrigation system. Afterward, they will modify the code and complete a challenge to improve the system’s efficiency.

Success Criteria

I can:

  • build and program a mobile irrigation vehicle using the Climate Action Kit
  • modify the code to adjust pause times and analyze how these changes impact the vehicle’s movement and overall water conservation
  • evaluate how different control structures (like loops and conditionals) influence the efficiency of the irrigation system
  • use the sonar sensor to only activate the pump only when a plant is detected, optimizing the system’s water usage

Resources

Tutorial
Final Code
Create

Students will work in a small group to design, build, and code their own mobile irrigation system using the Climate Action Kit! They will imagine they are Irrigation Technicians tasked with developing an efficient system that conserves water while keeping crops healthy.

Success Criteria

I can build a mobile irrigation system with the Climate Action Kit that:

  • navigates a field efficiently while delivering water
  • minimizes water usage compared to traditional irrigation systems

and uses at least:

  • the water pump for controlled irrigation
  • one sensor to detect environmental conditions
  • loops and/or control statements to optimize water usage

Resources

Blank Project

*Irene Lee, Fred Martin, Jill Denner, Bob Coulter, Walter Allan, Jeri Erickson, Joyce Malyn-Smith, and Linda Werner. 2011. Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads 2, 1 (2011), 32–37.

Use the following criteria to assess student learning. Students can:

Conversations

  • Discuss how water supply has changed in San Joaquin County over time based on historical data.
  • Explain how climate change impacts the water cycle.
  • Discuss how rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall affect water use in agriculture.
  • List the types of water waste in traditional irrigation systems, including evaporation, runoff, and deep percolation.
  • Explain the purpose of each smart component and building block in the main build (Use, Modify, Create).
  • Explain the role of control structures (loops, conditionals) in the irrigation system project (Use, Modify, Create).

Observations

  • Test and debug the code systematically to ensure it controls the vehicle and water pump as expected, minimizing water waste (Modify, Create).

Products

  • Add comments to the code to demonstrate their understanding of each block (Use, Modify, Create)
  • Add features that improve water conservation, such as adjusting the watering frequency or integrating more sensors (Modify).
  • Design their own prototype that meets specific criteria and constraints (Create).

Next Generation Science Standards

Grade 9-12

HS-PS4-5 Communicate technical information about how some technological devices use the principles of wave behavior and wave interactions with matter to transmit and capture information and energy.

HS-LS2-7 Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.

HS-ESS2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS3-4 Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

HS-ESS3-5 Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

HS-ETS1-2 Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

HS-ETS1-4 Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.

Computer Science Teachers Association Standards

Grade 9-10

3A-AP-13 Create prototypes that use algorithms to solve computational problems by leveraging prior student knowledge and personal interests.

3A-AP-15 Justify the selection of specific control structures when tradeoffs involve implementation, readability, and program performance, and explain the benefits and drawbacks of choices made.

3A-AP-16 Design and iteratively develop computational artifacts for practical intent, personal expression, or to address a societal issue by using events to initiate instructions.

3A-AP-19 Systematically design and develop programs for broad audiences by incorporating feedback from users.

3A-AP-21 Evaluate and refine computational artifacts to make them more usable and accessible.

3A-AP-22 Design and develop computational artifacts working in team roles using collaborative tools.

3A-AP-23 Document design decisions using text, graphics, presentations, and/or demonstrations in the development of complex programs.

3A-IC-24 Evaluate the ways computing impacts personal, ethical, social, economic, and cultural practices.

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Grade 9-12

HSA.CED.A.1 Create equations and inequalities in one variable and use them to solve problems. Include equations arising from linear and quadratic functions, and simple rational and exponential functions.

HSA.CED.A.2 Create equations in two or more variables to represent relationships between quantities; graph equations on coordinate axes with labels and scales.

HSA.CED.A.4 Rearrange formulas to highlight a quantity of interest, using the same reasoning as in solving equations. For example, rearrange Ohm's law V = IR to highlight resistance R.

HSA.REI.D.10 Understand that the graph of an equation in two variables is the set of all its solutions plotted in the coordinate plane, often forming a curve (which could be a line).

HSF.BF.A.1 Write a function that describes a relationship between two quantities.

HSF.BF.A.2 Write arithmetic and geometric sequences both recursively and with an explicit formula, use them to model situations, and translate between the two forms.

HSF.IF.B.6 Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph.

HSN.Q.A.1 Use units as a way to understand problems and to guide the solution of multi-step problems; choose and interpret units consistently in formulas; choose and interpret the scale and the origin in graphs and data displays.

United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals

2: Zero Hunger

6: Clean Water & Sanitation

12: Responsible Consumption and Production

Common Career Technical Core Standards

STEM Cluster: Engineering & Technology Career Pathway

ST-ET 1.3 Use computer applications to solve problems by creating and using algorithms, and through simulation and modeling techniques.

ST-ET 2.1 Select and use information technology tools to collect, analyze, synthesize and display data to solve problems.

ST-ET 3.1 Use knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice.

ST-ET 3.2 Describe the elements of good engineering practice (e.g., understanding customer needs, planning requirements analysis, using appropriate engineering tools, prototyping, testing, evaluating and verifying).

ST-ET 3.4 Illustrate the ability to characterize a plan and identify the necessary engineering tools that will produce a technical solution when given a problem statement.

ST-ET 4.1 Explain why and how the contributions of great innovators are important to society.

ST-ET 4.2 Explain the elements and steps of the design process and tools or techniques that can be used for each step.

ST-ET 4.3 Describe design constraints, criteria, and trade-offs in regard to variety of conditions (e.g., technology, cost, safety, society, environment, time, human resources, manufacturability).

ST-ET 5.1 Apply the design process using appropriate modeling and prototyping, testing, verification and implementation techniques.

ST-ET 5.2 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a design or product and improve the design using testing, modeling and research.

ST-ET 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to record and organize information and test data during design evaluation.

ST-ET 6.1 Apply the use of algebraic, geometric, and trigonometric relationships, characteristics and properties to solve problems.

STEM Cluster: Science and Math Career Pathway

ST-SM 1.1 Apply science and mathematics concepts and principles to resolve plans, projects, processes, issues or problems through methods of inquiry.

ST-SM 1.2 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to access, share, and use data to develop plans, processes, projects and solutions.

ST-SM 1.3 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to integrate solutions related to technical or engineering activities using the content and concepts related to the situations.

ST-SM 1.4 Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering.

ST-SM 1.5 Explain the use of models and simulation in hypothesis testing (i.e., the scientific method).

ST-SM 1.6 Communicate with others on inquiry or resolution of issues/problems in the global community.

ST-SM 2.1 Demonstrate the ability to recognize cause and effect when faced with assigned projects or issues.

ST-SM 2.4 Predict the outcomes based on data collected in a project or experiment.

ST-SM 2.8 Draw a conclusion when confronted with data or observations that focus on the observed plans, processes, or projects at hand.

ST-SM 2.9 Analyze change as a result of data differences and changing environmental values.

ST-SM 2.10 Research a topic, collect data, analyze the data and draw conclusions from the results.

ST-SM 2.11 Use qualitative and quantitative skills to conduct a simple scientific survey; use the data to draw a conclusion based on the analysis.

ST-SM 3.1 Evaluate the impact of science on society based on products and processes used in the real world.

ST-SM 3.2 Evaluate the impact of mathematics on society based on products and processes used in the real world.

ST-SM 3.3 Research how science and mathematics influence the professions and occupations supported by the STEM Career Cluster.

Information Technology Cluster: Programming & Software Development Career Pathway

IT-PRG 4.1 Employ tools in developing software applications.

IT-PRG 6.1 Explain programming language concepts.

IT-PRG 6.3 Demonstrate proficiency in developing an application using an appropriate programming language.

IT-PRG 6.4 Explain basic software systems implementation.

IT-PRG 7.1 Develop a software test plan.

IT-PRG 7.2 Perform testing and validation.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster: Natural Resources Systems Career Pathway

AG-NR 2.3 Examine natural cycles and related phenomena to describe ecologic concepts and principles.

AG-NR 3.1 Plan for the production, harvesting, processing, and/or use of natural resources in a responsible and sustainable manner.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster: Plant Systems Career Pathway

AG-PL 1.3 Determine the influence of environmental factors on plants.

AG-PL 1.4 Manage water conditions for plant growth.

AG-PL 3.8 Apply principles and practices of sustainable agriculture to plant production.

Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster: Power, Structural & Technical Systems Career Pathway

AG-PST 1.3 Investigate solutions to AFNR power, structural, and technical systems.

AG-PST 1.4 Design or modify equipment, structures, or biological systems to improve performance of an AFNR enterprise or business unit.

AG-PST 4.1 Create sketches and plans of agricultural structures.