Welcome to the world of electronics!
Introductory Electronics Activities
These electronics activities were designed to help you learn basic circuit and programming concepts with circuits that can be built and simulated virtually in TinkerCad – there’s no need to gather any electronic components or build physical circuits!
Hey teachers, we’ve included learning activities to go with the circuits that you can copy and edit in Google Docs. And, at the bottom of the page are a number of lab activities designed for you to use with students breadboarding real, physical circuits. These assume that power supplies, multimeters, breadboards, and a variety of common electronic components are available in the classroom.
Let’s start learning electronics!
Basic circuit concepts.
These basic circuit activities are designed to help you learn important electrical circuit concepts if you’re just starting out, or to reinforce the basic circuit concepts if you’ve learned them before. Each activity has an accompanying Google Document that leads you through a guided exploration of each circuit’s characteristics.
Ohm’s Law
If you’re an absolute beginner, start here. Understanding Ohm’s law is essential to understanding the operation of all other electronic circuits.
Series Circuits
Series circuits connect two or more components in a way that allows them to divide and control potential – a very useful concept in input and output circuits.
Parallel Circuits
Parallel circuits connect two or more components in a way that allows them to work independently (or divide current).
Microcontroller I/O circuit concepts.
Microcontroller input and output circuits make use of externally connected series components. Learn more about how these circuits enable microcontrollers to sense inputs and control output devices. The accompanying Google Documents help guide you as you explore the operation of the circuits.
Input Pull-up Circuits
The key to using many kinds of analogue input devices with microcontrollers is a series circuit known as a pull-up circuit. Learn how to use a variety of them here.
LED Circuits
LEDs are common microcontroller output devices, but they’re not considered to be loads. Find out more about their interesting behaviour and how to use them.
Introductory Arduino programming activities for ARPS and ARPS2
These introductory programming activities are designed for use with our ARPS circuits assembled in their simplest form – we call the minimal components version of our circuits the Educational Starter configuration. Since most of the ARPS programming activities work great in Tinkercad, we shared all of them here to let you start developing your programming skills without having to purchase or assemble any circuits, or install any software. It all just works in Tinkercad!
Each of these introductory activities includes its own complete, working program template and learning activities pre-loaded into the Tinkercad code editor. The Programming Analysis Activities that follow the main program help to reinforce and expand understanding of the concepts introduced in the example program, and the Programming Activities help learners extend and apply the new knowledge and skills they’ve gained while creating new programs that build on the concepts introduced in the example program.
New! We’ve added ARPS2 versions of all of the activities, since it includes new I/O features and different pin connections than the original ARPS circuit. Use either one to learn Arduino programming in Tinkercad, or use the one to match your hardware when you build your own ARPS or ARPS2.
Intro-1: Input and Output
If you’re ready to start learning Arduino programming, one of the first things you’ll need to know is how to read inputs and control outputs. Start learning that here!
Intro-4: Functions
As your programs start to get longer and more complex you’ll want to divide its tasks into functions. Understanding how functions work enables you to use other people’s pre-made functions as well. Lear more here:
Intro-2: Variables
The next step after learning to use inputs and outputs is learning how to use constants and variables to store and control the state of your program or its circuits.
Intro-5: Analogue Input
Digital inputs are the simplest way to get started, but for more versatility you’ll want to learn about analogue inputs. The companion serial debugging techniques will help you make sense of your analog inputs.
Intro-3: Loops
The real reason we invented computers was to do our work for us. Loops make it easy for your microcontroller to do its tasks again, and again, and again…
ARPS starter program templates
These starter program templates use the Tinkercad equivalent of the full ARPS and ARPS2 circuits to help you get a head start on creating different types of robot programs. Start creating your robot code and working on its functions before you finish assembling the real hardware!
ARPS and ARPS2 full robot circuits
These fully-built robot circuits can be used to simulate the operation of all of the components built into ARPS and ARPS2, and the included source code can be used as a template for your future robot programs.
Line-following robot starter program
These circuits include a starter program template that can help you to as you plant and build a simple line-following robot. The included program code shows you how to test your robot’s sensors and motors.
Sumo robot starter program
Get a head start on structuring a simple classroom Sumo robot program with this starter program. Start by testing your robot’s sensors and motors, and then start working on each of the Sumo robot’s operating modes.
Electronics Lab Activities
These electronics lab activities are PDF files designed to be printed out and used by students to explore electronics concepts using real components on breadboards. They will help in getting beginners used to building and testing circuits on breadboards, connecting power supplies, and using multimeters to make measurements. The activities are coded to align with selected courses in the Ontario Computer Technology curriculum, but feel free to use them for students at any grade or level that you feel is appropriate.
Resistor Activities
Beginner Activities (TEJ2O)
Activity 1.0 – Resistors
Activity 1.1 – Ohm’s Law
Activity 1.2 – Series Circuits
Activity 1.3 - Parallel Circuits
Review Activities (TEJ3M)
Activity 1.0 – Resistors and Ohm’s Law
Activity 1.1 – Series and Parallel Circuits
Diode Activities
Beginner Activities (TEJ2O)
Activity 2.0 – Diodes
Activity 2.1 – LEDs
Advanced Activities (TEJ3M)
Activity 2.0 – Diodes and LEDs
Activity 2.1 – Diode Rectifiers