FarmBeats for Students

Get Started – FarmBeats for Students micro:bit version

Activities are designed to give students direct experience with topics like digital sensors, data analysis, and artificial intelligence (AI). FarmBeats for Students empowers educators to inspire their students with exciting possibilities at the intersection of technology, agriculture, and sustainability.

Students assemble a simple plant monitoring kit, consisting of a micro:bit equipped with environmental sensors. Using MakeCode and the kit, students gather data about the health of their crops, analyze their sensor data, and construct a system to react to environmental conditions. The kit enables them to gather data about their plants and view it live in Microsoft MakeCode.

Next, students are introduced to data visualization tools in Excel. They engage with big data sets to extract intelligence and make decisions about the best locations for a greenhouse.

Finally, students explore AI by building their own machine learning models, which help detect nutrient imbalances in their plants and identify pests in their garden. The activities also introduce the Microsoft Responsible AI principles and present discussions around some of the benefits and challenges raised by AI.

The FarmBeats for Students curriculum is aligned to AI4K12’s AI education guidelines that define what every student should know about AI. The curriculum is also aligned to these standards, agricultural concepts, and performance objectives:

• Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Standards
• National Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources (AFNR) Career Standards
• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
• Common Core State Standards Math Standards