The Teachers

Mr. Dorsey: RCC Summer STEM Camp Director

Mr. Greg Dorsey is the robotics coach, technology lead, and Physics teacher for the Chesapeake Bay Governor's School. He is a Middle Peninsula native with a Masters of Teaching and a B.A. in Physics from the University of Virginia.  He taught for the RCC Summer STEM Camp the last 5 years and this is his third year as camp director. The RCC summer camp's topics switch between Engineering design, 3D printing, and Arduino C++ coding. 

Mr. Dorsey also teaches for the Virginia Space Grant Consortium. If you are interested in their 8-12th grade NASA programs see this webpage.

Mr. Moore: RCC Network Technician

Mr. Rhett Moore is RCC's Network Administrator and holds a Bachelors in Computer Science with a concentration in Network Security from ECPI University. He has assisted with the RCC summer STEM camp for the last 3 years and thoroughly enjoys working with the kids and teaching them how to bring their ideas to life.
 
Mr. Moore has been working in Technology the last 8 years and can be found in his spare time working on DIY projects ranging from programming to 3D printing. Currently he has been working on building his own Game Boy style video game emulator from various electronics boards and circuitry.

Ms. Dahlem: Middle School Science Instructor

Ms. Stephanie Dahlem has been the middle school science teacher for Aylett Country Day School for 7 years.  She introduced a STEM lab, with a focus in basic coding and computer science, to her curriculum three years ago. She earned her B.S. in Biology at Christopher Newport University. 

Stephanie has been assisting with the RCC Summer STEM Camp for 5 years and thoroughly enjoys witnessing the brilliant, young minds of our middle schoolers design and create their projects.  She is looking forward to another great experience this year.  

Ms. Riley: RCC Nursing Instructor

Ms. Riley has been a registered nurse for 19 years and is currently a Clinical Informatic Specialist at Riverside Health System and is a nursing adjunct instructor for RCC. She graduated from Riverside School of Professional Nursing and later pursued her MSN at Liberty University.

She worked on a cardiac unit for 7 years full-time before transitioning to a labor pool status. She has been teaching nursing in some form since 2007. 

RCC STEM Camp Partners

Carl D. Perkins Grant Administrator: Dean Brooks

Dean Brooks oversees the Carl D. Perkins Technical Education grant which pays for the RCC STEM-Health camp staff. 

​Dr. Brooks is RCC's Academic Dean of Humanities, Art, Social Sciences, and CTE. She holds her Ph.D. from Duke University as well as her MFA and BFA from VCU. She has been the RCC Summer STEM Camp Administrator for 3 years. 

Kathy Fife

Michael Anthony

RCC Technology

RCC Technology purchased the STEM Kits for the middle school campers. 

Michael manages the RCC's Technology Department and Kathy is the RCC technology specialist and has assisted the STEM Camp for 5 years.  

Dean of RCC Health Sciences: Dr. Smith

Dean Smith organized our Nursing partnership. He assisted the integration of the heart monitor (ECG and EMG) into the academy and RCC Nursing instruction. 

Dean Smith has worked in Higher Education, Nursing Education, Coaching, Curriculum Development, Concept-Based Curricula, Leadership, Public Speaking, and Qualitative & Quantitative Research Methodologies. Dean Smith has an MS in Nursing Administration from VCU and a PhD in Nursing with a focus in Vulnerable Populations from The University of North Dakota. 

Area Health Education Center (AHEC): Stacie Wind

AHEC purchased the STEM kits for our high school campers. Founding Director for RCC's AHEC which focuses on community outreach, recruitment, and training of future health professionals in the Virginia Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula Region. 

Ms. Wind was the Co-Director for the statewide care transitions program at Bay Aging. She is a Northern Neck native and an RCC Alumni. She graduated from James Madison University in Health Administration. Her career includes working in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. 

RCC Dual Enrollment Advisor: Hutt Williams

Hutt assists each year with our RCC STEM Camp Marketing to our region's middle and high schools. 

He is the Dual Enrollment student advisor and is who you would talk to if you want to learn more about graduating from high school with your RCC Associates degree or other certification. Hutt also serves as the RCC recruiter. 

RCC Media: Jeff Macharyas
Jeff assisted with our RCC Camp Marketing this year. He is RCC's Director of Communications and Marketing. He is Google Analytics and Adobe-certified and holds an Amateur Radio license: K2JPM. He is a certified fencing instructor and a correspondent for Opensource.com -- where he writes on open source technology and topics. Jeff earned his BS in Communications from Florida State University, a miniMBA in Social Media Marketing from Rutgers University and a Master’s in Cybersecurity/Computer Forensics from Utica College.

Supplies Needed for Today

Watch this to learn Arduino basics 

 Lesson 1: Learn How to Code!

We will start with writing simple code, saving, and sending it to the Arduino. ​Let's start by getting the board's orange light to blink like this. 

Here is the code that makes the Arduino blink

One big thing that you may not be used to is that CaPiTal lEttErs maTter! Things change color as you type them correctly. The words like OUTPUT, HIGH, and LOW will not change colors if you type them wrong. 

Another thing that you may not have seen before is an under-script, it looks like this _. To type _ you have to hold shift and - at the same time. The minus is beside the 0 (zero). 
Another new thing is every line of code ends in a ; semicolon. That button is beside the L.

You also may not have seen a curly bracket {   } before. That can be found next to the P key. To make a {, hold Shift and [ . To make a } hold shift and ] . 

Type in the blink code into Arduino IDE.
​If you do not have Arduino IDE yet, directions are in the preacademy prep page. Click here to see the directions. 

Let's Write our first code. 

Step 1: Type up your code following the tips above to get it to look like the picture. 

Checking your code. 

Step 2: Push the check box at the top left of the page. This verifies (aka checks) if the code should work.
It "compiles" the code. That means it turns it from human readable to computer readable language.

See if you get an error message?

Step 3: Check to see if an orange error message appears in the box at the bottom of the page.
​An example is on the right
If you got an error message, check the following things.
1) Are all the colored parts in this picture here colored in your code?
2) Check CaPiTaL letters. (they matter)
​3) Have you forgotten a ;
4) You may have forgotten a ( or )
5) Did you type the curly brackets, {   } 
                             
​If you get no error (bottom box is not orange), then you can move on.
Still having issues? Let your teacher know!​

Sending the code to the Arduino

Step 4. Upload your code to the board 
     a) Plug the blue USB cord into your Arduino and computer. 

     b) Select the right arrow button (next to the check mark in the top left corner) to send your code to the board. 

What is your Arduino doing? Is the code working? 
Below explains what each line of code is doing. 

The // double dashes are just comments. You do not need to type them. The Arduino does not do anything with them. They they help people know what each line of code is supposed to do. 

Remember, this video shows what the Arduino should be doing.

Did you get an error? (Is it working right?) 

You may get a "Problem uploading to board" or something similar.
If you do, it is because your Arduino does not know where the Arduino is plugged in. Or, your USB cord may not be plugged all the way in. 
Follow the steps in the picture below if you get the Port Error. 
​
          Open the tools tab, Port, and select the port COM that says Arduino. 
Step 4) If you fixed the port issue if needed, push the arrow button beside the check box at the top again.

Give the board a second to upload, it should be blinking quickly and then run your code.

​Let your teacher know if it still does not work and you need help. ​

Learn how to Save

Now that you have made your first successful code, you should save it.
Name it something memorable so you can always find it again later. 

Watch this video to learn how to save

After Saving, try changing the code

Play around with the code's delay values. Right now it is 1000. Try changing it. What does changing it do? Re-upload to the board after you try it.

Save your new code using a different name. (maybe: "MultiBlink")

If you have time, try something creative like adding more HIGH and LOW lines into the loop code to make cool patterns. This can be done like the example below.

Adding more lines to add blinking complexity. 

Save your file, upload to board, and review 

Plug the Arduino board into one of your computer's USB ports. 

After it is plugged in, upload the code to the board. Click the right arrow beside the check mark at the top of the Arduino program. See the  picture below for what that looks like. 
You just made your first Arduino program! Congratulations.

Turning a "off-board" LED on and off 

Now we are going to figure out how to light LEDs from the Arduino board so that you can use lights on your robot later. You will need: Wires, a 220 ohm resistor, an LED.

Warning: USE A RESISTOR OR THE LIGHT MAY BREAK
It is important to know LEDs only let current flow through it one way.
​If your light does not turn on, try flipping how your LED is connected. It may just be in backwards. 
The LEDs only work when the longer end connects to positive pins on the board. The + pins on the board are any of the numbered pins, the 3V, or the 5V. 
​The shorter end connects to negative pins (GND/ground). ​​Remember that red is positive and black is negative. Use those color wires to help. 

Watch this video for how to do it. 

Introducing a Breadboard:
It Connects Many Parts Together 

Breadboards are for when you want many things to work at the same time. 

Yours may be longer than the one in this picture, but they all work the same. 

How does it work?
It has different rows and columns all connected together under the holes.

​This picture shows which parts are connected. You may have a smaller board than this, but this picture still shows the basics. 

Watch this for more about how breadboards work

Now, let's use this board to connect a bunch of lights! 

Series and Parallel Circuits (LEDs)

Now that you got one light to work on the board, let's try to get lights to work off of the Arduino board. See if you can get several lights to turn on at once. Try hooking up your lights in these three different ways. How are each different. Is the brightness any different? 

This activity does not need any code. It plugs directly into the 5V (aka +) and the Ground lines (GND aka -). Plugging those wires in is just like using a battery. 

Remember: plug in your Arduino with the USB cord!

Single LED

Series LEDs

Parallel LEDs
LEDs are Light Emitting Diodes. Light Emitting  means they make light. A diode is something that only lets electric current go one way. That means direction matters! The longer LED wire is the + side, and the shorter LED wire is the - side. 

Tip: use black wires to connect - parts (aka GND)
and red wires to connect + parts (aka 3.3 or 5V lines)
​See how that is done in the pictures above?  
You will need
  1) Red and black wires
  2) Several LED lights of the same color
  3) A resistor (this picture has what they look like)
Connect your lights to the breadboard like the pictures above. See what changes between each type of setup (single, series, parallel). Can you figure out how to power all three setups off the same board? Once you get your lights to work in parallel, try to use different colors. What happens when you try to use all different colored lights? 

It is ok if you don't understand how all this works today. 
The more we practice, the more you will get! 

Ask your teacher if you have any questions or need help. 

Lesson 3: Defining Variables at the start of code

Here is the example multi-blink code from earlier. See how we have to keep typing LED_BUILTIN over and over? We can avoid that by making what is called a "variable". Variables are easily able to be adapted/changed. If you have taken algebra, think solving for x, where x is the variable! 

What if we wanted to change which light to turn on? We would then have to then retype all of the LED_BUILTIN parts, gross! If we make a variable for the light at the start of our code? Then we will only have to change the pin we want to light up in just one spot! 
See this small change we added to the beginning of our code, line 1? 
This is the variable we are defining. 

Const means constant. That means we are telling the computer that this variable will not be changing when the code runs. 

int means integer. An integer means whole numbers. Integers are numbers like 1, 5, 22, etc. LED_BUILTIN is actually connected to Arduino pin 13, so we could have just typed in 13 there if we wanted. 

This video explains how to use variables

Changing the variable changes the pin to light up!

Now that we have made that variable, we can control other lights too! 
We can control lights connected to any Arduino pin using our blink code now. I can do that by changing the ledPin variable. Your teacher will now show you what that means. You can control your off-board LEDs using your blink code now : ) 

This video shows some of what you can do! 

Supplemental Lessons (Day 1) 

Make sure to do the regular day 1 lesson first.

Understanding Basic Code

Watch these videos to learn what some of the main parts of codes you made do. 

Reading Resistors 

Before we can continue, we should learn how to read resistors.
This is because once you take your resistor off your sheet, you won't know its resistance anymore.
The example below 4 lines. One Yellow, Purple, Orange, and Gold. Follow the lines to read it. 

For the first line, yellow means the first digit is 4, the second digit purple means 7, the third line is the multiplier and orange is times x1000 and the gold at the end is the error
​(or tolerance) at 5%. That 5% means the resistor can be + or - 

This means that the resistor is: 47000 +-5% 
We will do this one together as a class and after that, we will take a random one out of your kit and try it with a teacher. See if you can figure it out?

Control Lights with a Button

Materials:
   LED
   220 Ohm resistor
   Wires
   10 kOhm (10,000 Ohm) resistor
   Breadboard

Wire up the board as shown here

(Make sure to use the 220 Ohm resistor with the LED and the 10 kOhm with the button)
Here we are adding new types of statements to your code. Before we had just the loop, now we add if and else. Every green part of your code needs an open and closing { } to run.
​The curly brackets are like sandwiches for your statements. Make sure each has them. 

Watch this video to learn about the code and common mistakes.
Write a code similar to below and upload it to your board to see if it works. 
Remember, words after // are just comments. These are not needed for it to work. 
After uploading your code to your board and that works, there are two common issues. 

Common Mistakes 1) My light is not turning on, try flipping the LED over, remember one side is + and the other side of it is -. 

Common Mistake 2) My light is doing the opposite of what it is supposed to. If so, switch the leads connecting to the button. 

For any other issues, ask your teacher for help and show them what is going on.

Once you get the one LED code to work, try to figure out how to get more lights to work with buttons if you have time using the series and parallel lesson from the end of day 1. 

Controlling servos with Input (3rd activity)

​The servo sweeping back and forth does not help much if we want to control exactly where a robot will go. 

We need to add something that is called an "input", inputs you control. A potentiometer is good for this. 
Here is the picture of what yours looks like. They can be in your kit bag or the black box in the kit. 

Turning it changes the value it gives and we can tell the computer how to use this data. 

Someday you may want to wire up many of these, so we should make an easy to change variables to set what where servos are plugged into the board. 
Here are the steps to use the knob
Step 1) Wire up your Arduino like this picture using the breadboard.

Note that there are 8 wires. 
3 for the servo
3 for the potentiometer
2 going from the 5 V and GND to the board

Step 2) Plug in your Arduino with the Blue USB Cord

Step 3) Type in this code below
Just to clarify, our potentimeter is fatter than the main picture. Ours skips a hole between the pins. 
Step 4) Did you get an error? If so go through the checkpoints from yesterday: 
     1) Are all the colored parts in this picture colored in your code?
     2) Check CaPiTaL letters.
​     3) You may have forgotten a ;
     4) You may have forgotten a parenthesis ( or )
     5) Did you type the curly brackets?  {   }    
                             
​     If you get no error, then you can move on.

Step 5) Upload the code using the right arrow symbol in the upper left. 

Step 6) Is it working? Move the knob back and forward to see if the knob moves the servo.
If so, that's cool. Make it do a little dance and save your work! 

Start building your robot hand. 

Superglue your servo motors to your robot hand. 

After you build your robot hand, super glue your survos to your robot hand. 
Here are the steps
Step 1: Put super glue where you want the servo on your hand
Step 2: Place and firmly hold your servo to your frame for about 30 to glue it. 
Step 3: Put super glue on the servo arm. 
Step 4: Get one of the finger pullers and firmly hold it to the servo arm for about 30 seconds. 
A friendly tip for wire management: 

Put a line of super glue down the inner crevice of the robot hand and glue the servo wires to the inside of the robot frame. 

Remember to hold your wires down for about 30 seconds for the glue to set. 

How to control more than one Servo? (2nd activity)

You will need to wire up your servo first. Do it like this picture

Notice the servos in this picture are in 10 and 11. You may need to change the code or the pins they are connected to in order to get your servos to work. 
How to add another servo to your code: 
1)   At the top of your code, just below “Servo myservo”, type in Servo myservo2; 
         *The “2” tells your code that you have a second servo now
2) In the void setup section, type the following below the first attach:
        myservo2.attach(10);        *this attaches the 2nd servo to pin 10 
3) In the void loop section, type the following below myservo:
        myservo2.write(pos);        *this tells the 2nd servo to move  to the position  

You can follow these steps again to add as many servos as you want later if you have time. 
Here is the code for what your 2 servo control code might look like. 
If you want your second servo to go to different positions than your first you may need to declare a different integer than pos and use that instead. Directions below
Notice in your servo code that the positions go from =0 to 180 in steps of + and - 1. That is what these lines of code do. 

We can change these numbers to make it move differently. Try it out and see what happens. 

180 means 180 degrees, or 1/2 a circle. 
Here an example. Try changing 180 to 90 instead. What does that do? 

WARNING: Servos usually do not go more than 180 degrees or 1/2 a circle. If you put in more than 180, you may break your servo. 

How to hook up your Heart Monitor?

Here is a video by Ms. Riley from RCC Nursing to help you learn how and where to place your ECG pads. It is not an exact science, but there are some tips and tricks to help. 


​Here is a picture to help you see where to place the pads. 

Seeing your Heart Rhythm! 

Now that you are all plugged in, you should be able to see your heart rythum.
​The Arduino Serial Plotter should look something like below, this is Mr. Dorsey's heart. 

Listen to what a heart rhythm sounds like below.

Here is Mr. Dorsey explaining how he got his heart rhythm and a tip (stay still!)

How to read your heart rhythm

Here is Ms. Riley on the basics on how to read your ECG (Video Pending)

Setting up the Heart Monitor. 

Step 1) The first step will be to hook up the electronics of your heart monitor. The heart monitor comes in your kit's black box. Here is a diagram for how to hook it up and a picture of what it will look like plugged in. 
Step 2) Plug in your Arduino to your computer using the USB cable 
Step 3) Open up Arduino IDE and type in the below code. 
Note, if your 
Step 4) Verify that your code works by pushing the check button in the upper left.
        If you get an error message, try the troubleshooting skills you learned on day one.
        See this link for a reminder. https://www.rcccamp.org/day-1-monday-basics-and-lights.html

Step 5) Upload your code to the board using the right arrow button next to the check mark.
              If you get a "Problem uploading to board" error, remember to fix your port
              (at the top tab select tools, port, and then select the one that says Arduino
Step 6) Open up the Serial Plotter by selecting Tools and then Serial Plotter

Your arduino should now be looking for your body's electrical signal and show a graphing screen. You are ready to hook up. 
You will have to make sure that the baud rate at the bottom left of the plotter matches the number you put in the Serial.begin line of your code in order for it to work. 

See the pictures at the right. 

Supplemental Lessons (Day 2) ​

Make sure to do the regular day 2 lesson first. Here is a link if you need to find it. 
https://www.rcccamp.org/day-2-tuesday-servos.html

Controlling 2 servos with one potentiometer
(Continues from the last day 2 activity) 

Someday you may want to wire up many of these servos to control a lot of things. We should learn how to change a code to add more of the same thing. Below is code similar to the end of the 3rd lesson from day 2 on controlling one servo with one potentiometer. ​
Now, below is the same code but just adding the lines needed to control a 2nd servo. Note what changes. Is there a trend for the changes? Try it out and see if you can get it to work.  
Picture


​

​
Remember that below is how to wire up two servos. The potentiometer wiring looks the same as before. 

Control Electronics with your Heart

We will now learn some things we can do with our heart signals! 
Send your code to your Arduino and open the Serial Plotter. See if your Arduino's builtin LED is lighting up at the same time your heart beats. Below is how to adjust your code to work perfectly for you.

Finding your threshold value

You have always been told that everybody is different. Well, so is everyone's heart! The threshold value I used for my code above will be different  than the one you need for your heart. 

See how my highest hump is at about 390 and my 2nd highest hump is at around 360. You have to pick a threshold number between those two. I chose 370. 
Change your code's threshold number to work with your heart's numbers and resend your code to your board. 
Remember to save your code!

Is your onboard LED lighting up when your heart beats? 

Did it work right?

​Your onboard LED should be blinking once every time your heart beats.

If you need help, watch this video. 

Controlling an off board light with your heart. 

Plug in your resistor attached to your LED like below to control your light using your heart. 
That is the 220 Ohm resistor and a red LED.

Let's make a light show.

Remember the series and parallel lesson using the bread board? You can actually put a bunch of lights on your breadboard that will light up whenever your heart beats! For the +- rail, hook the black wire to the GND and the + red wire to pin 13.  
After you get your lights to work with your heart, feel free to share a video with your teacher by emailing it to them!

LET'S MAKE SOME NOISE! (Buzzer) 

Once you are able to get lights to work on your bread board, all you have to do is replace the lights with the buzzer in your kit and your buzzer should beep every time your heart beats. 
You will need the buzzer and a 100 Ohm resistor for this.

If your buzzer turns out too quiet, you can also try the 10 Ohm resistor.
Here is a video showing how it works. This uses the same code as the prior activity. 

Get your Robot Hand Ready.

If you have not built your robot hand yet, go ahead and do that for the rest of today's class. You can also start gluing the servo motors on it to prepare for tomorrow. Those steps were at the end of day 2. Here is a link to that day. Just scroll to the bottom.
​
https://www.rcccamp.org/day-2-tuesday-servos.html

Try to have at least one servo glued to your hand by the end of today's class.
See the video below for what you should have to prepare for tomorrow. 

Materials needed for today's activity. 

Trying out the Servo (1st activity)

We first have to learn how servos work. 
Step 1) Wire up your servo like this picture. 
*The brown/black wire goes to GND, the red wire goes to 5V and the last wire goes to pin 9. 
(Note, the last wire could be several different colors) 

You can actually plug your servo's orange cord to any pin, just make sure to type that pin number in myservo.attach(#)  where # is what you plugged in. Notice the example picture is plugged into 9? 
Wire up your servo into your Arduino board like the picture above. 
Yellow* into pin 9, black/brown into Gnd (aka - or ground), and red into the 5V (+)
*(Note, this wire could be several different colors, but yellow is just used in the picture) 
You will need extra wires to plug the servo into the Arduino. This is what that looks like. 

Try to match colors like black to black and red to red.
Step 2) Type in the code below.     
* // are just comments. You do not need to type the // or what comes after them.
They are just there to tell you what that line of code does.

Tip: The # symbol for #include is made by pushing shift and 3 at the same time 
This code uses the <  >  symbols. Those are next to the m key on your keyboard.
To get the < symbol, hold shift and the , key. To get the > symbol, hold shift and the . key

Step 3) Validate the code like yesterday's activity using the check box button the upper left.
Here is a link if you need a reminder: https://www.rcccamp.org/day-1-monday-basics-and-lights.html

Step 4) Did you get an error? If so go through the checkpoints from yesterday: 
    a) Are all the colored parts in this picture colored in your code?
    b) Check CaPiTaL letters.
    ​c) You may have forgotten a ;
    d) You may have forgotten a parenthesis ( or )
    e) Did you type the curly brackets?  {   }    
                             
​If you get no error, then you can move on.

Step 5) Plug in your board. Upload the code using the right arrow symbol (top left) 
      *remember that "problem uploading to board" means you have to change your port. 
        to do that go to: tools, port, and select Arduino

Step 6) Is it working? If so, that's cool! Save your work! 
       *If it is not working, a common  thing is that your wires have some glue stuck on the metal ends. Use your finger nails             to rub any glue off of the wires you are using. 

Once you get it to work, feel free to play with some of the numbers on the code and
re-upload it to the board to see how those numbers effected the servo.  
Use a screwdriver to screw a lever into your servo. 

Multicolor LED

Here is a video showing you the basics. 
Set up your breadboard similar to below and use the 220 resistors for your board. 
It does not really matter what pins you use for red, green, and blue (RGB) as long as they have the ~ symbol in front of the number like ~11 or ~3 etc.

The ~ symbol by an Arduino pin means Pulse Width Modulation. You don't need  to know what that is right now, but that to get the best light results it helps for the 3 color RGB light. 
Watch this video to get the background for this activity. 

Getting the colors on (Blinking)

Picture
Use the same code that you used to get your regular LEDs on and off and see if you can get them to turn on the Multi color LED's colors. You may have to change the pin numbers used in your code. If you have trouble, you can start with this code to the left. 

Now that you got one light on, go ahead and change your code to try and change colors or get two colors on at once. ​

Set Colors your own color 

This code is used to set up your led to be multiple colors and brightness at once. 
You change the numbers in the "setColor(255, 0, 0);" part to change what colors your LED makes. 

Getting the colors to switch

Now that you have gotten the code to work, try adding the other colors to digitalWrites to get the colors to switch. 
​
You add this to the loop just like you added delays and more digitalWrites to your blink code. 

Once you get it to work, change the values in the set color part to numbers between 0-255 and see what happens. ​

Watch this Video about our Heart Monitor

What is an ECG/EKG?

An ECG is an electrocardiogram or an EKG. The ECG is used to determine heart rate, heart rhythm and other heart information. It measures the electrical signals in our body.

Watch this video below by RCC Professor Ms. Riley about the basics of how and why your body makes electrical signals. (Video Pending) 

​Materials needed for today's activity. 

Note: Not for diagnostic purposes

The Arduino heart monitor and the IDE Serial Monitor for this lesson are purely for educational purposes and should not be used for any diagnostic purpose.  If  you have any medical concerns that arise as a result of this education experience, contact your health care provider for advice.   

Note, the last two activities may be difficult for you. That is ok, if you cannot get it after asking for help, we will let you know what you can work on instead.  

Body Controlling a Servo (3rd activity)

Warning: Test the following code on a spare servo first. You do not want to test it on a robot hand servo first because you do not want to accidentally break your motors or hand. 
Your code may not work quite right or it may be too strong. 

Watch Mr. Dorsey's Video for Tips

Below is the code in order to control a servo using your arm. Note your threshold values will be different than mine and you get to set your own positions for your servo based on how you want your robot hand to move. 
Below is where I placed my pads and the signal I got when I moved my arm up and down. The up spikes over 450 happened when I moved my arm up and the down spikes below 200 happened when I moved my arm down. 
You will have to set your own thresholds for the high and low values based on your muscle signal. 
You will have to set your own thresholds for the high and low values based on your muscle signal. I picked 400 for high because when I moved my arm up the numbers always went above that and I picked 200 for low because moving my arm down always made numbers below that. 

Watch Dorsey Explain what you will see

Testing 

Body Controlling a Buzzer (2nd activity)

These are extra materials that you need: Breadboard, 100 Ohm Resistors, Buzzer
Here is a picture of how to wire up the buzzer. 

Use the same code as the 2nd activity from yesterday. The one you used to have the onboard LED blink, the off board lights to blink, and the buzzer to buzz when your heart beat. 
In case you did not save yesterday's code, below is an example code to use for this activity. 
Note, the only changes to yesterday's code are the threshold value and all of the heart references have been changed to muscle references since the leads are now on your arm. 

Setting the Threshold Value

Everyone's muscles are different and your electrical signal will be different than mine. So, you need to find your own Threshold. 
I set my threshold to 260 because my when I did not move, my graph's line is at about 255. My twitch caused it to go to a little above 260. Your threshold needs to be above your flat not moving line but below your twitch peak line. 

Using code to control off-bard lights. 

Here is a video to show you how to control the lights using the code. 

The sounds of the heart. 

​If you are interested in the sounds a heart can make, here is a video going over the different sounds. Note, the graphs on the left of the video are sound waves and not electrical signals that your heart monitor reads. 

Supplemental Lessons (Day 3) ​

Make sure to do the regular day 3 lesson first. Here is a link if you need to find it. 
https://www.rcccamp.org/day-3-wednesday-making-an-ecgekg.html

Today's supplemental lessons extend Monday and Tuesday's lessons

Materials Needed Today. 

Measuring Body Electricity! (1st activity)

Electromyography is a diagnostic medicine technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. It is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram (EMG).

Below is a video showing a more complex version of what you could make today and tomorrow. 

This video shows a similar ECG machine to the one in your kit using code similar to what you will learn here. 

This video is just for fun and you do not need to watch it if you attend class. 

Watch Mr. Dorsey introduce what to expect. 

Fun tip: You see how zig zaggy my video's baseline signal is?
It is supposed to be a flat when you do not move.
​Here are some reasons why you may have noise in your signal. 
1) Don't wear headphones or any other electronics when you are taking your ECG or EMG.  (In the video I was wearing headphones)
2) Unplug your laptop charger.
3) Wait at least 30 seconds and see if your signal levels out.
      Here is an example of what it may look like if you just need to wait.   
      It may take time to level out. (like 20 seconds) 
Use the same code from yesterday's lesson that showed you your heart rhythm, but hook the red and yellow leads to your forearm like this. Keep the green lead connected on your side.

It does not matter which color goes on which spot on your arm. 
Below is Mr. Dorsey's electrical signal when he moves his hand quickly after hooking up the ECG leads to his arm and uploading yesterday's 1st code. Hooking it to your arm makes it an EMG (electromyograph) instead of a heart monitor. 
If you did not save yesterday's code, here it is again with some very small (inconsequential) changes to reflect that this is an EMG and not an EKG.

Either of yesterday's two codes will work though.
After you upload the code to the board, open up your Serial Plotter and set the baud rate. 

Do you see your muscle signal? If you stay still, it should be a flat line that only jumps when you move your hand. See the pictures below for an idea of what that looks like. 
Move on to activity 2 when you are ready. 
Dorsey Staying Still
Notice it stays pretty still at 254 
*your number will be different than mine
Dorsey Twitching Hand
Notice there are peaks only when moving
*your number will be different than mine​ 
​

It's time to prep for the show! 

​Finalize what you want to show your teachers,  the other students, and parents.

Check that all your electronics and code work for what you want to share for the show-and-tell finale.

We want you to be able to show us your creations working! Hopefully, you can get a computer with a webcam or a cell phone with the Zoom app so you can show us your creations!

​Your rooms should be cleaned and ready by 11:20 for the am class or 3:20 for the pm class. 
Last minute tweaks/fixes.  
​Students show off for each other and parents.
​Live show and tell.

Body Controlling More than One Servo

Tip: You need to power a lot of items with this activity but the Arduino board only has so many GND and Voltage holes.

When you need to power many electrical components, plug all the red + wires into the positive breadboard rail and all of the - black wires into the - blue breadboard rail.

Do not forget to power the rail by connecting the Arduino's GND pin with a black wire to the blue - rail and a red wire from the Arduino's 5V pin to the red + rail.
You may need a different number of servos than me depending on your robot hand. 
Add as many new servos into your lesson 2 code that you need to control your servo. 

Before we move on, I want to explain 
Here are some tips to fine-tune your code. 
Change one servo value at a time, then run the code to see where the finger goes. If it is too far or too little, you can change that one value again and repeat until it goes where you want it to go. 

Below is what we did for each day of camp! 

Before camp: June 1-21, 2020
Day 1 of camp: Monday June 22, 2020
Day 2 of camp: Tuesday June 23, 2020
Day 3 of camp: Wednesday June 24, 2020
Day 4 of camp: Tuesday June 25, 2020
Day 5 of camp: Friday June 26, 2020

Note, that you can work on these activities before the camp starts, but we can only guarantee that your questions can be answered on the specific days of the camp's activities.

Each day you will be emailed a Zoom link or access code so you can join the online class.  

Supplemental Lessons (Day 4) 

Make sure to do the regular day 4 lesson first. Here is a link if you need to find it. 
https://www.rcccamp.org/day-4-thursday-controlling-servos-with-emg.html

Let's build the robot arm's frame

Today we build the robotic arm that came in your kit. Right now we will control it with our hand, but soon you will have servo motors control the fingers! 

Now we will learn about servo motors, how they move, and how they want to use them to get your robot hand to move. 

If you do not have this robot hand, it is not 100% required but here is a link to it if you want to purchase it. 
Each student then super glues servos onto their hand to control the strings.
Students then try to get it working in their design using their potentiometer code. 

Go Beyond!

Differentiation day: students that are behind get time with teachers to catch up on any of the first four lessons. Students that are ahead can look through each day's supplemental activities or tutorial books and learn how to do more at their own pace.
Here are some of the built in examples the Arduino program comes with: 
https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/BuiltInExamples

Here is the tutorial book if you are interested in adding other parts to your arm or you want to try another project that we have not taught you.
the_most_complete_starter_kit_for_uno_v1.0.17.1.13.pdf
File Size: 31153 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Sign up for the camp by clicking here! 

This week-long camp introduces students to coding basics.  Students will build an Arduino controlled robotic "prosthetic" hand! Students will also learn the basics of how ECG/EKGs work and build their own EKG to see their own heart's signals. You may even figure out how to get your robotic hand to be controlled by your body's own electrical signals!

Design and Build! 

Create!
Below are links to each Day's Lessons. I encourage you to explore the site.  
Before camp: June 1-21  Getting the Camp Software and your kit 
Day 1 of camp: Monday June 22 Basic Coding and Engineering
Day 2 of camp: Tuesday June 23 Servos and Potentiometers and Build Your Arm
Day 3 of camp: Wednesday June 24  Attach Servos/See your heart, Building an EKG
Day 4 of camp: Tuesday June 25 Different ways to control your robotic arm
Day 5 of camp: Friday June 26 Reach Day: Try other lessons or use this time to catch up. 

Note: you are welcome to work on these activities before the camp starts, but your instructor will only answer questions when the date nears the  June 22-26, 2020 camp. 

Have a question? 

Contact your teachers using the Contact us tab at the top of the website or use this link:
https://www.rcccamp.org/contact-us.html

Other STEM Student Opportunities

Want to continue in STEM? See the following opportunities! 
All of these programs are FREE!

RCC Dual Enrollment (DE) 

RCC DE Webpage: rappahannock.edu/academics/dual-enrollment/

Dual enrollment programs enable students to take community college courses while enrolled in high school and provides college level educational opportunities not otherwise available. Dual enrollment courses allow qualified high school juniors and seniors to enroll in college courses during the school day where they receive both college and high school credit prior to high school graduation. Freshmen and sophomores can enroll with special approval from RCC’s administration.

Dual Enrollment can provide you with enough credits to graduate from high school with your Associate's Degree from RCC. You graduate from both high school and college your senior year! Please use the link above to learn more. It is never to early to plan! 

Virginia Space Grant

VSGC Website: https://vsgc.odu.edu/

​8th - 9th grade: 
Building Leaders for Advancing Science and Technology (BLAST)
https://vsgc.odu.edu/blast/

10th grade: Virginia Space Coast Scholars (VSCS) https://vsgc.odu.edu/spacecoast/

11th or 12th grade:
The Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS)
https://vsgc.odu.edu/vesss/

11th or 12th grade:
Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars (VASTS) 
https://vsgc.odu.edu/vasts/

16 years or older: Pathways Flight Academy
https://vsgc.odu.edu/pathwaysflightacademies/

College: 
General NASA Internships: https://intern.nasa.gov/
STEM Scholarships: 
                   https://vsgc.odu.edu/scholarships-fellowships/
                   https://vsgc.odu.edu/communitycollegescholarships/
                   https://vsgc.odu.edu/stembridge/
Community College Internships/Stem Takes Flight: 
                    https://vsgc.odu.edu/stemtakesflight/

Chesapeake Bay Governor's School

Your regional Middle Peninsula and Northern Neck STEM magnet public school. 
Apply during your 9th grade year. 

Summer Residential Governor's School 

Rising 11th and 12th graders:
Summer experiences in one of the following: visual and performing arts; humanities; mathematics, science, and technology.

Mentorship options in marine science, medicine and health sciences, or engineering.

See this link for more info:
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/governors_school_programs/summer_residential/

Below is this summer's info. Note, students applying this Fall are for Summer 2021

Virginia Tech STEM-Health Camp

Rising 9-12th grade:
Each camper (student) will receive a box of items (anatomy set, skin suturing workshop items, Stop the Bleed kit, etc.). Online camp registration is due by Wednesday, July 1.
 
The parent or guardian of any student interested, can register their child at this link: 
https://virginiatech.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_er0FQbzAGxS9yg5

Or contact Louann Morrow at [email protected]

RCC Health Sciences Offerings

Rappahannock Community College is known throughout the region for having the very best Health Sciences instruction (for credit and non-credit). Many graduates from our degree, certificate, and career study programs go on to careers in the field, and many have continued their education at four-year degree schools.
Check out what is available through RCC:
​
Nursing: 
   Pre-BSN Specialization (AA&S Transfer Degree)
   ADN Nursing (Associates Applied Science Degree)
   Nurse Aide
   Pre-Nursing
   Practical Nursing (Certificate)
   Pre-Practical Nursing

Emergency:
   EMS - Paramedic I
   EMS - Paramedic II
   EMT – Advanced
   EMT – Emergency Medical Technician
   Pre-Paramedic

Other Medical:
   Phlebotomy
   Pre-Medical Lab Tech
   Medical Laboratory Technology
   Respiratory Therapy (Associates Applied Science Degree)
   Psychology/Social Work (AA&S Transfer Degree)
   Health STEM (AA&S Transfer Degree)

Workforce Offerings:
   Nurse Aide Certification Training
   Medication Aide
   Pharmacy Technician
   Basic Life Support and CPR for Healthcare Professionals

Area Health Education Center

 Summer STEM Camp
     Summer Enrichment Experience stem camp is designed to promote science and
     medicine to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors from local high schools. Campers
     are introduced to human anatomy and physiology as well as a variety of healthcare
     professions through modules and learning workshops. Each camper will receive a box of
     learning tools to help provide an interactive experience.
 Workshops
 AHEC Scholars Program (eligibility: enrollment in at least a two-year health program)
      You may be eligible to receive a stipend if you are entering healthcare in Virginia.                    Each AHEC Scholar will receive a Virginia AHEC Scholars Certificate, setting them                      apart from other students in an increasingly competitive environment. 
​
           Apply at: https://www.vhwda.org/initiatives/ahec-scholars
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