For teachers, bringing drones into the classroom may seem intimidating. Especially if they've never used them, educators may believe they don't have the technical knowhow, lack an understanding of how to connect these experiences to the curriculum, or fear that students might veer off course. Understanding these concerns, the PCS Edventures team has made integrating drones in education more manageable with their Discover Drones kits. Teaching with these kits has long involved students building drones themselves and teachers drawing on curricular content to enhance lessons. Now, with their latest offerings, educators can enjoy even more peace of mind with the Discover Drones Premium Kits!
There are two Premium Kits that make up the latest Discover Drones STEM solutions. We simply refer to them as the 7-pack and the 10-pack. Each of the kits includes the same drones found in the previous Discover Drones solutions. They're unique because they directly enable middle and high school students to explore drone technology. Plus, students have access to all the pieces of the drones and they can engineer them right in the classroom! Perfect for STEM classes or afterschool activities, the Discover Drones solutions truly combine a variety of STEM disciplines. These include everything from engineering and design thinking to problem solving and, of course, piloting.
The Discover Drones Premium Kits are designed for students in Grades 7-12. The ideal student-to-drone ratio is three students to one drone, though it could still work with up to four or as little as one. There are tons of different components that come included in each of the Premium Packages. Most notably, students get the drones, FPV goggles, and radio controllers. With the goggles and radio controllers, particularly, they can experience more than simply piloting in the classroom or outdoors. The goggles function like a VR headset and allow students to see real-time drone data while they're piloting.
As for the drones, they're known as the RubiQ model. Students can build them from the ground up and each of them is configurable to fit their preferences. There's no soldering required and the drones are very safe for students. Their design helps inspire young adults to pursue STEM classes, degrees, and careers. While teaching with the Discover Drones kits isn't necessarily coding heavy, students will get the chance to explore everything from engineering to various applied sciences.
The best way for students to start out with Discover Drones experiences is with the Droneology course. Access to this course comes included in both the 7-pack and the 10-pack. Teachers can find the content and share it with students, creating entire lesson plans based on the interactive, digital content found within Droneology. While fun and intriguing, this content is also very important for safety and efficiency when students are piloting the drones. Droneology is an online app (also accessible on mobile devices) that students and teachers can use together. It combines hands-on experiences with the drones and fast-paced, informative lessons that help position students for success.
Once they've completed their Droneology work, students can start experiencing drones in the classroom. That's where one of the other key component of these kits, the LABcards, come in. Essentially serving as lesson guides, these cards feature step-by-step project examples so students can utilize the drones safely and effectively. In each of the two kits, there is one 20-card set per drone. So, there are seven 20-card sets included in the 7-pack and 10 20-card sets included in the 10-pack. When students follow the LABcards, they're able to enjoy a more student-directed learning experience while educators are afforded the opportunity to step aside a bit and serve more as a facilitator and coach.
To that end, independent learning and discovery are each big parts of the Discover Drones experience. Whether they're using the drones as part of the school day, after school, or in a STEM club, students can enjoy the rewards of this carefully designed system. Besides providing students with the projects, there is also content on each of the LABCards that breaks down the skills they'll learn throughout the various activities. After they complete their Droneology training, students can jump right in to the projects found on the LABcards. Once they complete all of the projects (or as many as they have time to do), there is one final design project at the end. After completing this final challenge, students should feel confident about their piloting, problem solving, and open-ended exploration skills!
While the LABCards are extensive and certainly valuable to STEM educators, they're not the only piece of the puzzle. The Discover Drones curriculum is also extensive and highly relevant for today's STEM learning. There are four curriculum topics that educators can access once they purchase a Discover Drones Premium Kit. Broken down into four levels, they are Yellow (Level 1), Orange (Level 2), Purple (Level 3), and Blue (Level 4). Level 1 (Build) is dedicated to helping students learn how to build drones. Educators can use the content to guide students through this process, including learning all the key pieces of information about their RubiQ drones. They'll be able to follow construction guides, learn about wave behavior and electronic flow, and finish up with lessons on drone piloting laws, regulations, and coordination.
In Level 2 (Train), students are first exposed to using the Discover Drones flight simulator and radio controls. Of course, this is very valuable in preparing them for facilitating actual flights in the near future. They'll learn about all the features and functions of the flight controller and the drone's radio communication system. From there, they'll wrap things up with lessons on electrochemistry, LiPo batteries, drone ethics, and potential future uses of these machines. In Level 3 (Fly), students learn the key points they need to know in order to start flying drones. This includes, at the top of the list, flight safety. From there, they'll also explore line-of-sight piloting, motor and sensor calibration, and finish up with lessons on balanced and unbalanced forces.
Finally, Level 4 (Race) may be the most exciting of them all. This is their opportunity to start really using the FPV goggles and experience some of the capabilities of their drones. They'll start by learning some of the key skills for FPV (first-person view) piloting, Bernoulli's Principle, and Newton's Third Law. From there, they'll then learn about Airfoils and Angle of Attack, including how each figure into the STEM behind piloting drones. Finally, they'll learn about what it means to develop a racer's mindset. Then, students are ready to apply all this new knowledge on using drones to their own carefully planned and executed flights using the drone and accessories in the Discover Drones kits!
As they get ready to plan their flights (whether indoors or outdoors), students can also use the obstacle courses included in the Premium Kits. The obstacle course materials include three flags and three gates for them to strategically place in their drone's path. Also, if they should need it, the kits come with a flight field kit, including first aid supplies, a cell checker, and cones. Students should also consider their drone's battery life and keep in mind everything they learned from the Droneology course.
With all of these components, teaching and learning with the Discover Drones solutions can be incredibly rewarding for students. If you're interested in bringing drones into STEM experiences, we definitely recommend checking out these solutions and, more importantly, the curricular content. These guides are invaluable in creating real-world and guided STEAM experiences for students. You can find the Discover Drones Premium Kits below and search our store for additional drone kits and accessories. If you have any questions about the Discover Drones solutions, please don't hesitate to contact us. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for more!
