Overview

Science Concept

The Nervous System Communicates with Muscles through Electrical Waves

Electrical impulses from the brain to the muscles can be observed, measured, and recorded as waves to show that there is a relationship between the circulatory, respiratory, muscular, and nervous systems of the human body.

Sample micro:bit body electrical data graph

Project Goal

Give students real world experience with coding, collecting data, analyzing data, and reporting results using MakeCode’s block programming and a micro:bit with its sensors.

Prior Knowledge

Students need to have a basic knowledge of how to code using block style programming (micro:bit using the Windows 10 MakeCode app) and download a program to a micro:bit.

Student Outcomes

Students will:

• Create experiments to collect data using micro:bits and measure voltage in the human body.
• Setup different experiments to observe the bodies electrical effect.
• Code the micro:bits to collect data remotely over the micro:bit radios.
• Analyze the data collected.
• Report on the findings of the experiments.

Materials Needed

• 2 micro:bits with batteries connected

• A longer USB microbit cable
• Spreadsheet for data analysis
• 2 long (36-48” or 100-130 cm) thin wires for electrical body sensors (wire from an old network cable works quite well).
• Painters tape to tape the wires to the skin on the body.

Adapted from “Body Electrical & Waves“ by C Lyman