Drones in High-Tech Farming

Estimated Time: Five 45-minute class periods

Simulation Summary: Students discover the science behind how a drone works, explore how drones are used in agriculture, and program and operate a drone for the purpose of monitoring grazing sheep.

Teacher Developed Setting(s): You are a rancher, and you raise sheep. Your 25 sheep are grazing in a large, hilly area surrounded by fences. The area is so large that it is difficult to monitor the entire area even with horses or all-terrain vehicles. You have just purchased a drone to help monitor the sheep. You will need to program a flight plan for the drone and take aerial photographs and videos of the grazing area. You will examine the images captured by the drone’s camera to identify problems and then determine how to resolve them.

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