This activity is designed for children who have never been in touch with robotics and/or programming. There is no prior knowledge required and it is suitable for children aged 8 and up. At first, the students get an introduction to robotics in general: What kinds of robots are there in today’s world, what do they think about when they hear the word “robot”? Next, they learn how to drive the robot in different directions: forwards, backwards, curves. In the following part, they can be creative. In an activity called “Save the World”, the children are encouraged to think about problems in today’s world and how robots could solve them. Then, they simulate this task with their own robot by building a claw and attaching it to the base robot. After the robot is programmed, utensils are gathered and maybe the robot is even decorated using paper and pencils, each group presents which problem they chose, explains the simulation and shows it to all the others by executing their program. In the end, the students get a final task in which they have to program the robot to drive accurately along a given path. Depending on the students’ mood, this can be executed in a competition way or just as a normal task.
Subject Related:
- No subject
Skills Learning Outcomes:
Skills to be fostered:
Skills to be fostered:
Skills to be fostered:
Skills to be fostered:
Digital artifacts: programming language (Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment)
Robotic artifacts: a simple vehicle
Gender: both
Age Group: 8 - 13 Years
Class Size: medium
(Ideal) Group Size: 2
(Ideal) Grouping Suggestions:
Special needs and abilities:
Environment: classroom,indoor
Style of room: open space for driving robots, each student should be able to see the screen/blackboard
Sessions: 1
Session Duration: 6h00
Total Duration: 6h00
Actions:
Relationships:
Roles in the group:
Support by the tutor(s):
Price per Kit: €301 - €500
Technology Needed: Computers
Teaching Methods:
| Introduction, brainstorming, mindmap | |
| Description: | Children are asked to introduce their selves by saying their name and describing what they think about when they hear the word “robot”. Afterwards, a brainstorming is conducted about the question: “What are robots?” What do they look like? What are they used for today? What can they be used for in the future? The children are then asked to draw a mindmap about their thoughts about robots. |
| Duration: | 35 minutes |
| Type: | Introductory |
| Orchestration: | Individual work , Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | discussion |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Presentation about types of robots | |
| Description: | The tutor talks about what kinds of robots there are already in today’s world, shows students pictures and asks them what they think these robots are used for. |
| Duration: | 15 minutes |
| Type: | Introductory |
| Orchestration: | Individual work |
| Teaching Methods: | presentation |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Printing their name | |
| Description: | The tutor shows the students which blocks are used for printing text on the controller’s screen. Afterwards, the students experiment on how to make the robot greet one of the group members and then all of the group members. |
| Duration: | 20 minutes |
| Type: | Introductory , Experimentation |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | demonstration by example |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Introduction to driving | |
| Description: | Explanation of the Standard Movement block. Discussion about what the different buttons could be and how changing them (the factors) could influence direction of the movement, speed and how to drive a curve. Afterwards, the students can try modifying these factors and see what they do: driving forward, driving a curve, driving backwards. |
| Duration: | 20 minutes |
| Type: | Experimentation |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | instruction , demonstration by example , discussion , experimentation |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Drive a square | |
| Description: | Students should use their knowledge from the previous phases to drive along a square shape with the robot. In order to be able to do that, they have to be able to drive a perfect 90° curve at first. They have to try out modifying the different factors for doing that. |
| Duration: | 40 minutes |
| Type: | Experimentation |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | experimentation |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Save the world: Introduction | |
| Description: | A brainstorming is conducted about which problems there are in today's world and how robots could help solve them/make the world a better place. |
| Duration: | 10 minutes |
| Type: | Introductory |
| Orchestration: | Individual work , Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | instruction , discussion |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Save the world: Sketch | |
| Description: | The students should think about how to design their robot to complete a task which could save the world. The should draw a sketch of their robot to describe it. |
| Duration: | 30 minutes |
| Type: | Reflection , Exploration , Experimentation |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | discussion |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Save the world: Building and programming the robot | |
| Description: | The students should now try to build and program a simulation of the task that they have chosen. They can use paper and pencils to set up a simulated environment in which their robot performs the task. As a minimum requirement, the students should build a static claw and program their robot in a way that simulates the task that they have chosen. |
| Duration: | 110 minutes |
| Type: | Exploration , Experimentation , Construction |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | discussion , experimentation |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Save the world: Presentation of the robot | |
| Description: | One member of each group should now present the group’s robot and explain the task the robot is going to simulate, what the utensils they used should simulate (foam cubes, …) and then execute the program. |
| Duration: | 20 minutes |
| Type: | Reflection |
| Orchestration: | Individual work |
| Teaching Methods: | discussion |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
| Driving accurately | |
| Description: | A path is taped to the floor. The students should program their robot in a way that it follows this path. The path should contain a lot of different curves, straightforward parts of the same length, only multiplied (for example: line no. 1 is x seconds long, line no. 2 is 3*x seconds long) and could contain a foam cube or something similar that the robot is supposed to push somewhere. |
| Duration: | 60 minutes |
| Type: | Experimentation |
| Orchestration: | Group work |
| Teaching Methods: | experimentation |
| Subject Related: | No subject |
| Skills Learning Outcomes: | Students will be able to draw a mindmap. , Students will be able to program the task in the Lego Mindstorms EV3 programming environment. , Students will be able to plan what their finished robot project should look like, discuss ideas with the group and draw their finished project. , Students will be able to build a claw for pushing items around using Lego parts and to write a program which simulates a task they have chosen. |
Save the world: Presentation of the robot: One member of each group should now present the group’s robot and explain the task the robot is going to simulate, what the utensils they used should simulate (foam cubes, …) and then execute the program.
There is no Feedback yet.