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January 28-February 14
Working in teams of no more than 3, create an obstacle for a robotics competition. Each student must be able to successfully conquer their own obstacle. The tournament will be Valentine's Day themed. The date for the tournament will be announced soon.
It will take 2-3 weeks to complete this project.
January 7-25
Research Different Types of Robots: Space, Entertainment, Medical, Industrial etc.
THEN Create & Design Your Own Robot out of recyclable materials.
Students will need to sketch out a design first (possibly in SeeSaw using the drawing app)
Students can create a comic strip in StoryboardThat.
Students will also write a paragraph describing the function/design of their robot as well as what type of robot it is (Autonomous, Entertainment, Humanoid). They can record their own voice reading their paragraph in SeeSaw.
Put students into culminating projects groups BEFORE programming using the sensors.
EV3s: We will learn about the different SENSORS on the EV3s: touch sensor and color sensor
Have students program the bot to stop once it touches an object (like the wall)
Also have students program the bot to find a particular color and then stop.
Once students are successful with the sensors, they can continue working in their groups to brainstorm their culminating project. Follow directions in Google Classroom
December 17-20
Finish up Webquest and then review it. For those that finish up the Webquest early, students will go to SeeSaw and journal about something they learned from the webquest or something that interested them enough to continue researching or include a picture of your favorite robot and describe what it does.
After reviewing the webquest, begin an Introduction to Lego Mindstorms. Go ahead and let ALL students get a chromebook and open up the PROGRAMMING app. I will work through the Powerpoint lesson but have students programming on their own computer while learning from the PP lesson. After each student has become familiar with the BRICKS they will need to work together as a team for today’s goal.
GOAL: Go Christmas Caroling
We will work through the first two blocks together (following the PP starting at slide 11) and then I will let students work as a group to complete the rest.
December 10-14
Robotics Webquest- continue working on this
Spheros Lesson. Students will create a square with the Spheros AND/OR navigate driving through the maze. Students will eventually program the SPHERO to drive through the maze autonomously.
Rotate through these sessions if there aren’t enough Spheros:
- Have 2 drive through maze
- Have 2 or 3 draw shapes
- Have the rest work on a Sphero EDU lesson either with BLOCKS or TEXT (they do not need a Sphero for this for a while)
Week 3 December 3-7
Bellringers + Sudoku
Take the quiz in Google Classroom about the Robotics video
Begin the Robotics Webquest located in Google Classroom
Begin programming with SPHEROS.
Start with driving and learn to aim the Sphero.
The easiest introduction to SPRK robots is to teach driving the robot and changing colors. This requires understanding the concept of aiming the robot, which was confusing for some students. I kept emphasizing that the robot is "dumb" and must always be told which way is forward.
Week 2: November 26-30
Watch a video on Robotics using this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSTLU5eBESs
Before watching the video, keep in mind the following: a) what are the uses of robots? b) what are the components of robotics? c) how do they move?
Teach quickly about effective note taking. Using Headers, Underlining, Starring etc. Take notes during the movie of the most important things.
RECYCLING ROBOTS- great video
http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/industrial-robots/042110-recycling-robots
RECYCLING ROBOTICS COMPETITION
http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/first-recycle-rush-2015-robotics-game-unveiled
Logic/Sequencing Programming - Program a Human Rover
Use a student as an example to pick up a glass of water and drink.
Remind students that robots need to be given commands in a very specific way in order for them to do a certain function. Robots need to be programmed.
For this activity, they will use logic and sequencing to write a set of instructions for their partner to complete. This will help develop their logic, sequence, and problem solving skills, as well as introduce the concept of robotic programming.
Introduce Spheros if time. Discuss how to connect to the Sphero and discuss AIMING. Students can practice drawing a shape and then driving through a maze to get the hang of it.
WEEK 1: THIS WEEK STARTS OUR NEW ROTATION
WEEK 1: THIS WEEK STARTS OUR NEW ROTATION
November 12-20 (2018)
Students defined robotics in their own words on a post-it note and placed it on the white board.
Then students drew a picture of a robot performing a task of some sort and used it as their folder cover.
STEM Challenge: Create a Mechanical Arm challenge with certain materials. Students design and build a working robotic arm from a set of everyday items with a goal of having the arm be able to pick up a Styrofoam cup. Working in teams of three or four students, the students explore effective teamwork skills while learning simple robot mechanics.
Rules:
*The robot arm must be at least 18 inches in length and be able to pick up an empty Styrofoam cup.
* Your team must agree on a design for the robot arm and identify what materials will be used.
*Your team should draw a sketch of their agreed upon design prior to construction.
*Part of the teamwork process is sharing ideas and determining which design your team will go with.
*Trial and error are part of the design process. There is no "right" answer to the problem - your team's creativity will likely generate an arm that is unique from the others designed in your class
Reflection:
Reflection:
Q. Did you use all the materials provided to you? Why, or why not?
Q. Did you use all the materials provided to you? Why, or why not?
Q. Which item was most critical to your robot arm design?
Q. Which item was most critical to your robot arm design?
Q. How did working as a team help in the design process?
Q. How did working as a team help in the design process?
Q. Were there any drawbacks to designing as a team?
Q. Were there any drawbacks to designing as a team?
Q. What did you learn from the designs developed by other teams?
Q. What did you learn from the designs developed by other teams?
Q. Name three industries that make use of robots in manufacturing:
Q. Name three industries that make use of robots in manufacturing:
STANDARDS: As a result of their activities, all students should develop an understanding of:
Motions and forces
Transfer of energy
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
November 5-9
Students will be participating in the robotics tournament that they created.
October 22-November 2
Students are working on their culminating project which is to create an obstacle for a robotics tournament.
We also created Zentangles this week.
Through the Zentangle Method of drawing, you can
- Relax
- Focus
- Expand your imagination
- Trust your creativity
- Increase your awareness
- Respond confidently to the unexpected
- Discover the fun and healing in creative expression
- Enter a vibrant and supportive world-wide community
- Feel gratitude and appreciation for this beautiful world and all that you can do
- And perhaps most importantly . . . Have fun!
This is an example of a Zentangle that I created.
October 8-19
Teach about SENSORS this week with Lego Mindstorms. Use the touch sensor and the color sensor.
Learn about the different SENSORS on the EV3s: touch sensor and color sensor.
Have students program the bot to stop once it touches an object (like the wall).
Also have students program the bot to find a particular color and then stop.
Students have been placed in groups for their culminating project. They began brainstorming their Thanksgiving themed obstacle for the robotics tournament.
October 1-5
Create & Design Your Own Robot out of recyclable materials.
Students will need to sketch out a design first (possibly in SeeSaw using the drawing app)
Students can create a comic strip in StoryboardThat.
Students will also write a paragraph describing the function/design of their robot as well as what type of robot it is (Autonomous, Entertainment, Humanoid). They can record their own voice reading their paragraph in SeeSaw.
If students have time left over, they can program Spheros.
September 24-28
Bellringers + Sudoku (this one was a little tougher and some students didn't finish in the allotted time).
We engaged in a critical thinking activity called Six Thinking Hats. The scenario involved the possible future of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles. Six Thinking Hats or Edward de Bono's Six Hats is a good decision making technique and method for group discussions and individual thinking. Combined with the parallel thinking process, this technique helps groups think more effectively. It is a means to organize thinking processes in a detailed and cohesive manner.
Students chose either a Sphero or EV3 to program a path with a definitive START and END position. They must sketch out the path on graph paper prior to ANY programming and be able to explain WHAT the bot will do.
September 17-21
Finish up Robotics Webquest and then review it. For those students that finish the Webquest early, they will go to SeeSaw and journal about something they learned from the webquest OR something that interested them enough to continue researching OR they can include a picture of your favorite robot and describe what it does.
After reviewing the webquest, begin an Introduction to Lego Mindstorms. Go ahead and let ALL students get a chromebook and open up the PROGRAMMING app. I will work through the Powerpoint lesson but have students programming on their own computer while learning from the PP lesson. After each student has become familiar with the BRICKS they will need to work together as a team for today’s goal. GOAL: Create a square with the Lego Mindstorms.
We will work through the first two blocks together (following the PP starting at slide 11) and then I will let students work as a group to complete the rest.
September 10-14
Bellringers + Sudoku for those classes that missed Sudoku last week.
Work on Robotics Webquest (this assignment is found in Google Classroom). We will finish it next week in class.
Worked on driving the Sphero through a maze. Practiced using the DRAWING feature of Sphero.
September 4-10
We finished up programming our "human" robots.
Students were introduced to Sphero for the first time today. We learned some of the basics and then students were sent on a mission to program the Sphero to make a square. Sounds easy, but it's not!
August 27-31- week 2
Students will watch a video on Robotics and learn about the different types and purposes of robots. We worked on taking notes from a video.
This week we became both robot programmers and robots. Students were given a task for a robot to complete and then had to write logic/sequencing instructions for a classmate (robot) to perform. Some tasks included climbing a flight of stairs or drinking from the water fountain.
We learned that robots are only as successful as their programming.
Dinner Topic Questions:
Do you think robots "steal" jobs from humans?
August 20-24- week 1
Students defined robotics in their own words on a post-it note and placed it on the white board.
Then students drew a picture of a robot performing a task of some sort and used it as their folder cover.
STEM Challenge: Create a Mechanical Arm challenge with certain materials. Students design and build a working robotic arm from a set of everyday items with a goal of having the arm be able to pick up a Styrofoam cup. Working in teams of three or four students, the students explore effective teamwork skills while learning simple robot mechanics.
Rules:
*The robot arm must be at least 18 inches in length and be able to pick up an empty Styrofoam cup.
* Your team must agree on a design for the robot arm and identify what materials will be used.
*Your team should draw a sketch of their agreed upon design prior to construction.
*Part of the teamwork process is sharing ideas and determining which design your team will go with.
*Trial and error are part of the design process. There is no "right" answer to the problem - your team's creativity will likely generate an arm that is unique from the others designed in your class
Reflection:
Q. Did you use all the materials provided to you? Why, or why not?
Q. Which item was most critical to your robot arm design?
Q. How did working as a team help in the design process?
Q. Were there any drawbacks to designing as a team?
Q. What did you learn from the designs developed by other teams?
Q. Name three industries that make use of robots in manufacturing:
STANDARDS: As a result of their activities, all students should develop an understanding of:
Motions and forces
Transfer of energy
Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
December 12-16
Students are supposed to be bringing in recyclable materials this week in order to create an original robot prototype that performs a task. Now, the robot doesn't have to actually perform the task because it is just a prototype. If the robot they are creating already resembles one that exists, there must be some kind of modification or enhancement to it. We will display these robots around the school after completion. The students will then write a paragraph which will include the following information:
- what type of robot is it
- what makes it that type of rob
- what parts make it a robot
- what job/task does it perform
- what enhancements/mods were made if it is a robot that already exists
- how did you come up with this idea
- how much would you sell it for
- who is your intended audience (demographic)
Items to bring in: toilet paper holders, paper towel holders, cardboard, aluminum cans, plastic bottles and more.
Then we will create a comic strip using a website called www.storyboardthat.com Students do not need an account to create a strip but they will have to print off their comic before exiting. All of this can be done in class as long as students are not wasting their time.
December 5-9
Students continued to research and work on their Google Slides presentations featuring different types of robots. Some classes are ready to present this week while others still need to fine tune the project.
We will "play" with some robots in class this week including Sphero, Ozobot, and Meccano. Students are allowed to bring in their robotic toys this week to demonstrate them.
The students that are finished with their presentations will present them to an authentic audience of their peers. We will go into several classrooms and present our projects. Parents are allowed to come watch as well- please email me for more information on times: coxwellmh@vestavia.k12.al.us
November 14-December 2
November 14: We had our first affective lesson this week discussing PERFECTIONISM.
Then student got into groups and discussed our research project concerning the different types of robots. All of my Science students joined my Google Classroom and the instructions for this assignment are there. We will continue researching and creating our Google Slides presentations into the first week of December. Students will practice presenting for me first and then we will go to their homerooms to present for an authentic audience.
November 7-11
We completed our bellringers, including a perplexor and then finished working on our Robotics Webquest.
After the webquest, students will be separated into groups to research the different types of robots including: autonomous, entertainment, and humanoid. Students will work in groups to create a Google Slides presentation which contains 15-25 facts, pictures, GIFs, a video link, and something interactive (maybe a quiz).
October 31-November 4
This week we became both robot programmers and robots. Students were given a task for a robot to complete and then had to write logic/sequencing instructions for a classmate (robot) to perform.
We learned that robots are only as successful as their programming.
Then we embarked on a Webquest which is an internet scavenger hunt for information on different types of robots. Students were given 20 or so minutes to work on this and then we programmed the Lego Mindstorm EV3s. We will finish the Webquest next week!
October 24-28- FIRST WEEK WITH NEW STUDENTS
Students were introduced to my classroom since this is their first 9 weeks with me. We went over classroom expectations.
We looked at our Rebus Puzzles and discussed how to solve them then we worked on our Daily Grammar Practice (DGP) where we identified parts of speech. Yes, I know this is Science class but we use DGP as a bellringer in hopes to also help them in their ELA class since grammar is something they will have to learn every year of school!
Students defined robotics in their own words and put it on a post-it note on the whiteboard.
Then we drew a picture of a robot performing a task to use as the cover to our folder this 9 weeks.
We completed a K-W-L graphic organizer. The students told me what they already knew about robots (the K) and also what they want to learn (the W). The L comes later when we reflect on what it is that we learned.
We watched a video and took notes on Robotics and learned about the different types and purposes of robots.
October 17-21
This week we are having a mechanical arm challenge where students are given certain supplies and have to create a mechanical arm that performs a task. Students will be given 30 minutes to use the materials given and come to a consensus on the design. Below are a few of the videos from this challenge. We are also discussing the L part of our K-W-L which explains what we learned in class.
October 11-14
This week we are finishing up our recyclable robots by finishing the comic strip on storyboardthat.com and completing our written paragraph. Then we will be programming the Lego Mindstorm EV3s using the computer software to complete a task. The students will have to program the robot to go down a street, turn a corner, and say Trick or Treat at a house. Sound easy? It's not. The students have to take into consideration speed, velocity, and how to properly turn the vehicle. It is not remote controlled. It is based on the students coding/programming the robot properly.
October 3-7
Students are supposed to be bringing in recyclable materials this week in order to create an original robot prototype that performs a task. Now, the robot doesn't have to actually perform the task because it is just a prototype. If the robot they are creating already resembles one that exists, there must be some kind of modification or enhancement to it. We will display these robots around the school after completion. The students will then write a paragraph which will include the following information:
- what type of robot is it
- what makes it that type of robot
- what parts make it a robot
- what job/task does it perform
- what enhancements/mods were made if it is a robot that already exists
- how did you come up with this idea
- how much would you sell it for
- who is your intended audience (demographic)
Then we will create a comic strip using a website called www.storyboardthat.com Students do not need an account to create a strip but they will have to print off their comic before exiting. All of this can be done in class as long as students are not wasting their time.
My Science 1 class that meets on Mondays, however, has gotten the short end of the stick because of all of the holidays on Mondays. I will have to pull them on a different day next week so they can have time in class to work.
September 26-30
This week we presented our Google Slides presentations for an authentic audience. I have shared a few here. I also sent home the graded rubric for the Science 4 class. The rest of the rubrics will be coming home next week. I expect parents to look over the rubric and sign it and return it to me. While we don't give grades per se in GRC, I do like to send home rubrics so you can see how seriously students are taking the assignments we are doing in class. On the back of the rubric is also a self-assessment where the student had to grade themselves based on several factors.
Lastly, we sketched out a robot made out of recyclable materials. The robot has to have a task/function. It can be a robot that already exists but there needs to be some kind of enhancement or improvement on it.
NEXT WEEK- students need to bring in their recyclable materials to create the robot they sketched out last week. Items needed may include cardboard, aluminum cans, cartons, paper towel holders, toilet paper holders etc... The items that I will have here are string, glue, rubber cement, pipe straws, and scissors.
Autonomous Robots
Entertainment Robots
September 12-16
**UPDATE- I have commented on most students' Google slides presentations and there are changes that need to be made. Students need to know which slides they are presenting and what all the words mean on their slide. If they do not know a word, they either need to look it up or change it to a word they know. The past, present, and future of each type of robot need to be discussed. Facts should be new and informative. We want to LEARN especially about the specific types of entertainment robots that we have in the class!
We will split into groups and begin researching the three different types of robots: autonomous, entertainment, and humanoid.. Students will work in groups to create a Google Slides presentation which contains 15-25 facts, pictures, GIFs, a video link, and something interactive (maybe a quiz).
Week of September 6-9
We are still working on the Robotics Webquest this week. The webquest is in the Google Drive. We will go over the answers when we are finished.
We will talk quickly about the computer software for programming the LEGO Mindstorm EV3s. This software is free and can be downloaded at your house on a computer so that the kids can play around and get a good idea of how to drag and drop commands.
http://www.lego.com/en-us/mindstorms/downloads/download-software
We also began our social & emotional lessons this week and discussed WORRY/ANXIETY. We shared strategies that students use to get them through stressful times and we also discussed finding a BALANCE between being over-stressed and under-stressed! BOTH have the potential to be harmful!
Week of August 29-September 2
This week we became both robot programmers and robots. Students were given a task for a robot to complete and then had to write logic/sequencing instructions for a classmate (robot) to perform.
We learned that robots are only as successful as their programming.
Then we embarked on a Webquest which is an internet scavenger hunt for information on different types of robots. The Science 1 class (Ms. L Williams' class) will need to complete the Webquest for homework because their class will not meet on Labor Day Monday. They have two weeks to complete the Webquest which is plenty of time. It will be due 9/12. The Webquest can be found in their Google Drive which they can access at home.
Week of August 22-26
Students defined robotics in their own words and then we completed a K-W-L graphic organizer. The students told me what they already knew about robots (the K) and also what they want to learn (the W). The L comes later when we reflect on what it is that we learned.
We watched a video on Robotics and learned about the different types and purposes of robots.
The students got to program a couple of commands on the Lego Mindstorm EV3s. We will play with them more in the weeks to come.
Dinner Topic Questions:
Do you think robots "steal" jobs from humans?
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