Six week curriculum Daily Lesson Plan Robotics Note to the Teacher The six week curriculum allows the teacher to teach basic electronic control and some elements of advanced programming logic. (In the one and three week module, only basic electronic control and programming logic are taught.) This module allows for more explorations in mechanics. Students should be actively engaged in inquiry-based investigations that teach lessons about mechanical advantage, measurement, and ratios and proportions. The last part of the module involves an open ended challenge where students get practice with problem solving, teamwork and project management. Beginning in Week 3, students will begin using the investigations in the Investigations module. It will be up to individual instructors to select the investigations most appropriate for their classrooms. There are teacher notes and answer keys available in the Extra Resources folders (Extra Resources / Acrobat Files / Investigation Teacher Notes) that can aid you in making this selection, and in correcting the accompanying worksheets from each investigation. Resources required: Computer, ROBOLAB, IR tower Projector for computer LEGO Robotics Challenge Kit Rotation/Angle Sensor Electrical tape Clean flat surface Resources available on this CD-ROM 5 Robot Building Instruction slideshows, including Tankbot, and 4 other robot slideshows. Go to ROBOTS in the Hardware Module. Touch Sensor Light Sensor Rotation Sensor Gear Box / Gear Box Attachment / Crate Worm Gears Gripper Programming examples for Motors and Timers Touch Sensor Light Sensor Rotation Sensor Temperature Sensor Investigations Module Resources Project Management Brainstorming Working in Teams Time Management Design Review
Engineering Mechanics Gears and Speed/Time Gears and Speed/Distance Gearbox Hoist/Torque Worm Gears/Properties Belts/Ratios Pulleys/Force, Distance, Work Measurement Wheel Sizes/Distance Compound Gears/Ratios Fractional Parts/Containers Probability Wheel/Chance Equivalent Fractions/Predictions Unit Conversions/Factors Motion Planning Discovering Pi/Circumference Measured Turns/Radius Building Behaviors/Programming Electronics ROBOLAB instructional tools ROBOLAB Functions Palette 2.5 ROBOLAB Tutorial (slideshow) Construction techniques / Mechanics helper links: LEGO Building Tips (slideshow) Sensors (slideshow) Cross Bracing Spur Gears/Gear Wheels Bevel/Crown Gears (Conical Wheels) Worm Gears Compound Gear Ratios Balance Friction Open Ended Design Challenges Assessment tools Work habit evaluation form Workplace competencies evaluation form Robot design rubric / Presentation rubric / Daily log Robotip: It is extremely important to have students cover their IR tower and robot whenever multiple users are beaming programs. If a robot receives a signal from multiple IR towers at the same time the firmware becomes corrupt and needs to be downloaded again. Click here to learn more. Week 1 Introduction to Basic Programming & Logic Overview: The goal of week one is to teach basic programming logic and how to program LEGO robots using ROBOLAB. In week one students will learn to combine basic behaviors to build simple behaviors.
Week 1, Day 1 Introduction to Robotics Install ROBOLAB and test IR communications with the RCX. Build several robots and download programs that demonstrate how sensors work. This demonstration is to be used as an anticipatory set to excite the class about robotics. Suggested robot demonstrations: 1. Robot demonstrating simple behaviors using timing 2. Robot demonstrating simple behaviors using a touch sensor 3. Robot demonstrating simple behaviors using a light sensor Robotip: The light sensor is easier to use than the touch sensor because there are fewer mechanical challenges to get it to work. Note: If you have never programmed with ROBOLAB, a ROBOLAB Tutorial beginner's slideshow is available in the Teacher Resources section of this Module. Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Academy http://www.rec.ri.cmu.edu/education has programming lessons at its site (click LEGO in the left sidebar), and has also produced a ROBOLAB Video Trainer with 40 short videos with animations that can be used to teach programming. TUFTS University has a comprehensive online downloadable PDF tutorial at http://www.ceeo.tufts.edu/.) Review the parts of the RCX (Hardware Module/The RCX). Demonstrate the following using ROBOLAB: How to open ROBOLAB How to open Programmer Level 4 Functions Palette Tools Palette Help Screen How to download a program using the IR Tower How to save a program Assign all students to build a Tankbot Week 1, Days 2-3 Programming Using Behaviors Describe how to program using behaviors (Investigations / Motion Planning/ Building Behaviors). Pass out the Behaviors worksheet from the Building Behaviors investigation in the Motion Planning section of the Investigations Module and discuss the difference between basic, simple, and complex behaviors. Use a programmed robot to demonstrate a basic, a simple, and a complex behavior. There are videos demonstrating these behaviors in the Building Behaviors section of Investigations. Review the following using ROBOLAB: How to open ROBOLAB How to open Programmer Level 4 Functions Palette Tools Palette Help Screen
How to download a program using the IR Tower How to save a program Note: It is important that you teach your students about file structure; how to name their programs, where to save them, and how to locate them when they return. These concepts, as well as how to multitask between ROBOLAB and the Robotics Educator, are covered in the Quickstart Guide on the front page of this module. Present Light Sensor slideshow (Extra Resources / PowerPoint Shows / Light Sensors). Demonstrate Light Sensor engineering (Sensors Module/Light Sensor/Engineering). Demonstrate how to calculate threshold (Sensor Module/Light Sensor/Programming). Discuss how feedback from the sensor is used in forks and loops to control behaviors (conditional statements). Discuss how programmers use pseudo code to build the logic they will use to program their robots (Investigations/Motion Planning/Building Behaviors/Pseudo Code Worksheet). Assign your students the following programming exercises, and reinforce the idea that these programs combine basic behaviors to build simple behaviors: Wait for Dark (Exercise 1 - Light Sensor / Programming Module) Wait for Light (Exercise 2 - Light Sensor / Programming Module) Line-Track Right (Exercise 3 - Light Sensor / Programming Module) Line-Track Left (Exercise 3 - Light Sensor / Programming Module) Timer Sensor Forks (Exercise 4 - Light Sensor / Programming Module) Week 1, Day 4 Have the students complete the light sensor worksheet to demonstrate how to build complex behaviors (Investigations / Motion Planning/ Building Behaviors / Light Sensor Worksheet). Develop a simple programming challenge using black electrical tape and a light colored surface. Challenge your students to work in pairs to solve the programming challenge. Week 1, Day 5 Complete the light sensor challenge from day 4. Check students' understanding of the basic programming concepts taught in week one. Administer basic teacher-developed programming quiz (optional). Week 2, Days 1-3 Introduction to Touch Sensors Overview: In week two students will continue to learn to use ROBOLAB. They will learn about touch and Rotation Sensors. They will begin to combine simple behaviors to build complex behaviors. Demonstrate how a Touch Sensor works (Sensors Module/Touch Sensor/Engineering). Demonstrate the difference between Wait-for-Push and Wait-for-Let Go. Assign students the following programming exercises: Wait for Push (Programming Module/Touch Sensors/Wait for Push) Wait for Let Go
(Programming Module/Touch Sensors/Wait for Let Go) Bug Bot (Programming Module/Touch Sensors/Bug Bot) Remote Control (Programming Module/Touch Sensor/Remote Control) Complete the touch sensor worksheet (Investigations Module, Motion Planning, Building Behaviors, touch sensor worksheet). Week 2, Days 4-5 Introduction to Rotation Sensor/Angle Sensors Overview : The Rotation Sensor, also called the angle sensor, does not come with the standard kit. The Rotation Sensor is a very powerful tool to teach measurement and applied geometry. As students expertise increases the teacher has the opportunity to introduce more advanced concepts: containers, timers, and timer forks. Demonstrate Rotation Sensor using Tankbot. Present how the Rotation Sensor works (Sensors Module/Rotation Sensor/Engineering). Demonstrate how to program a Rotation Sensor (Sensors Module/Rotation Sensor/Programming). Present Rotation Sensor slideshow (Extra Resources / PowerPoint/Rotation Sensor). Assign Rotation Sensor programming exercises to students. Straight (Programming Module/Rotation Sensor/Straight). Point Turn (Programming Module/Rotation Sensor/Point Turn). Conditional loops (Programming Module/Rotation Sensor/Conditional Loops). Challenge the students to use a Rotation Sensor fork instead of a Rotation Sensor loop to track. Note: There are multiple extension activities that can be taken from the Challenges section in the Investigations Module. Week 3-4 Robotics Investigations Overview: It is up to the teacher to decide the appropriate pace for his/her class. Some students will have completed the programming exercises and others will need more time. In weeks three and four students will be challenge to complete several inquiry-based student driven investigations. The Robotics Educator has over 30 days worth of student activity involving Investigations. Each investigation will take approximately one-two class periods. The lessons are designed to teach scientific process as students discover academic concepts. Each investigation has: An independent, dependent and control variable A hypothesis Mathematical concepts that are being reinforced It will be up to the teacher to select investigations that are appropriate to his/her class. The two types of investigations that we will focus on for weeks 3 & 4 are: Mechanics Gears and Speed/Time Gears and Speed/Distance Gearbox Hoist/Torque Worm Gears/Properties Belts/Ratios
Pulleys/Force, Distance, Work Measurement Wheel Sizes/Distance Compound Gears/Ratios Fractional Parts/Containers Probability Wheel/Chance Equivalent Fractions/Predictions Unit Conversions/Factors Week 3-4, Day 1-2 Prepare a demonstration from the Gears and Speed/Distance Investigation. Demonstrate how gears affect the distance the robots travel. Present Gears PowerPoint Presentation; there is a teacher-editable version in the root directory in Extra Resources. Review math related to fractions. Demonstrate how to calculate gear ratios. Assign students the Gears and Speed/Distance Investigation. Assign students Investigations based on teacher's selection. Week 3-4, Day 3-4 Review measurement. Demonstrate how to calculate the circumference of a wheel. Review using a Rotation Sensor. Assign the students to complete the Wheel Size/Distance Investigation. Demonstrate the Wheel Sizes/Distance Investigation lab. Assign the students to complete the Wheel Size/Distance Investigation lab. Week 3-4, Day 5-6 Build the gearbox in Compound Gears/Ratios. Demonstrate how to calculate compound gear ratios. Assign the students complete the Compound Gears/Ratios Investigation. Week 3-4, Day 7-8 Demonstrate worm gears (Hardware/Helper Links/Worm Gears) Demonstrate Worm Gears/Properties Investigation. Assign students the Worm Gears/Properties Investigation. Week 3-4, Day 9-10 Review the Belts/Ratios Investigation. Assign students the Belts/Ratios Investigation. Week 5 Overview: All explorations until now have involved pre-designed mobile robots. Mechanical design is very difficult. Over the next couple of weeks students will be working on a teacher-assigned design problem where they have to work in teams to design, build, program and troubleshoot a robotic solution to a problem. Some students will be very good at it. Others will find this extremely difficult. The teacher will select a robotic challenge for their students to solve. There are multiple robotic challenges in the Challenges section of the Investigations Module. More examples can be found at the Robotics Academy site under LEGO. Refer to the Investigations Module/Project Management section for student resources. Week 5, Day 1 Discuss Engineering Process (Investigations Module/Project Management/Engineering Process). Discuss brainstorming (Investigations Module/Project Management/Engineering Process). Discuss how hard it is to work as a team (Investigations Module/Project Management/Teamwork). Introduce the challenge the teams will work on. Week 5, Day 2 Divide students into teams Note: Students will be assigned to teams of 2-4. Younger students should be placed in smaller groups. (Extra Resources/PowerPoint/Teams) Review the problems teams have when working together. Review teamwork. Review the assigned problem.
Review team brainstorming strategies. Have students begin to develop prototypes of solutions. Week 5, Days 3-5 Students will work on designing, building and testing their solution to the project. Students also could be assigned to complete a presentation on: The mechanical aspects of their solution The programming strategy that they used The roles of each team member Week 6 Review the rules for the challenge the students are preparing for. Help students prepare for the presentation of the mechanical and programming choices each team made to play the game. The last day of Week 6 should be reserved for the competition