Summary
This blog post is long overdue. To end the my first year as a 5th grade teacher after transitioning from 1st grade, we decided to have a little fun with Sphero Robots. Students were checked out the last week of school and I wanted a fun way to wrap up our year and do some learning at the same time. During the #hourofcode my students had used the Sphero robots to practice coding. I wanted to provide one last opportunity for them to practice their coding and play with the Sphero robots.
Slideshow
Below is the Google Slideshow we used to facilitate this Sphero Chariot Challenge.
Pre-Assessment
I wanted a way to gauge their learning that took place during this lesson. I gave them a pre-assessment that I had created using Google Docs. After the pre-assessment, I wanted them to spend some time researching about chariots before we began fabricating.
Engineering Design Process
I wanted to introduce them to the engineering design process before they had the chance to build. I put them into partners and we discussed the different phases of the engineering design process. Students began with the "ask" phase of the process. We discussed the challenge and any constraints.
After identifying the problem and constraints, we moved onto the imagine and plan phase. At this time I shared what materials they would be able to use during the build. Using the knowledge of the material, students had to create three collaborative designs. They had to label what materials they used in their design. After creating their three designs, they had to decide which one they would use first. Create
Once they showed me their chosen design, they were set loose to build. This phase of the engineering design process was so fun to watch. Some groups were able to plow ahead with their designs while others quickly realized some of their chosen designs were not going to work.
Improve
We spent the most time in the improve phase. They were able to test their design periodically with the Sphero. Many began observing what others had figured out to work. Some started to abandon their designs and fabricate their chariots similar to their classmates that were having success. I did have some students stick with their original design.
Race Time
Our final test was having a race around a track on our classroom carpet. You can see some images and videos here. The amazing part of this challenge was the winner of our racing challenge. The partnership that won was a pair that I had written off early on due to the numerous failures and flaws with their design. However, they continued to improve and modify their design. After multiple failures, they successfully created a reliable chariot that won all the races.
Reflection
This was definitely a fun way to end the school year. The students really enjoyed this challenge. There were a lot of bumps along the way. I loved how determined all of the students were regardless of how many times they failed. We were able to incorporate reading, writing, history, social studies and science into this activity. In addition, students got to employ their creativity into decorating their chariots. It was a great time and great way for my first year in 5th grade to end.
10 Comments
Sphero Robots are such an amazing tool for the classroom. During the hour of code my class had the chance to use Sphero 2.0. I had created a total of eight courses in our classroom using tape. Each course varied in turns, jumps, and speed. Using the Macrolab app, which is available for IOS and Android, students had to code the Sphero to complete the courses. Prior to students attempting to navigate the courses, I provided a brief mini-lesson over adding commands for the Sphero. We began by talking about the "taillight" and how this is used to orient the Sphero robot. This was a great opportunity to make a connection with math and how many degrees are in a circle. The next step was to talk about creating a "macro." You can see the image below has three buttons at the bottom. The plus sign at the bottom right allows students to create a new macro. We related it to having a folder to store all the commands you wanted the robot to do on a single course. Once inside of the macro, students are able to select the commands they thought would be needed to complete the course. The common commands we discussed were the roll, stop and RGB commands. I also discussed how to manipulate the "roll" command. You can see below that you have the choice to customize the speed, heading and delay. We briefly talked about the heading and what right, left and straight would look like with a degree. One of the trickier pieces to wrap our heads around was the delay. It is in milliseconds which 1,000 ms equated to 1 full second. After covering some of the basics, students were off to explore the courses. As students began to code the robotic balls to complete the courses, they quickly realized they would have to problem solve multiple times to get Sphero to complete the course. Here are two examples of students attempting to complete a course and failing. However, both groups did troubleshoot and successfully complete the courses. Reflecting back on this chance for students to utilize the robots I was able to see how powerful this tool is in a classroom. Everyday I had students asking if they got to do robots again. The conversations that took place between small groups as they tried to problem solve was priceless. I look forward to finding other curricular areas to integrate the robotic balls. Sphero robots and the hour of code was a huge success. Sphero EducationSphero even offers some great resources for teachers/parents. They have a program called SPRK (Students, Parents, Robots, Kids). This program has some user friendly lesson plans and resources to get your kids exploring with the Sphero robots.
We had a fun time of coding in our classroom for the Hour of Code. We wanted to start basic and move towards more advanced skills by the end of the week. In addition, we wanted students to have some freedom in their creations along the way. Kodable Web We started our week off with Kodable Web. This allowed students to learn some of the basics of coding conditions such as conditions, looping and more. It was great since Kodable starts basic and moves to more advanced skills. Kodable even has an app if you have tablets in your classroom. Tynker After Kodable Web, we moved onto the Tynker website for a couple of days. The students really enjoyed Tynker. There were beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of games. In each game, students had to use blocks to successfully complete a level/challenge. Tynker also has two options for IOS apps. You can do the school edition or a free version to learn coding skills. Scratch After students explored Tynker for a few days, we moved onto Scratch. Kids really enjoyed the flexibility of coding their own creations. The options were pretty much endless. We began learning about Scratch by using Scratch Cards. These are visual cards that teach students different skills to utilize in Scratch as they code. In addition, we used some Scratch Tutorial videos that added more options for students when building their creations. We concluded our exploration of Scratch by having students complete an "About Me" program. You can find an example of it here. It was awesome to see what kids were able to create by using Scratch. Khan Academy For those students that were interested in exploring typing the code, we gave them the opportunity to use Khan Academy. They specifically worked through the Hour of Drawing with Code. It is a little challenging but the tutorials help students work through the process of typing the code instead of using blocks. Sphero Robots In addition to using website to practice coding, students had the chance to use Sphero 2.0 robots. We used the app called Macrolab to program the robotic balls. It is available as anIOS app and Android App. I had created a total of eight courses of varying difficulty. Students worked in groups of two or three. They could choose which course they attempted to complete. After successfully completing a course, they were able to move onto another course of their choice. They had to problem solve when the robotic ball did not go on the course like they wanted it to do. It was awesome to hear the conversations that took place between students. Below are some pictures of students in action as they programmed the Sphero ball to complete the course. |
Andrew FenstermakerInstructional Technology Coordinator | Innovation Coach | Google Certified Innovator | Presenter | Blogger | Adjunct @UiowaEducation | Owner @kids_f_i_r_s_t |