Building Robots

Developing STEAM Skills

Reinforcing 21st Century Learning Skills

Having Fun!

For children ages 5 to 8

Introduces children to the world of engineering, technology and computational thinking.

40-week, 1x per week interactive class

Integrates Cubelets - smart building blocks with specialized functions

Weekly technology challenges

Develops computational thinking and introduces coding skills

Children become innovators and inventors, not just passive technology users. While children are having fun designing and building robots they will also be developing the FasTrack® Advantages – the Learning Skills for the 21st Century. These Advantages - Critical Thinking, Collaboration, Creativity, Communication, Confidence - focus on HOW to learn, NOT just WHAT to learn. And children are having fun in the classroom!

FasTrack® Robotics gives us our sixth advantage - Computational Thinking. Computational Thinking is essential to the development of computer applications, but it can also be used to support problem solving across all disciplines, including math, science, and the humanities, especially in today's world full of SMART technologies

Course Objectives and Overview (each class is designed to run for 90 minutes)

LESSON 1 - Cubelets are a Team

Objectives:

Students will discover that a robot consists of Power + Action + Sense.

Students will understand the importance of teamwork in the design process. Students will experience the creative process of design and construction.

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking

LESSON 2 - What is a Robot Objectives:

Students will discover that a robot consists of Power + Action + Sense

Students will understand the difference between humans and robots. Students will experience the creative process of design and construction

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking. Robot Building Challenge: The FasTrack Mawker - this robot moves in a circle and squeeks when it is exposed to light.

LESSON 3 - The Senses Objectives:

Students will discover that a robot consists of Power + Action + Sense

Students will understand robots need sensors in order to create an action.

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking. Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Running Robot – moves when using different inputs and FasTrack Little Bright Cubelet – Lights up depending on the amount of input it receives

LESSON 4 - How Robots Behave

Objectives:

Students will discover that they can build robots with different senses and actions.

Students will use their creativity to solve various challenges.

Students will understand that a sense is an input that has an effect on the action and behavior, or output of their robot

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Follow-Me-Felicia – Follows whatever is leading her, FasTrack Runaway Rick – Flees whatever is chasing him,

LESSON 5 - How Robots Behave Objective:

Students will discover that the Brightness Sense Cubelet depends on Light to create the action in a robot.

Students will complete several activities dealing with Light

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity , Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Light’em Up – This robot can do a lot of fun activities, but it needs light to get going

LESSON PLAN 6 – Think Cubelets (The Passive Cube) Objectives:

Students will discover that the Passive Cube relays information from the Sense to the action cube.

Students will complete several activities dealing passing items and information. Students will experience the creative process of design and construction

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity , Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Challenge: FasTrack Delivery Man – Give this robot anything and it will be delivered

LESSON 7 – Blocker Cubelets (The Blocker Cube) Objectives:

Students will discover that the Blocker Cube relays information from the Sense to the action cube.

Students will complete several activities dealing with blocking information.

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Independent Robot – This robot works without human intervention

LESSON PLAN 8 - Inverse Objectives:

Students will discover that the Blocker Cube relays information from the Sense Cube to the Action Cube.

Students will complete several activities dealing with blocking information.

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Danger - bot – Stops and flees when it approaches danger

LESSON PLAN 9 – Magnitude Objectives:

Students will understand how the magnitude of a sense has an effect on the behavior of their robot.

Students will be able to build robots of varying configurations and begin to analyze how the magnitude of the input sense affects output behavior.

Students will learn how to test robots in order to draw conclusions? Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Embellish–Bot – This robot exaggerates every action it performs

LESSON 10 – Observation and Data Collection Objectives:

Students will observe how a Think Cubelet can change the behavior of their robot. Students will understand how a robot can sense, think, and act in accordance with how the components are put together.

Students will demonstrate that the Think Cubelet can change the information sent from the Sense to the Act component.

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Bot – Bot – This robot is a combination of two separate robots

LESSON 11 – Categorizing and Classification Objectives:

Students will understand how to sort and classify objects by looking at properties of common objects.

Students will be able to sort and classify robots, by their properties.

Students will design and build robots based on classification of activity Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Divergent Bot – Two robots that act exactly the opposite of each other FasTrack Parallel Bots – Two robots that perform the same way but made up of different cubelets

LESSON PLAN 12 – Cause and Effect Objectives:

Students will understand how to sort and classify objects by looking at properties of common objects

Students will be able to sort and classify robots, by their properties.

Children will design and build robots based on common properties Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, Computational Thinking

Robot Building Challenge: FasTrack Needy–Bot – This robot is reliant on other robots to function

Robotics 13 LESSON PLAN – Robots and Storytelling

Objective:

Students will write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using descriptive

details, and clear event sequences.

Students will understand the elements of good storytelling

Students will experience inclusive nature of robots in storytelling

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Confidence Robot Building Challenge: Story-Bot – This is a robot that is the main character in a fictional story

Robotics 14 LESSON PLAN – Modeling Robots

Objective:

Students will sharpen their observation skills

Students will understand the skills engineers need to be successful

Students will design models of robots

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity

Robot Building Challenge: 5 different types of go-bots – These robots move in different

directions and have different components in order to function

Robotics LESSON PLAN – Review #1

Objectives

Students will gain confidence in the use of Cubelets

Students will master the understanding of robot engineer

Students will design models of robots

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking,

Confidence

Robot Building Challenges:

Go-Go- Gobot – This robot goes forever but uses two different types of input

Wake-up Bot – This robot begins to chatter as the sun comes up

Robotics LESSON PLAN – Review #2

Objectives:

Students will master the skill of data collection

Students will continue their work on classifying and categorizing

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence

Robot Building Challenges:

Twinbots – These robots have similar characteristics but different components

Lookoutbot – This robot can scare away any intruder.

Robotics 15 LESSON PLAN – Introduction to Computational Thinking

Objective:

Students will receive an introduction to the concept of Computational Thinking

Students will complete several activities identifying the steps of computational thinking

Students will understand the importance of computational thinking in robotic design

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages – Analytical Thinking, Computational Thinking

Robot Building Challenges:

Bucking Bronco Bot – This robot tries to dislodge anything that is on its back by lurching up and

down Dancingbot – This robot moves to the beat of music

Knights Jousting – Two robots meet in a jousting battle

Robotics 16 LESSON PLAN – Computational Thinking – Decomposition #1

Objective:

Students will discover that all large problems can be solved by breaking them into parts.

Students will apply the skill of decomposition to various challenges

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Computational

Thinking

Robot Building Challenges:

Safetybot - Robot stops before it gets to the end of the table

Crosswalkbot – Robot sends an alert when it gets close to the end of the table

Autobot: Robot can turn right or left without human intervention

Robotics 17 LESSON PLAN – Computational Thinking - Patterns

Objective: Students will discover how patterns are found in a variety of places

Students will learn how to use patterns in robotic design

Students will build robots that create patterns

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Creativity, Critical Thinking, Computational Thinking

Robot Building Challenges: Decorabot – These robots create patterns without the help of

humans

Robotics 18 LESSON PLAN – Computational Thinking - Abstraction

Objective: Students will understand the importance of abstraction in robotic design.

Students will learn the meaning of abstraction and how to use it in daily life

Students will use abstraction as they design and build robots

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Collaboration, Critical Thinking, Computational Thinking

Robot Building Challenges: Tankbot and Bikebot – these are transportation vehicles that are

different from the drivebots previously built

Robotics 19 LESSON PLAN – Computational Thinking – Algorithm #1

Objectives:

Students will understand how algorithms are used in robotic design

Students will create unique algorithms

Students will design robots that represent algorithmic thought.

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Critical Thinking, Computational Thinking, Confidence

Robot Building Challenges:

Conveyorbot – This robot moves items from one place to another

Fridgebot – This robot helps the refrigerator keep things cold

Robotics 20 LESSON PLAN – Computational Thinking – Review

Objectives: Will master the concepts used in Computational Thinking

Students will complete several activities using Computational Thinking

Students will experience the creative process of design and construction

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages - Critical Thinking, Computational Thinking, Confidence

Robot Building Challenges: Mazebot - These robots navigate through a maze.

Robotics LESSON PLAN – Review #3

Objectives:

Students will understand the concepts of Computational Thinking

Students will understand how Computational Thinking is used in robotics

Students will design models of robots

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages – Confidence, Computational Thinking, Communication

Robot Building Challenges: Dualbots – these robots depend on each other to

function

Robotics 21 LESSON PLAN – Patterns and loops

Objectives:

Students will understand why patterns are important for programming robots to solve

problems

Students will understand the connection between patterns and loops.

Students demonstrate an understanding of loops by designing a looping robot construction and

then matching panel-drawings of looped behaviors to their robot constructions.

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages – Confidence, Collaboration, Communication

Robot Building Challenges: Loopingbot – This robot performs the same action

several times

Robotics 22 LESSON PLAN – Data Flow

Objectives:

Students will design robots and track the data flow

Students will practice drawing accurate data flow diagrams and checking them by building the

robot construction.

Students will create a model that reflects data flow in a cubelet robot

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages – Confidence, Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking

Robot Building Challenges: Databots – Students design robots then create models of

how data flows

Robotics 23 LESSON PLAN – Variables

Objectives:

Students will understand the concept of variables

Students will be able to identify the three different types of variables

Students will design robots and identify the variables used

Targeted FasTrack® Advantages – Confidence, Communication, Critical Thinking

Robot Building Challenges: Varibots – students build robots with changing variables.