TekBot

The SPIRIT Project

Educational Robotics

Lesson Building Block Template

Author: Nancy Becker ____________

Grade Level: _6__  Date: __Aug 1, 2006__

Directions: Directions: Definition of a Lesson Building Block:  This is a "Lesson Building Block" from the SPIRIT educational robotics institute.  A 'lesson building block' is in essence an educational activity that might be later turned into a more formal classroom lesson by a creative teacher.  The SPIRIT Institute is striving to put a variety of "lesson building blocks" up on the web for the potential use of teachers as they try to prepare more formal educational lessons using the TekBot robotics platform.

Nancy Becker

I.  Concepts  (Give a list of one or more concepts that might be taught using this activity)

II.  Standards: (Standards for Technological Literacy)

-      Examine problems using scientific inquiry

-      Language Arts (paragraphs, spelling, grammar)

-      III.  Learning Activity Context (Describe the overall context for the learning activity)

       Moving TekBot, Building a TekBot, & Engineering/Notebook

IV.  Teacher and Student Suggestions/Tips

V. Teacher Questions

-      Will speed change with the different friction surfaces Why or why not?

-      Using the different surface will it help or hinder to have help on the wheels? Putting rubber bands around wheels?

-      What would you do to help your tekbot accomplish different tasks?

-      What else can you think of to test your tekbot?

VI.  Teacher Questions 

      (Give a list of questions that teachers might ask students during the activity)

-      Will speed change with the different friction surfaces? Why or why not?

-      By using the different surface, will it help or hinder to have help on the wheels? Putting rubber bands around wheels?

-      What would you do to help your tekbot accomplish different tasks?

-      What else can you think of to test your tekbot?

VI.  Assessment Ideas

     (Give an idea or two about how the lesson activity might be assessed)

-    Checking their graphs to make sure that they have graphed the information correctly. Decide if there will be informal checking or will there be a grade attached to it.

-    Check their notebooks to see how they have listed their opinions, conversation with others, and their own thoughts.

VII.  Other Information

     (Give any other information that might be useful or a visual or two)

As a Language Arts activity I will have the students write a paragraph or two on the thoughts of being the tekbot and the obstacles that are presented to me.

VIII.  A materials list