Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 4, “Coding and Robotics” (3rd-4th)
We started the day with an in-depth discussion about sensors. Students thought about which devices, appliances, and machines in their homes use sensors. They thought of so many great examples! I told them the general name of the sensors in the LEGO Spike Prime sets and explained how these sensors are used in other robots. The primary sensors used this week are the gyrosensor, color sensor, and distance sensor. Students added these to their notebook glossary. The career connection today was a video interview with a security analyst who specializes in cybersecurity.
The engineering design process was central to today’s lessons and activities. I read the book Whoosh! by Chris Barton. This is the true story of Lonnie Johnson. He invented the Super Soaker, among other things. We discussed the steps of the engineering design process and talked about how Lonnie followed each step. Students practiced using the steps (identify the problem, brainstorm solutions, create a plan, and design a prototype) during their toy company meeting today. They were presented with this scenario: Consumer research indicates that 80% of the packaging from the dancing robot toy (made on Monday) ends up in landfills. The packaging needs to be redesigned using only commonly recyclable materials. Each team shared its ideas for new packaging.
For the first Lego Spike Prime build, students created a robot that told part of a story using sound effects. They worked with their partner to finish the story. It was really neat to hear all of the creative stories! The second project was a toy that hops. Students observed the hopping toy prototype and brainstormed ways to improve the design. Each set of partners modified their hopper to increase its speed and improve its appearance. This task gave them experience using trial and error. All the hoppers raced to see which would cross the finish line first! The winners shared how they modified their design and code to improve outcomes. Students managed time well and showed exceptional cooperation on today’s challenges. They finished in time to select a choice project or design their own creation as the final task of the day!
It is hard to believe we only have one more day left in this class! Students will complete a final project tomorrow. Watch the blog for photos of their work. We will also take a walking field trip to visit a VSA class. The high school students are going to share the coding they are working on with our class.
Home Connections Prompts:
- Send your child on a scavenger hunt around your house… the mission: find 5 appliances/devices that use sensors. Ask your child to explain what each sensor detects.
- Think of something in your routine or house that you wish were more efficient. Pose this problem to your child. Ask them to use the steps of the engineering design process to brainstorm and design a solution, test the solution, make improvements, and share their final solution with the family.
