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Victorian Curriculum
Robotics 10 week unit plan with a Science focus:
Progressing towards Level 5 using a 5 Es approach.
Developed by Shontelle Lewis, 12 February, 2008.
This unit plan was developed using Victorian Standards and Progression Points retrieved February 9 from: http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/ppoint/science/index.html
Please contact me if you would like me to email you the original word document. This website will be hard to copy and paste
from. I am happy to email you a copy of the true version.
Cheers, Shontelle.
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Unit Title: Why do humans need robots?
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Progression point 4.25 Overview:
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Science knowledge and understanding that will be demonstrated throughout this unit:
Declarative knowledge:
Qualitatively describe changes in motion in terms of forces present when working with Lego Mindstorm robotics.
Use terminology to describe relationships, models and systems as ways of representing complex structures using Lego Mindstorm
robotics.
Knowledge of the function/s of simple machines and parallel circuits.
Awareness of how models are used to explain scientific phenomena and processes related to energy and time.
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How students will demonstrate Science at work throughout this unit:
Procedural knowledge:
Design their own simple experiments using Lego Mindstorm robotics to collect data and draw conclusions.
Design and build simple robotics models and write a scientific explanation of how their model works. Students will use
diagrams and symbols to explain the procedure they used when they report on their investigation.
In small groups students construct a robot model and identify their own role in its construction.
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Purpose of this unit:
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To include robots and robotic systems in students; understanding of how the world functions; embed the role of robots in the
interactions of humans and their environment and to explore the interactions of movement in robots and vehicles in society.
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Key concepts:
Why learn about robots?
How does a robot work?
How could we build our own robot?
How can we show others what we have learnt?
Why do humans need robots?
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Sequence of Learning Experiences:
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Resources
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Engage:
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Lesson 1:
The purpose of this learning experience is to find out what students already know and think about robots in society and
how they move.
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Students are given robotic toys to play with in a small group rotation station. All robots are then collected and lined up
on a table at the front of the room. The Learning Manager goes through each toy and asks the class to describe the robot and
what it does. Students then discuss with the Learning Manager what they know about the roles of robots in society. Students
discuss why they need to learn about robots together as a class.
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- Toy robots: robosapien, roboquad, wind-up toys, roboraptor, futurama moving toys etc. (try a toy library or ask students
to bring in some of their toys to show and tell).
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Add your content here
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Add your content here
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Lesson 2:
The purpose of this learning experience is to provide a shared learning experience that will familiarize students with
each part of the Lego kit and to also introduce them to small parts of a whole (components of a system)so they will be able
to know what parts to look for in the future construction of a Lego robot. Students also collect descriptive information of
each part in a note/exercise book to learn how to collect basic, qualitative data.
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Lesson 2:
The purpose of this learning experience is to provide a shared learning experience that will familiarize students with
each part of the Lego kit and to also introduce them to small parts of a whole (components of a system)so they will be able
to know what parts to look for in the future construction of a Lego robot. Students also collect descriptive information of
each part in a note/exercise book to learn how to collect basic, qualitative data.
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In small groups students explore Lego Mindstorm robotics kits in more detail. Looking at each individual piece and working
with the learning manager, students document what each part is and what it would be used for in the construction of a Lego
robot. Students create a definition of a robot system that may be changed throughout the unit.
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- Lego Mindstorm robotics kits- 1 per every 3 children.
- Exercise book and coloured pencils.
- Sharp, grey-lead pencil.
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Lesson 3:
The purpose of this learning experience is to familiarize students with a procedure, robot programming and to explore
how to build a basic robot for future challenges.
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In small groups students follow a procedure from the Lego Mindstorm manual and build a basic robot. Students experiment with
the programming of movement of the robot and learn about the light sensor. Students attach the sensor and program their robot
to follow a piece of paper-tape. The basic robot is saved for the following learning experience.
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- Lego Mindstorm robotics kits; 1 per 3 students.
- Paper-tape.
- Lego software for programming.
- Computer or laptop.
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Lesson 4:
The purpose of this learning experience is for students to explore the Lego robotics parts in more depth.
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In small groups students set up an investigation to explore every sensor in the robotics kit (ultra-sonic, touch, sound, light)
using their knowledge of the light sensor and what it does as a basis from which to work. This experience requires that students
develop a way of collecting information about what type of sensor it is, what it looks like, how it works, and what it would
be useful for when built into a robot.
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- Lego Mindstorm robotics kits (1 kit per 3 students).
- Poster paper.
- Coloured pencils, crayons, ink pens etc.
- Writing pens/pencils to label drawings.
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Lesson 5:
The purpose of this learning experience is for students to explain the forces that are involved with the motion of a Lego
robot. Participating in this learning experience will enable students to envision direction when programming their robot for
an obstacle challenge (elaborate phase).
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Students in small groups explore and investigate the motion of a Lego robot when the wheels are manipulated/ forced in certain
directions. Students compare the way the Lego robot steers (differential- one wheel turns faster than the other) in comparison
with other moving vehicles: cars (Ackerman steering- cannot turn quickly), tricycles (rear powered front steering), bikes,
tanks (differential). Students make simple drawings of vehicles to compare the ways in which they move and then explain to
the class using their drawings. Students use their Lego robots to demonstrate to the Learning Manager the way it will turn
when manipulated in certain ways. Students explain their role in the construction and programming of their group's robot.
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- Basic Lego robot.
- Obstacle course of the students' choice.
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Elaborate:
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Lesson 6:
The purpose of this learning experience is to support students to design and investigate the movement of their robots
around all different kinds of obstacles (small and large, over and under) using the Lego programming. Students are faced with
not only direction, but speed and altitude as well. Students learn how to count in seconds and plan the distance to be travelled
in seconds through team communication.
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Students plan an obstacle course for their robots. Students are challenged to program their robots to enter the Obstacle Gauntlet
and get through in the quickest amount of time following a map designed by the students. All robots must stick to the map
directions. Students document the procedures (programming) they took that was successful in getting their robot to the finish
line. Winners announced.
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- Objects in the classroom chosen by students.
- Lego basic robots.
- A large map designed by students that show where the objects are.
- A note book to record the procedure taken.
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Evaluate:
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Lesson 7:
The purpose of this learning experience is to provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate what they now know about
movement using their basic Lego robot.
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In this learning experience students create a procedure of how to organise an Obstacle Gauntlet from creating the map to programming
the robot and all materials required. Students document each step needed to successfully manoeuvre a robot through the gauntlet.
Students draw a small diagram of the gauntlet map and pictures of the programming steps they took and use them to aid their
procedure using descriptive language in their writing. Even though each group had the same goal, each group will have variations
to their procedures. Learning Manager to discuss with class as to why each robot may have taken less time than others.
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- Student note book recordings of the gauntlet procedure (last learning experience).
- Gauntlet map.
- Writing pen/pencil.
- Coloured pencils.
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Assessment:
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Enter dates and level demonstrated:
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Science knowledge and understanding:
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Able to identify the interactions of force on a turning vehicle robot.
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Able to explain the steps involved with the programming of the robot.
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Able to qualitatively describe changes in motion using hand signals.
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Uses terminology to describe relationships, models and systems.
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