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I will list the Key Learning Areas and start there. I will add more content and thought as I find more. This will be
an on-going activity for a while. Please bare with me. The following is based on Queensland years 1-10 Syllabuses Australia
(Queensland School Curriculum Council). It will still be useful for any state and perhaps globally (that would be great!).
Any tips, ideas or corrections welcomed!
There are five strands in the Science key learning area.
Science and Society (Science as a way of knowing):
Level 3.3:
Students make predictions about the immediate impact of robots (vehicles and transport) on their community and environment,
and consider possible pollution and public health effects. Students investigate different fuels that robots need and
how they impact the environment. Students learn about carbon dioxide, oxygen, gas, natural gas, oil, lubricant, petrol e.t.c.
Level 4.1:
Students outline some contributions to the development of scientific ideas made by people from different cultural and
historical backgrounds. Students are introduced electronically to famous Indigenous Australian, David Unaipon and his fascination
of aerodynamics.
Level 4.2:
Students create a 'fair' investigation to test what types of objects (natural or made) fly/float-on-air the best
and what sort of robots are in society that use this method of transport.
Earth and Beyond (The Earth as a component):
Level 3.1:
Students identify and describe some interactions that occur within robotic systems. Students investigate the effects
of water corrosion on various robot parts (various metals, batteries, wires e.t.c).
Level 5.2:
Students infer from data the effects of machines on the earth and in the solar system and recognise that they can
have effects at other times and in other places. Students research a particular robotic industry (e.g. plastic bag factory/plant)
and collect data of the production process and the effects of the robotic system on the environment. Students visit an
industry (plastic bag factory) to make the 'real world' connection.
Energy and Change (Moulded forces that influence the motion, shape, behaviour and energy of objects):
Level 3.1:
Students collect data and make and test inferences to describe the effects of forces on the motion and shape of objects
and also describe how these forces could potentially be used to give alternative energy to a robot.
Level 3.3:
Students identify different ways of obtaining energy and how they could be of benefit in the production of a robot.
Level 4.1:
Students design and perform investigations using Lego Mindstorm NXTs to learn about the relationships between forces,
motion and energy.
Level 4.2:
Students collect and present information about the transfer and transformation of energy (potential and kinetic energy)
using Lego Mindstorm NXTs.
Level 4.3:
Students present alternative ways of obtaining and using energy (sun and fossil fuels) for the purpose of making an environmentally
friendly robot.
Life and Living (Structure and lifestyle of living things; interaction with each other and the world):
Environments are dynamic and have living and non-living components which interact.
Level 4.1:
Students examine the internal and external structure of living things and account for observed similarities and differences
in terms of adaptation. Students then investigate different types of robots in society and describe the similarities between
robots and living things and why the robots were invented using living things as an influence for doing specific things/jobs.
Level 4.3:
Students make generalisations about the types of interaction which take place between robots and humans.
Natural and Processed Materials (Properties of materials):
Level 2.1:
Students group materials that robots are made of on the basis of properties (texture, hardness, colour, shape). These
materials may include: electrical wire, lights, sensors, speakers, e.t.c obtained from a second hand dealer.
Level 2.3:
Students explain why common materials are used to make robots.
Level 3.2:
Students compare properties of materials used in robotics before and after physical and chemical changes. Students may
conduct an experiment to test certain fuels and/or materials for their effectiveness as parts of a robot: cardboard; what
if the robot got wet? Wood; what if the machine caught on fire?
(Syllabus information retrieved 14th January from:
Level 2.2:
Students identify and solve addition and subtraction problems involving whole numbers, selecting from a range of computation
methods, strategies and known number facts. The problems used involving robots in some way: e.g. Five children were invited to
Jenny's robot slumber party and were asked to bring their robo-sapiens with them. Each child had one robot each. Jenny and
her brother had a robo-sapien each as well. How many robo-sapiens were at the robot party all together?
Level 4.1:
Students identify and create representations of patterns and functions and apply backtracking to solve simple equations
that involve combinations of the four operations.They can use robot stories to describe their solving skills. Here is an example
of an activity that could be used to promote simple equations and make if lots of fun.
E.g: Students are in pairs. One is the robot and one is the controller. The teacher calls out
each operation and the controller moves the robot (stands behind with hands on robot's shoulders) the amount of steps in a
given direction according to the algorithm.
Level 4.2:
Students read, record and calculate with 24-hour time and develop timetables and calendars to plan and organise rehearsals for
their Robot Melodrama.
Level 2.2:
Students collect and organise data, create and interpret a variety of displays to investigate their own and others' questions
and identify elements of the displays. Using one Lego Mindstorm out the front, students record how many times the robot uses
a touch sensor within a time frame. This activity is repeated ten times and recorded in a table on the whiteboard. Students
work out the median, mode and mean of the information gathered.
Level 2.2:
Students interpret and create simple maps, plans and grids to follow and give directions, and to locate or arrange places
or objects. Using verbal directions, students talk a blindfolded 'robot' student through an obstacle course using counting
of steps to guide them (a skipping rope on the floor and other students in statue positions scattered around).
Health and Physical Education.
(information and inspiration retrieved 14th Jan, 2008 from:
Promoting the Health of Individuals
and Communities:
Level 2.4:
Students identify places where health products and services may be obtained and suggest reasons why people choose to
use different health products and services. Students visit the town gym and investigate the robot exercise machines on offer
for customers to use for fitness. Students ask questions about the machinery to the gym managers about why people choose to
use this service. Students share their views on the advantages and disadvantages of attending a gym.
Developing concepts and skills for
physical activity:
Level 3.2:
Students observe rules and demonstrate an awareness of others in play and simple games. Students create their own Robot
games that have rules and also promotes fitness. Fitness by 'doing'.
Level 4.2:
Students demonstrate basic tactics and strategies to achieve identified goals in games, sports and other physical activities.
Students create a scenario about Robots that have malfunctioned. They create a tag game where the hero disables each of the
malfunctioned robots in a particular way.
Enhancing personal development:
Level 3.4:
Students demonstrate communication, cooperation, and decision-making skills to collaborate in social, team or group situations.
Students use the 'blindfolded robot person' to make a relay type game. In small groups the controller talks to the robot person
who is in full trust of the controller (no physical contact), around a set out obstacle course. When they reach the finish
line they swap roles and head back to the start position and then pass the activity onto the next pair of team mates and so
on.
(The following (brief) is based on the essential learnings of the Queensland Education English Essential learnings website
retrieved 14th Jan, 2007 from:
Students are able to recognise text types after reading several types of Robot stories, news articles and information
reports. They identify the main points, sequence of events and make simple inferences. Students write in different text genres
using robots as a subject to begin.
Through learning about robotics and robots in society in a written and oral context students become active listeners,
realise that oral texts are different to written texts, learn turn-taking skills, and become comfortable with public speaking.
Through learning about robots in society, students learn new terminology associated with robotics and develop important
de-coding skills needed to understand unfamiliar words. (graphophonic, syntactic and symantic systems.
Students learn how to proof read stories that they have created about robots in society. Students learn about the purpose
for writing about robots in a particular way. (information or entertainment)
Students learn about language elements by breaking down their own robot stories into parts of sentences and look at the
structure of the sentence. Students also learn about modality and how to captivate the reader with sentences that do not 'run
on' or not make sense.
Literary and Non-literary texts:
Students are exposed to many styles of literary and non-literary texts such as: poetry about robots, literary texts that
entertain and evoke emotion about robots in society, characteristics of stories about robots in society, emails to inform
others about robotics using hyper-links and attachments.
Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE)
Robotics is a great way to teach children important 'life skills' (The State of Queensland,
2001, p. 10). We live in a technological society and so children need to know about robots in our world. They need to know
how the human race interacts with machines and how these machines impact our environment. The pros and cons of robo-technology.
Living with robots in society has created a new culture for our children. Learning about robotics
can also create a futures perspective on how technology is headed and encourages children to envision life with robots in
the future.
Let's link some elaborations of SOSE to a Robotics context!
Time Continuity and Change:
Students will know about changes and continuities. They will demonstrate their knowledge by 'creating'.
'Students illustrate the influence of global trends on the beliefs and values of different groups.' :-
Level 4.2:
*technological revolutions (printing press, microchip)* How do robots of today influence our beliefs and values of society
in a technological world?
Is having a house cleaning robot creating a society that is lazy and materialistic?
What about the labourers who produce them; are they underpaid, or are they underage workers? Think about the ethics of
having Robots doing our jobs! Students could do a 'think, pair, share' about their thoughts on the ethics of machines in the
workforce.
'Students represent situations before and after a period of rapid change.'
Level 5.2:
*environment* Compare an environment before it had a robotic influence with the same environment after robots were introduced.
*science* What robot clocks helped us tell the time in the past; and how do present robots tell us the
time? Children can express their ideas and researched evidence through The Arts. They could write a report on the progress
of the clock as an invention.
Students will know about processes and environments by creating.
'Students make justifiable links between ecological and economic factors and the production adn consumption of a familiar
resource.'
Level 4.1:
Using an investigation process:
-Students identify familiar resources (chocolate biscuits, lollies, ice-cream, toilet paper).
-Students research on the internet, and in books (and/or in field trip/s), sorting information on the production and
consumption of these resources: location of manufacture, reasons for price, economic and ecological issues associated with
the production of the product).
- Students identify and express links relevant to robotics of the manufacture of the product, using evidence (oral presentation,
display, multimedia presentation, diagram, written report)
Level 3.2:
'Students create and undertake plans that aim to influence decisions about an element of a place.'
-create and undertake plans that aim to influence decisions.
Students identify an issue in the school that may be (potentially) solved with robotics (e.g. lunch orders- hypothetical
student response- a robot that takes lunch orders to the tuck-shop! Or... too much water is being wasted in the school grounds-
hypothetical student response- a robotic machine that turns taps off from a 'mother tap'.)
Students gather information about the issue from peers and from teachers (interview peers and teachers about the issue-
what has been done in the past to solve the issue?).
Students brainstorm potential robotic options that could solve the issue.
Students develop a plan with a target audience in mind and 'plug' their idea/invention in an interesting way to interest
the audience.
Students consider consequences of the creation of such a robot.
Students evaluate how effective the invention would be using their foresight and intuition.
Students will know about cultural diversity through investigation.
Level 5.2:
Students learn about economic disadvantage due to location by using the internet to blog and communicate what they have
learnt about robotics (Lego Mindstorms) with other students in other schools who have not had the same priviledge. Students
also share pictures and videos and learn how connected our country really is through the internet. Students also realise that
not all schools have internet access. Students write letters to other students at a rural school/s to ask them questions about
where they live and what they might know about robotics. They then invent ways of raising money (and actually do) to help
a rural school gain some much needed robotics resources.
Systems, Resources and Power:
Students know about interactions between ecological and other systems through investigation.
Level 2.1:
'Students investigate the origins and processing of a familiar product to describe relevant conservation strategies.'
Origins of a familiar product:
What are the materials used to create a certain robot? Where did the rubber come from that made the fan-belt? How was
the metal created?
Processing of a familiar product:
What are the simple stages of the production of a robot?
What resources are used at stages of the production?
What packaging is used?
Relevant conservation strategies:
Can we recycle parts of robots? How? What parts? All or some?
How can we make the robots energy-saving adn environmentally friendly?
Level 4.1
'Students outline how Australian industries link to global economic and ecological systems.'
Australian industries.
Students investigate:
- Robots in the Australian mining industry (primary industries).
- Robots that manufacture primary resourses: paper, steel, hydro-electricity.
Students make connections within workforce sectors that use robots in a local and a global setting.
Global economic systems:
Students investigate the trade of robotics between countries; countries that specialise in robotics (Australian mining,
Japanese manufacturing, robotic toys from other countries).
The Arts "The arts bring together students
and members of the school, local and arts communities" (Queensland School Curriculum Council, 2001,
p. 10). What a creative way to educate these communities about Robotics!
I don't know how to dance, but that's ok because I only think that! Everyone can dance at different levels and it doesn't
matter how you dance because it's the message that you are sending out that is more important. The 'message' is the important
thing when using The Arts; how you express and how you feel about something.
Level 2.1:
Students select robotic movements to create a dance sequence that communicates their feelings about the impact of robots
on society and/or the environment.
Level 3.2:
Students perform rehearsed robotic movement sequences with focus and acuracy. A small group of students make a 'human'
robot out of their own bodies.
Level 3.3:
Students create a dance sequence that displays their concern for the impact of robots on society; they interpret their
own and others' dance.
Level 4.2:
Students work in small groups to create a robotic dance that has sections to host a 'guest dancer' from the audience
who improvises an emotion in response to what they believe the dance is communicating.
Level 5.2:
Students model genre-specific techniques when performing robotic movement sequences: a ballet (robot like with stiff
movement), a waltz (like a robot would move).
Level 2.1:
Students make choices about and develop robot roles to build dramatic action. This could incorporate an ethical dilemma
in regards to robots in society: job loss, safety.
Level 3.2:
Students rehearse and present dramatic action to demonstrate to others their understanding of robots in society (the
pros and cons of having robots in the workforce).
Level 4.1:
Students select dramatic elements and conventions to collaboratively shape improvisations and roleplays about having
a robot in the house!
Level 5.1:
Students structure dramatic action both individually and in groups using elements and conventions of selected dramatic
form, style and purpose to demonstrate their ideas, feelings and foresight into robots in future society.
Level 3.2:
Students present media texts to a specified audience using presentation techniques associated with particular media forms:
Students create an advertisement for their cleaning robot invention and 'plug' it using light humour as well as interesting
dialogue and tone of voice. Students also learn about voice projection.
Level 4.2:
Students select media forms and apply technologies (news reading, documentary, mini movie, audio letter, poster, t.v
advert) to construct and present media texts to target an audience about robots in society.
Level 5.3b
Students research and examine the media institutions that are involved in the production, distribution and exhibition
of robotic toys.
Level 1.1:
Students aurally and visually recognise and respond to Level 1 core content in music they hear and perform using robot
movement, verbal sounds and 'robotic' sounds on a synthesizer.
Level 3.2:
Students sing and play a varied repertoire of extended pentatonic music, individually and with others, in unison and
in up to three parts, including some repertoire from memory. This is done with the joint invention of special Robot lyrics
that students use syllables to create note count and position to make their own, original piece of robot music as a class.
This piece of music may be used for performance in a Drama action to a selected audience.
Level 4.3:
Students read and write short pieces of robot music containing Level 4 core content. Students perform their own individual
piece of robot music and teach their peers their song. Songs are recorded in a classroom music book and each student is given
their own copy to keep. Students democratically choose the best three songs to make an audio recording to keep for all time.
Technology
Investigation
Ideation
Production
Evaluation
Impacts and Consequences
(ideas and inspiration retrieved 14th Jan, 2008 from:
Level 2.1:
Students design a cleaning robot out of Lego Mindstorms using annotated drawings or symbols that identify basic design
features of the parts of a lego Mindstorm robot. Students acknowledge the design ideas of others who have participated
in the same task. Students communicate the steps involved that led up to the completion of the product.
Level 2.2:
Students create their own assessment criteria as a class, and how robotics information will be presented (guided by the
Learning Manager) for themselves and others.
Level 3.1:
Students describe the advantages and disadvantages of different ways to communicate their robotics ideas to specific
audiences.
Level 2.2:
Students select and use suitable equipment and techniques for manipulating and processing materials. Students use robots
in the kitchen to make a yummy meal. Automatic mixers, blenders, ovens e.t.c
Level 3.2:
Students combine recycled materials to create a 'potential' robot that is built to specifications/requirements. This
is closely linked to The Arts in the construction of an installation with the exception of having some set requirements concerning
the size, tools used and what ever the Learning Manager feels needs a boundry.
Level 2.1:
Students identify and describe an electromechanical system. They draw different parts of the system and create a classroom
display so that visitors know what they have been learning just by looking.
Level 3.1:
Students identify and describe relationships between inputs, processes and outputs in an electromechanical system.
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