Week 3 - Day 12

Robotics Lesson Plan

Space Travel - Multiple Day Mission

 

Objectives:

  • Students will apply knowledge of robotics to meet the requirements of the challenge

  • Students will analyze the actions of the robot to determine multiple uses

  • Identify and research terrain of a specified planet in the solar system

  • Design a robot rover to be sent to a specified planet in the solar system

  • Development and Design on mission objectives related to the tasks assigned

 

Materials:

  • Lego Robotics Kits

  • Student Activity Instruction Sheet 3.2

  • Library Media Services Online DataBases  for Research

    • Worldbook Online (http://www.worldbookonline.com)

    • Encyclopedia Britannica Online (http://dkc.esc20.net/dkclibraries.htm)

    • NewBank (http://dkc.esc20.net/dkclibraries.htm)

    • EBSCO Resources (http://dkc.esc20.net/dkclibraries.htm)

    • Digital Curriculum (http://www.digitalcurriculum.com)

    • MarcoPolo - Science Netlinks (http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/)

 

Week 3 - Space Travel Unit Overview

Approx:  3 days

 

In this activity, students will need to develop an All-Terrain vehicle capable accomplishing the following tasks:

1.      Move over steep inclines

2.      Travel across rough surfaces

3.      Travel across smooth surfaces

4.      Travel through sand or mud

5.      Travel through wet or watery conditions

6.      Able to operate at multiple speeds

7.      Able to identify boundaries and switch directions at a single bump of the car

8.      Able to collect sand or soil samples

 

Students will need to construct a rover that can accomplish the above listed items.  Students will be assigned a particular planet in the solar system.  Students must research the terrain of their assigned planet and determine which one of the above named items will be needed for travel and exploration on their planet.  To test robots, students need to build a course that can emulate the terrain of their planet.  For example, if the planet has many craters with steep inclines, students can use books to create an incline and test their vehicles over this type of obstacle.

 

The mission is for their rover to travel to the planet and collect a soil sample for NASA to analyze.  Therefore, all robots must be able to collect soil, rocks, or other minerals.  When the students build their obstacle courses (using materials in the classroom) the teacher should provide the students with an object that will be placed on their planet that must be collected by the robot and returned to earth.

 

This mission is broken into five parts: 

1.      Student research of assigned planet - Day 12

2.      Student creation of planet surface - Day 12/13

3.      Student Creation of Mission Objectives - Day 13

4.      Student Creation of Rover to accomplish mission objectives - Day 14

5.      Testing of Rovers - Day 14

 

 

Instructional Materials for Day 12

Teacher Preparation and Material:

For this mission, students will use one class period to research their planet and identify the type of terrain, and lastly to build their planets surface.  To complete this portion of the mission, students may need:  water, rocks, plastic, paper, inclines, etc.  Students should be encouraged to use items readily available in the classroom:  paper, books, pencils, rocks, sand, dirt, etc.  Teacher preparation to provide materials is essential to a successful build.

 

  1. Provide materials for the planet build
  2. Provide a random selection system to provide students with a planet
  3. Provide materials for research of the planet.

 

Teachers may want to have students build their structures on top of presentation boards or large sections of cardboard, so that they can be easily moved and broken down. 

 

Student Activity Instruction Sheet 3.2 can be utilized to guide students.

 

Teachers should assign planet for research to each group.