Week 1 - Day 2

Robotics Lesson Plan

Construction Basics

 

Lesson Objectives:

  • Students will develop an understanding of the attributes of design.

  • Students will develop an understanding of engineering design.

  • Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research. and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.

  • Students will develop abilities to apply the design process.

  • Student will develop an understanding of and be able to select and use construction technologies.

 

Materials Needed:

  • Lego kits

  • Lego Name Book (Provided in Resources)

  • Lego Parts Guide (Provided in Resources)

  • Student Activity Instruction Sheet 1.2 - Tallest Wall

  • Student Activity Instruction Sheet 1.3 - Strongest Wall

  • Student Activity Instruction Sheet 1.4 - Squares and Rectangles

  • Student Activity Instruction Sheet 1.5 - Stable Shapes

  • Activity 1.5 Creating Polygons Worksheet

 

 

Teacher Instructions:

Students will utilize this time to become familiar with construction basics.  Students will build simple structures and investigate shape and stability of objects.  This lesson is an extension of day 2 in which students familiarize themselves with Lego Kit pieces.  This activity will help students develop the basics of building strong and stable robots. 

Teachers will utilize handouts listed in materials to guide students through activities.

 

Activity 1.2:  Tallest Wall

Approx: 15 minutes

 

Procedure:

1.      Divide students into established Robotics teams

2.      Teams will compete to build the tallest wall.

3.      Provide Students with Activity 1.2 Handout

4.      Students may use BRICKS ONLY, no beams or other Lego Parts

5.      Student designed walls must be able to stand on their own without any support.

6.      Students will be given 10 minutes to build their walls

7.      Upon completion of the 10 minute building period, students will vote on the following:

a.       Which group created the tallest wall?

b.      Was the tallest wall able to stand on its own?

c.       Which wall would be voted the best in the areas of height and design?

d.      After viewing other group's walls, how would your group build their wall differently?

 

Activity 1.3:  Strongest Wall

Approx: 20 minutes

 

            Procedure:

1.      Divide students into established Robotics teams

2.      Teams will compete to build the strongest wall.

3.      Provide students with Activity 1.3 Handout

4.      Students may use BRICKS ONLY, no beams or other support structures

5.      The wall must be able to stand on its own.

6.      Students will be given 10 minutes to build the strongest wall.

7.      Upon completion of the 10 minutes building period, students will vote on the following:

a.       Which group created the strongest wall?

b.      Why is this wall the strongest?  How is strength being established?

c.       What do you think made the wall so strong?

d.      How was building the strongest wall different from building the tallest wall?

e.       How would you build your wall differently after viewing other designs?

8.      Have students complete Part 2 of the exercise. 

9.      Review with students discussion questions as listed on the activity sheet 1.3

 

 

 

Activity 1.4:  Squares and Rectangles

Approx:  15 minutes

 

            Procedure:

1.      Provide students with Activity 1.4 handout

2.      Students will use beams and connector pegs to build as many different rectangles and squares as they can.

3.      Students should compare structures with other groups to determine strength, stability, and design concepts

 

 

 

 

Activity 1.5:  Stable Shapes

Approx: 40 minutes

 

            Procedure:

1.      Discuss with students what types of shapes they have built so far in this lesson.  Which shapes were most sturdy?  Are there other shapes that could be built that may also be sturdy?

2.      Introduce students to Polygons (triangle, quadrangle, pentagon, hexagon, heptagon, octagon).  Discuss with the students what makes these shapes unique.  On the Student Activity Instruction Sheet 1.5, space is provided for students to write the definition of Polygon.

a.       Up to this point, students have been building structures using squares and rectangles.  This exercise is to introduce students to other type of structures that may be able to bear more weight or be a more sturdy structure.

3.      Provide students with the Activity 1.5 Exploring Polygons Worksheet.

4.      Have students complete the exercise

5.      In conclusion, have students discuss their findings, identifying which shapes tend to be the sturdiest and which shapes can bear the most weight.