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Robotics

TCEA Member Takes the Lead: Introducing the Galaxy Bot Battle

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

I’m excited to share news about an initiative led by one of our dedicated members, Michael Goddard of Keene ISD. While TCEA is discontinuing providing an arena contest problem set, Michael has stepped up to create a new contest that preserves the familiar TCEA arena contest format that many teams have come to know and love. Introducing the epic Galaxy Bot Battle!

Galaxy Bot Battle

Michael Goddard’s “Galaxy Bot Battle” is designed to provide continuity for teams accustomed to the TCEA arena contest structure. Here are some key points about this new competition:

  • The game mat and board are identical to those used in recent TCEA arena games.
  • Game pieces are all familiar, having been used in previous years’ competitions.
  • The contest format closely follows that of the alliance team structure that TCEA has provided for the past three years. The contests were:
    • Build: Widgets (2021-22)
    • Go Go Cargo! (2022-23)
    • Hi, Bye Pizza Pie (2023-24)

North Texas Robotics Contest 2025 Featuring the Galaxy Bot Battle

For teams eager to put their robots to the test, and looking for a contest? Keene High School in Keene, Texas will be hosting the North Texas Robotics Contest on April 5, 2025, featuring the Galaxy Bot Battle game. Here are the details:

  • Date: April 5, 2025
  • Location: Keene High School, Keene, Texas
  • Cost: $50 per team
  • Registration: Opens in November 2024

Resources for Participants

To help teams prepare for the Galaxy Bot Battle, Michael has provided several resources:

Game Website

Game Manual

Score Sheet

Summary Video

One note, even if you are not participating in the contest, you have to check out the summary video. It is just so AWESOME! The 90-second driver controlled period is out-of-this-galaxy. Michael must be a big time Star Wars fan, and his creativity has shown through with all the tasks a team can attempt. And with so many ways to earn points, this is a great exercise in critical thinking, too!

TCEA Community Group

For those with questions or looking to discuss the game,  I encourage you to post in the TCEA Robotics Contest Group in the TCEA Community. You must be a TCEA member to access the Community. When you do arrive at this location, please post in the Robotics Contest Group using the subject “Galaxy Bot Battle, rule #” in your post title so that we can find and respond to your post easily.

I am so thrilled to see TCEA members like Michael Goddard taking initiative to keep the robotics competition spirit alive. While TCEA may no longer be organizing the arena contest, TCEA is proud to support and promote these member-led initiatives that continue to foster innovation and excitement in educational robotics. For our press release on the TCEA contests, please click here. If you are looking for past TCEA robotics game manuals, please reach out to Peggy at preimers@tcea.org and I can assist you. 

And as always,

Go Bot Go Go

Peggy

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A whimsical little robot with the title "K-8 Coding and Robotics Activities with Teacher Clarity Questions" and an image of activity sheets for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8.
Coding/Computer ScienceCurricular Standards

A Scope and Sequence for Computational Thinking: Part 2

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

You may recall that part one of this article shared a story. I had questioned a small private school about its coding curriculum vision. They had the tech but no clear plan. A curriculum map and content standards for computational thinking were absent or unavailable, and part one proposed a potential solution. In this follow-up article, we’ll delve into coding and robotics for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Keep reading to get activity sheets with digital tools, objectives, activities, and teacher clarity questions.

“Yes, you too can develop complex scope and sequences in a single bound through the AI magic of interactive prompt engineering. Come study with TCEA Prompt engineers and earn your ChatGPT for Educators and Artificial Intelligence digital badges, certificates, and CPE hours.”

-Miguel Guhlin, author

Breaking Activities Down Further

In grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, you can see a natural progression for computational thinking through the use of digital tools that aid in coding. But generating projects and classroom activities can be an ongoing challenge. Luckily, AI tools can help. Let’s take a look at a detailed sampling of activities for K-8 generated through interactive prompt engineering and various AI tools.

K-2: Introduction to Coding

Digital Tools

Learning Objectives:

  1. Understand basic block coding concepts.
  2. Create simple stories and animations using Scratch Jr.
  3. Engage in basic robotics tasks with Sphero and Dash-n-Dot.
  4. Explore introductory engineering concepts with SPIKE™ Essential.

Activities:

  • Scratch Jr. Storytelling: Students will create a short, interactive story that includes characters moving across the screen, using basic block coding sequences. Questions for teacher clarity include:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to make your own little stories on a computer. You’ll use blocks like puzzle pieces to tell the computer what you want your story’s characters to do.
    • Why am I learning it? It’s fun to tell stories, right? By making stories on the computer, you also learn how to solve problems and make your ideas come to life. It’s like being both a storyteller and a magician!
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when you can make a character move, jump, or even dance across the screen by yourself. If you can watch your story play out the way you imagined, you did it!
  • Robotics Exploration: Using Sphero and Dash-n-Dot, students will complete a series of challenges, such as navigating a simple maze, to understand cause and effect in coding. See teacher clarity questions below:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to be a robot helper. You’ll use a tablet to tell robots named Sphero and Dash-n-Dot how to move around, like going through a maze.
    • Why am I learning it? Playing with robots helps you understand how things cause other things to happen, like how pressing a button can make the robot move. It’s important because it teaches you how to think step by step to solve a puzzle.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you learned it when you can make the robots go where you want them to, like through the maze without getting stuck. If the robot does what you planned, you’re a great robot helper!
  • Building Simple Structures: With SPIKE™ Essential, students will follow guided instructions to build simple machines or figures, introducing them to basic engineering concepts. See teacher clarity questions below:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to build things like a young engineer. Using something called SPIKE™ Essential, you’ll put together pieces to make simple machines or figures.
    • Why am I learning it? Building helps you learn how things fit together and work. It’s like playing with your favorite building blocks but even cooler because you’re making machines that can move!
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you learned it when you can follow the steps to build something on your own. If your machine or figure looks like the picture and can do something special, like move or spin, you did a great job!

Grades 3-5: Building Computational Thinking

Digital Tools

Learning Objectives:

  1. Develop problem-solving skills through more complex block coding projects.
  2. Introduce text-based coding concepts.
  3. Undertake intermediate robotics projects with SPIKE™ Prime.
  4. Apply the engineering design process in project development.

Activities:

  • Advanced Scratch Projects: Students will develop interactive games or stories that require logical thinking and sequencing, incorporating variables and conditional statements. Teacher clarity questions include:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to create your own games and stories on the computer with Scratch. You’ll use coding to make things happen, like making a character move or score points in a game. You’ll learn about variables, which are like invisible boxes that can hold information, and conditional statements, which are like making the computer make decisions based on what you tell it.
    • Why am I learning it? Creating games and stories helps you become a better problem-solver. You’ll learn how to think logically, organize your ideas, and make your digital creations interact the way you want. It’s a fun way to learn how computers follow instructions and make your ideas come to life.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when you can make a game or story that works the way you planned. If your character can move around and react to different situations because of the code you wrote, you’ve done it right!
  • Micro:bit Experiments: Introduction to simple text-based coding tasks, such as creating a digital thermometer or basic games, to understand inputs, outputs, and processing. A few teacher clarity questions:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to program a tiny computer called Micro:bit to do cool things, like measure temperature or play simple games. You’ll write code using text, which is a bit like writing instructions for the Micro:bit to follow. You’ll learn about inputs, which are like the Micro:bit’s senses, and outputs, which are the ways it can respond or show you what it’s thinking.
    • Why am I learning it? Programming the Micro:bit teaches you how everyday technology works and how you can control it with coding. It’s exciting to see your code make something happen in the real world, like creating a gadget or a game. It also helps you understand how computers process information.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you learned it when your Micro:bit can do the task you programmed, like showing the temperature or playing a game you made. If it works just like you wanted, you’ve successfully learned how to program it!
  • SPIKE™ Prime Robotics: Design and program robots to complete specific tasks, such as carrying objects or navigating obstacles, emphasizing the iterative design process. Teacher Clarity questions:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to build and program robots using SPIKE™ Prime. You’ll design your robot to do tasks, like picking up objects or moving through a course. You’ll also learn about the iterative design process, which means planning, building, testing, and improving your robot step by step.
    • Why am I learning it? Building and programming robots with SPIKE™ Prime helps you understand how technology can interact with the physical world. It’s a hands-on way to learn about engineering, coding, and problem-solving. You’ll see how your ideas can become real and work on improving them, just like real engineers do.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when your robot can complete the task you designed it for. If it can carry an object or navigate an obstacle course because of how you built and programmed it, you’ve mastered the challenge!

Middle School (6-8): Applied Coding & Robotics

Digital Tools

Learning Objectives:

  1. Master text-based coding languages for app, game, and web development.
  2. Understand the fundamentals of computer science and software development.
  3. Design and implement advanced robotics projects that solve complex problems.
  4. Apply design thinking in developing technology solutions for real-world challenges.

Activities:

  • App Development: Using Swift or JavaScript, students will create a simple app that addresses a community need, focusing on user interface design and basic functionality. Teacher clarity questions:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning how to create an app using programming languages called Swift or JavaScript. This involves designing how the app looks and making it do things, like helping people in your community through technology. You’ll focus on the user interface, which is how users interact with your app, and the basic functions that make your app work.
    • Why am I learning it? Developing an app teaches you how technology can solve real-life problems. By focusing on a need in your community, you’re learning to think like a developer who not only codes but also considers how technology impacts people’s lives. It’s a way to combine creativity with technical skills and make a difference.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when you’ve created an app that works — one that people can use to do something helpful or important for your community. If your app’s design is user-friendly and its functions perform as intended, you’ve successfully learned app development.
  • Game Development with Python: Design and code a game that incorporates complex logic, player scoring, and multiple levels. Teacher Clarity questions:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning to design and code a video game using Python, a powerful programming language. This includes creating the game’s logic, like how players earn points or advance through levels, and making sure the game is challenging and fun.
    • Why am I learning it? Game development with Python introduces you to complex programming concepts in a fun and engaging way. It helps develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills as you figure out how to make your game work. Plus, it’s a creative outlet that lets you bring your ideas to life.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when you’ve built a game that others can play, with rules, scoring, and multiple levels that you designed. If players can interact with your game as expected and enjoy the challenge, you’ve mastered game development with Python.
  • Advanced Robotics with VEX: Simulate and build a robot that performs tasks in a virtual or real environment, such as environmental monitoring or assisting in daily tasks, using coding for control and automation. Teacher Clarity Questions:
    • What am I learning? In this adventure with VEX Robotics, you’re stepping into the role of both an engineer and a programmer. You’ll learn how to bring robots to life, giving them tasks to perform in both simulations and the real world. These tasks could range from keeping an eye on environmental changes to lending a hand with day-to-day chores. By writing code, you’ll be the brain behind the robot’s movements and actions, teaching it to think and act on its own.
    • Why am I learning it? Diving into advanced robotics with VEX Robotics isn’t just about building and programming robots for fun. It’s a powerful way to see firsthand how technology can be harnessed to address challenges we face every day, from monitoring our environment to making our lives easier. This journey equips you with a blend of critical thinking, creativity, and technical skills that are vital for innovators and problem solvers of the future.
    • How will I know I learned it? Your moment of triumph comes when your robot accomplishes the mission you’ve programmed it for. Whether it’s successfully navigating an obstacle course by itself or accurately collecting and reporting data about its surroundings, if your robot can carry out these tasks smoothly based on your instructions, you’ve nailed it. This shows not only your mastery of coding and robotics engineering but also your ability to turn ideas into real-world solutions.
  • Design Thinking Project: Identify a real-world problem, brainstorm solutions, prototype a technology-based solution, and test it, applying coding and robotics skills. Questions for teacher clarity include:
    • What am I learning? You’re learning the design thinking process, which is a way to solve problems by understanding the needs of people, brainstorming ideas, prototyping solutions, and testing to see what works. You’ll use your coding and robotics skills to create a technology-based solution for a real-world problem.
    • Why am I learning it? Design thinking teaches you to approach problems creatively and empathetically. It’s a valuable skill not just in technology, but in any field, because it focuses on finding innovative solutions that meet people’s needs. By applying this process, you’re learning to think like an inventor and an entrepreneur.
    • How will I know I learned it? You’ll know you’ve learned it when you can identify a problem, come up with a creative solution, build a prototype, and test it to see if it solves the problem effectively. If your solution works and meets the needs you identified, you’ve successfully learned and applied design thinking.
Get fun ideas for K-8 computational thinking activities, like making games, creating stories, programming robots, and solving problems!
Get the K-8 Activity Sheets

Get the PDF version of the Activity Sheets

In the end, these computational thinking activities do more than teach coding or building. They turn students into creators, thinkers, and solvers. Whether it’s building an app, crafting a game, making a robot, or solving real problems, students learn to make a real difference. They see how technology solves problems and brings ideas to life. A worthwhile endeavor, no?

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Two young girls using tablets to demonstrate computational thinking and coding skills. To the right, the title "A Scope and Sequence for Computational Thinking: Part 1" is displayed.
Artificial IntelligenceCoding/Computer Science

A Scope and Sequence for Computational Thinking: Part 1

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“What’s your vision for a coding curriculum?” I asked a small private school. They had collected technology but lacked a real plan. What was missing? A clear scope and sequence showing when they should introduce certain technology and an alignment with computational thinking standards. Let’s explore a potential solution.

Defining Scope and Sequence

Many schools have a complex series of scopes and sequences to cover various topics and content areas. “Scope” means the topics covered. “Sequence” is the teaching order. The aim is to build on previous lessons, including a certain level of repetition and review, then add on to these concepts and introduce new ones. In this way, students add to their knowledge with each lesson in a spiraling curriculum. This allows for a recursive review of key concepts, skills, or themes.

The iterative learning cycle is a process children use to master new skills like walking, feeding themselves, reading, and more. The cycle involves making an attempt, failing, evaluating what went wrong, refining the approach, and starting the cycle again. This process values failure and self-assessment.

Source: The Iterative Learning Cycle

The Benefits of Iteration

What is iteration? Repetition. The opportunity to revisit and review content is well-supported. The use of high-effect size instructional strategies can enhance learning. Iteration also facilitates long-term information retention. You may be wondering what instructional strategies get the job done. The ones below are well worth pairing with curricular standards and technology:

  • Retrieval Practice (d=0.49). A well-established strategy that increases access to retrieving “to-be-remembered” information. Entry and/or exit tickets and dice debriefs work well (source). This is also known as “practice testing” or “test-enhanced learning.”
  • Rehearsal (d=0.71). This is the repetition or organization of information that has entered short-term memory (source). It relies on images, photographs, or index cards and involves memorizing information through repetition.
  • Interleaved Practice (d=0.46). Implement a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems. This strategy relies on a schedule of study that mixes different kinds of material within a single study session (source).
  • Spaced vs Massed Practice (d=0.65). This strategy involves implementing a schedule of practice that spreads out study activities over time (a.k.a. distributed practice).

As you might imagine, a strategy like Teacher Clarity (d=0.85) is also helpful. It is helpful because it sets the expectation for what students will learn. It does this through three questions students can answer in their own words:

  • Set the learning intention. Ask, “What am I learning?”
  • Explore the relevance. Ask, “Why am I learning it?”
  • Specify success criteria. Ask, “How will I know I learned it?”

Strategies like the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and Design Thinking are also beneficial. These have the potential to accelerate student achievement. You can group EDP and Design Thinking as Explicit Teaching Strategies (d=0.63). That is, as follows:

Explicit teaching is like building with scaffolds. It guides students with clear goals and reasons for learning new skills. Teachers show and explain the target. Then, they support practice with feedback until the student masters it. This strategy involves direct instruction, guided practice, and teaching until mastery.

A “discovery approach” isn’t as effective as Explicit Teaching Strategies. The latter gets better results, especially when one combines the previously mentioned strategies.

Getting Started with a Scope and Sequence

Thanks to the power of AI, generating a starting point for a scope and sequence need not be onerous. In a long prompt, I specified a variety of high-effect size strategies (those discussed above) as well as ISTE standards. The product yields a basic scope and sequence that addresses the needs of a specific school. The long prompt was edited interactively in a chat with ChatGPT 4.0 and other tools, yielding the following results.

Grade Level Focus Area Tools & Languages ISTE Standards Alignment Scope & Sequence
K-2 Introduction to Coding Scratch Jr., Sphero, Dash-n-Dot, SPIKE Essential Computational Thinker Begin with basic block coding concepts, incorporating retrieval practices like entry/exit tickets. Introduce storytelling, simple animations, and tactile interactions with Sphero, Dash-n-Dot, and SPIKE Essential for engaging robotics experiences. Use images and index cards for rehearsal. Activities are designed with teacher clarity and interleaved practice in mind.
3-5 Building Computational Thinking Scratch, Micro:bit, SPIKE PRIME Computational Thinker Progress to more complex block coding and introductory text-based coding. Incorporate basic and more advanced robotics with SPIKE PRIME, emphasizing the engineering design process. Projects are sequenced using spaced practice, and concepts are revisited to deepen understanding. Teacher clarity is maintained with explicit learning goals and success criteria for each project.
6-8 Applied Coding & Robotics Python, Swift, JavaScript, TinkerCAD Computational Thinker Focus on text-based coding, app and game development, and an introduction to advanced robotics concepts and design thinking challenges. Implement spaced and interleaved practices to tackle coding and robotics problems. Continue with explicit teaching strategies, ensuring students understand the relevance and application of their projects in real-world contexts.

In part 2 of this blog series, you will see more specific ideas that explore K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 use of coding and robotics. We will also look into specific teacher clarity questions and more examples. Stay tuned!

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Red truck with black wheels.
Robotics

2023-2024 TCEA Arena Robotics Contest

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

TCEA has released a new robotics contest problem set: Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie. Darren Wilson, a long-time TCEA member and retired educator, and I wrote the 2023-2024 game manual. As the name suggests, the problem set is designed around the theme of pizza! While the TCEA state contest has been discontinued, TCEA members, and anyone who would like to, can use this problem set in their classroom, campus, or district.

Why is this robotics contest about pizza?

The pizza restaurant business is a booming industry that specializes in creating tasty pizzas using a variety of ingredients. Many restaurants have convenient ways to order, provide fast delivery, and efficiently cook pizzas to ensure customer satisfaction. Did you know there are more than 75,000 pizza restaurants all over the United States? That’s a lot of places to enjoy pizza. And get this, about 13% of people in the U.S. have pizza on any given day. That goes to show how much Americans love pizza!

Contest Components

2023-2024 TCEA Robotics Contest Manual Title Page

The structure consists of qualifier matches, seeded teams, alliance selection, and a single elimination tournament that Darren created for the robotics contest two years ago. Take a look at the materials and detailed information for Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie!:

Scheduled Contests

If you would like TCEA to run the app for scoring, please contact me, Peggy, at preimers@tcea.org. There is a $50 fee and no two contests can be on the same day. Take a look at some of our already-scheduled contests:

  • December 2, 2023 – Area 8: Texas Youth Robotics Alliance Kickoff Contest
  • December 9, 2023 – Mason ISD – Open Invitational
  • January 10, 2024 – Area 15 Robotics Contest
  • February 24, 2024 – The Island of Guam Robotics Contest
  • April 6, 2024 – Area 11 Robotics Contest

Check out this action-packed video from last year’s Go, Go Cargo! Contest

Video captured by the author.

Join the Robotics Group in the TCEA Community 

Questions? If you are a member of TCEA, join the Robotics Contest group to ask about Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie! Plus, find out what other coaches and sponsors are sharing about robotics around the state. If you have a question about the contest, this is the place to go. All questions get answered here!

Join Me for a Q&A on Zoom!

If you would like to get your questions answered in person, I will be holding an informal Q&A Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. Central. Please email me for the link. Until then, go bot, go!

Featured image: Designed by TCEA

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RoboticsSTEM/STEAM

The Perfect Robotics Activity for Beginners

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

If I was a brand new robotics teacher, I would ask myself, “How in the world do I begin teaching my students robotics?” My best advice to you is to plan a couple of lessons and robotics activities that provide the following:

  1. An activity that gives you time to establish classroom routines
    • What does clean-up look like? 
    • Where do robots get stored? 
    • How do you handle parts that end up on the floor?
  2. An activity to introduce the Engineering Design Process
  3. A quick and easy project
  4. A short build that allows some freedom in construction

Remember, if you are new to robotics, don’t think you have to jump into the deep end and do it all! Just like driving a car, you learn to brake and drive forward. No one starts out parallel parking! So, let’s check out one of my favorite “getting started with robotics” activities.

Yo: The Robo-Waving Machine

I have used this project on several LEGO platforms, and it would also work well with VEX GO and VEX IQ. The only thing I have really changed about this robotics activity over time has been the name. First, I called this activity “The Attention Getter,” then, “The Hand,” and now, the name has morphed into “Yo: The Robo-Waving Machine.”

The Engineering Design Process (EDP)

Image of a worksheet: "Yo: The Robo-Waving Machine Challenge" This is a beginner robotics activity, and the link to the sheet is under the image.
Access the EDP (Engineering Design Process) Sheet designed for this challenge.

To get started with this robotics activity, work through the EDP sheet. This can be done in pairs, groups, or as a class. The challenge is building a robot that waves a hand, but what problem is this solving? What’s the real-world connection? Here are a few questions to ask as you’re working through this part of the process:

How do businesses try to capture your attention?

  • billboards
  • flag banners
  • bandit signs (poster-sized signs along roadways)
  • neon and digital signs
  • inflatable tube guys/air dancers
  • sign spinners on the street corners
  • airplanes pulling banner signs
  • vehicle or bus wraps

How do you capture someone’s attention?

  • Yell
  • eye contact
  • wave your hand
  • tap on the shoulder

Plan Your Hand Attachment

Sketch out how one will attach a hand to the robot brick/hub. If you have students that are stuck on the construction, try this easy step-by-step build.

Fun Foam Hands

I provided hands made with fun foam that I pre-cut in several colors. You could also have students trace and cut out their own hand using cardstock or light cardboard. Find the template here.

Building the Robot

Most students can design their own motor apparatus to have a hand move back and forth. But just in case your students need help in the construction of the robot, here is an easy step-by-step build. 

Rate the challenge with an emoji!

  • I loved it!
  • I liked it!
  • I was frustrated!
  • It was hard and made me sweat.
  • I disliked it.
  • I was angry!

Of course, you don’t have to use my definitions of the emojis from the EDP (Engineering Design Process) Sheet! Let your students explain why the emoji was chosen. And remember, certainly more than one emoji can be marked. I have worked on plenty of robots where I was frustrated and loved the challenge at the EXACT same time.

Rank the Challenge

I usually go with:

  • 1 star = Poor
  • 2 stars = Fair
  • 3 stars = Good
  • 4 stars = Excellent
  • 5 stars = Outstanding

Extension

As an extension activity, have your students invent a product and create an advertising strategy that captures people’s attention and promotes their product or service with a robot.

Project Resources and Sheets


I hope this beginning robotics project will come in “handy” when it comes to starting off the year in your classroom.  Yes, that pun was intended. If you decide to give Yo a try, I would be delighted if you could share a video of your hands in action at preimers@tcea.org or tag me on Twitter @preimers.

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Content AreasELARMathematicsReadingRoboticsScienceScienceSocial StudiesSocial Studies

How to Integrate Robotics into Elementary Content Areas

by Laura Mackay
written by Laura Mackay

Are you looking for a way to engage your students with content? Tired of the same old routines? Think about integrating touch-based robots into your curriculum. Most teachers, when they hear the word “robotics,” immediately think, “Nope. Not me.” or “I have no clue.” Coding a robot can seem daunting! That was our first thought when we were asked to integrate robotics into the regular curriculum. Luckily, kids have no problem trying something new! Here are some simple ideas for you to try as first steps to integrating robotics into content area instruction. 

Types of Robots

First, there are so many different types of robots! Some are simple, like Bee-Bots, Code and Go Mouse, or VEX 123. With these types of robots, you simply push buttons and go. Many videos are available on YouTube to show how easy it is to program these. They help students focus on creating algorithms and learning executive functioning skills like critical thinking and problem solving. Additionally, you’ll see that the mats used with these robots can be very versatile! You can easily adapt them for whatever skill you want students to practice – from phonics to addition and subtraction.

Getting Started with Robots

Our first lesson is simply setting a structure and having students learn to program the robot and use the mat. We have them write their algorithm on a whiteboard or a planning guide, program the robot, press start, and see what happens. The key is classroom management. Set a structure of making students think and plan before touching the robot. This engages critical thinking. Once students have the planning and programming down, you’re ready to go. And they catch on very quickly!

Two photos of students using the VEX 123 robot for content practice
Notice students have a map to plan their algorithm before programming the robot. We are using the VEX 123 robot in these pictures with a plastic mat. You can also make your own mat with a poster printer or out of paper.

Many teachers will say they do not have time to teach the regular curriculum, much less to play with robots. The key is to incorporate both into lessons! I’m going to share some types of lessons we’ve had success with in my district. Most are done in the classroom, but some are in the library’s Makerspace. We are still in the pilot phase of integrating content and robotics, but hopefully, some of these ideas can work for you.   

Example Activity Using Robots in Math

In math stations, students practice a variety of skills. Why not add robots? One favorite activity is rolling the dice and practicing addition, subtraction, and coding robots with One More, One Less, or Two More, Two Less. This lesson can be differentiated based on students’ personalized learning needs. 

How to Play:

Two photos of students using the VEX 123 robot for math practice
  • First, students place the robot on the number 1 or a designated “Go” or “Start” square on the mat.
  • Students roll the dice. You can differentiate by using different types of dice or rolling more than one to make it more challenging.
  • Write down the number rolled (for example, 6).
  • Do the appropriate math (for example, if you’re playing Two More, you add 2: 6 + 2 = 8).
  • Find the number from the answer (8) on the mat.
  • Write out the algorithm for coding the robot to go from where it is on the mat, to the number in the answer (for example, straight 2, right 2, left 1, straight 3).
  • Program the robot to go from where it is on the mat (1 or “Go”) to the number from the answer (8). Press start!

If the student programs to the wrong number, they can take another turn, or another person can take a turn programming the correct number. Notice that sometimes we make cards to tape to the robot mat and other times we simply write numbers with an Expo marker. You do not have to be too fancy! Students are happy to simply engage with the robot. Can you think of other math concepts students could practice using robots?

Robotics and English Language Arts (ELA)

There are so many content ideas for ELA. In the lower grades, the focus can be on retelling a story or telling the beginning, middle, and end of a story. Simply change out the content cards on the mat and students become engaged in coding the robot to retell a story. Phonics practice is also important, and it is hard to make it fun. Teachers have created lessons helping students to learn contractions, CVC words, CVCE words, different word families, and diagraphs with robots. Once students learn a concept, it is easy to change the topic to practice a new one using the mat.  

Image of Vex 123 mat used to retell a story
Heidi Danner at Ward Elementary created the ELA activity for Halloween using the VEX 123. In this activity, students practice retelling “The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything,” but the idea can be used with any book. Students code the robot to move to the images in the order they appear in the book and retell the story as they go.
Image of students using the Bee-Bot robot for sight word practice
Here, the Bee-Bot mat is used with students practicing sight words.

Science Review with Robots 

Science started easy with students coding the robot to a picture that showed either a living or non-living thing. After teachers saw the engagement level with the students, they created a “Four Seasons” mat to review what type of clothing and weather goes with each season. Third graders practiced reviewing solids, liquids, and gases. Fifth grade students in Texas take the Science STAAR assessment, and teachers wanted a fun way to review material. Amanda Hughes at Ed White E-STEM created a Water Cycle mat with question stems to review important vocabulary and knowledge. The sky really is the limit to what you can practice!

Science challenge cards for robotics activity
Here are example challenge cards for the living a non-living activity.
Example science activity robotics mat for practicing solid, liquid, and gas
Here you see a printed mat with a practice review activity for solid, liquid, and gas.
Science challenge cards for the solids liquids and gases robotics activity
These challenge cards were used for the solid, liquid, and gas activity.

Using Robotics in Social Studies

Developing lessons in social studies has been fun for teachers. For one activity, we had students identify the continents. Images of the continents were placed on a mat, and students were tasked with locating a continent and coding the robot to move to it. In the first iteration of the lesson, we had the image of the continent labeled with its written name on the mat. The students simply had to match the card and code. To make it harder, we then used images of continents without their names. The students drew a continent card, found the continent on the mat, and then coded.

Image of students identifying continents using the VEX GO
Students are identifying the continents using the VEX GO.

The same structure works with a variety of topics. You could code the robot to important mountain ranges in Texas. Or code the robot to important cities or places in the United States. Upper grades had students design their own content-based robotics games about important places in the American Revolution. 

Robotics is an engaging and fun way for students to learn the core content curriculum. Hopefully, a few of these ideas will inspire you to try something on your own! 

Don’t miss Laura Mackay at TCEA’s Elementary Technology Conference in Galveston, Texas! She’ll be presenting two sessions: “Integrating Scratch Coding and Core Curriculum” and “Robotics for Littles – Using VEX 123.” Only a few days left to register!

Sign Up Today!

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Robotics

Play Robo Twister During National Robotics Week

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

“Right foot, blue. Left hand, red! Left foot, green. Right hand, yellow!” Are these words familiar to you? This game of physical skill was submitted for patent by Charles F. Foley and Neil Rabens in 1966 under the name, “Pretzel.” Who knew 57 years later, “Twister” could also become a great challenge for robotics! Is there a better way to celebrate National Robotics Week this week (April 8-16, 2023) than playing games with robots?

Occasionally, my former “partner-in-crime” and robotics colleague Kathy Holberg and I found our way on the back roads of Texas, traveling for robotics professional development. These trips allowed our creative juices to flow, and we would get into a wonderful zone of inspiration. We were returning from Lubbock in 2007 and working on our new unit, “Games Robots Play,” when we came up with Robo Twister.

It’s a great way to practice the fundamental movements of a robot: forward, reverse, and either a point or pivot turn! All you need for this challenge is:

  1. The Twister mat
  2. A set of Robo Twister rules and cards (Googe Slides or PDF)

Robot Twister Card Information

Image of five different Robo Twister Robotics challenge cards
  • Cards are divided into groups of A, B, C, and D.
  • All cards begin and end on the same colored dot.
  • A cards start and finish on the green dot.
  • B cards start and finish on the yellow dot.
  • C cards start and finish on the blue dot.
  • D cards start and finish on the red dot.
  • A cards have 3 or 4 turns.
  • B cards have 4 turns.
  • C cards have 4 or 5 turns.
  • D cards have 5 or 6 turns.
  • In case you need blank cards, two are provided.

How to Set Up Robo Twister

Step 1: Each team of two students draws a Robo Twister card.

Step 2: Teams plan their route using the dot grid on their card.

Step 3: Then, they use their Robo Twister card to color code the route.

Step 4: Teams select rotations, degrees, seconds, centimeters, or inches for movement.

Robo Twister Robotics Challenge Card - Two Completed Examples
Examples of Completed Robo Twister Cards

Rules for Robot Movements

Robots can travel forward, reverse, and make left or right turns.

Robots cannot travel diagonally.

Robo Twister Extensions for Bonus Points 

If you’ve been in one of my trainings, you know this is called my “back pocket trick.” Check out these two extensions:

Extension 1: When the robot lands on each Twister dot, the robot must stop, make a sound, and wait for one second before proceeding to the next colored dot.

Extension 2: Run two robots consecutively on the mats. The robots must maneuver the course without crashing into each other.

Activity Modifications

Remember, these rules can be changed! One way to establish rules is for the whole group to set the guidelines together. I always tell the teachers: “Watch your kids. They will do phenomenal things.” And I’m sure there are plenty of ways students can make Robo Twister even better.

Placement of the Twister Mat

The optimal setting is to keep your mat off the floor. Stepping on the mat can cause tears and dirt from shoe prints can affect robot performance. Twister mats are pretty slick at first, but through the years, my mats have “seasoned” and are quite robot friendly. 

A Twister mat bonus tip: Look for this game during Christmas as it usually is marked down.

Twist it Up with Bonus Programming

Multitasking – If your platform is a LEGO SPIKE Prime, the robot could light up the center button with the coordinating Twister circle color as it stops on a circle.

My Block –  With the SPIKE Prime app, you could use a My Block.  A My Block is an easy way to group together pieces of code and reuse a collection of blocks. A My Block could be used to make the sound and wait for one second upon landing on each colored Twister circle. You could also use a My Block to program your turns. 

Have a Robo Twister Tournament!

Many thanks to Jennifer Flood, a robotics colleague of mine. She turned Robo Twister into a district challenge, where teams of students came to a Robot Twister tournament night. Two divisions were established: Intermediate and Advanced.

In the Intermediate division, teams came with a pre-built robot, and they had the full 90 minutes to program their robot to cover the route. The advanced-level teams built and programmed their robots on-site. 

Each team ran their robot at the end of the evening, and judges gave points for route completed, partial or full dot landings, and the use of sound and/or light.

Enter the Twister Trivia Game

Twister Triva

And, finally, enter the TCEA TWISTER TRIVIA Game. There are seven trivia questions. If you’re wondering if you can google the answers – the answer is: YES! The contest ends at 5:00 p.m. Central on April 20, 2023. If you are one of three lucky winners, I will mail you a set of the Robo Twister cards so you are ready for your own Robo Twister competition. Good luck!

National Robotics Week

If you’re looking for other ways to celebrate National Robotics Week, there are tons of resources available for early education all the way up through college. Also, select your state to see how others are celebrating and to find out if there’s an event happening in your area!

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RoboticsSTEM/STEAM

Here’s the Scoop on TCEA Robotics Contests

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Educators in the TCEA Community and beyond want to know, “Will there be a robotics competition this year?” The answer is “yes” and “no.” Here’s the scoop. The “no” part: The TCEA State Robotics Contest has been discontinued. You can read more about this in the May press release located here.  The “yes” part: TCEA area directors, or anyone else who would like to hold a contest, may offer one if they choose! And TCEA is providing a 2022 problem set. 

The Problem Set 

Even though the state contest has been discontinued, I knew there would be some classrooms, campuses, or districts that would want to hold a robotics contest. With that in mind, I wrote a new problem set. I want to make sure our members have access to a problem set if they choose to have their own contest. But holding the actual contest will now be up to individuals.

The new 2022-2023 problem set, Go, Go Cargo!, is available September 15. That’s today! The problem set is based on a shipping container port and follows the same competition structure introduced in last year’s contest, BUILD: WIDGETS, designed by Darren Wilson. The format structure consists of qualifier matches, seeded teams, alliance selection, and a single elimination tournament that Darren created for the contest last year.

Contest Components

Go, Go Cargo! robotics problem set
Created by Tami Hull, Early ISD

Additional Ideas

Jamie Gustin shares in the TCEA Community another option for robotics contests: 

Most livestock shows have Ag Robotics competitions. Each one will have different rules and problem sets. The sticking point on these is that team members have to be members of 4H or FFA. You can talk to your campus ag teachers to find out what the requirements for membership are. Most fairs/livestock shows will also allow a certain number of non-member teams from schools in their county. I’ve found these Ag Robotics competitions to be challenging and enjoyable. Also, the Ag teachers know all of the school’s travel procedures very well and are great partners.

Jim Jewell shared a list of these:

The links shared above were assembled by Derrick Bruton at d-bruton@tamu.edu.

Questions? If you are a member of TCEA, join the Robotics Contest group to ask questions about Go, Go Cargo and find out what other coaches/sponsors (like Jamie Gustin) are sharing about robotics around the state. 

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Six Ideas for Pool Noodles in the Classroom

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Pool noodles are wonderful. They’re inexpensive, versatile, and colorful. Of course, I have to put up with my colleagues teasingly threatening to throw away my pool noodles all the time, but that’s okay. They are totally worth it. Here are six noodle-rific ways you can use my favorite product in the classroom.

1. Robotics Challenge Border

pool noodle robotics boundaries

I found this super idea on Twitter from Kim Collazo (@kcollazo). She duck-taped pool noodles to the floor to make a border for a robotics challenge called the Predator/Prey Challenge. She tweeted that her 4th graders learned the importance of armor and other animal adaptations with the Sphero Bolt- just in case you were curious to know what robot is hiding under those red solo cups. Check out the video! Bonus: Kim shares her lesson for the Predator/Prey Challenge here.

2. SPIKE Pool Noodle Runner

pool noodle robotics

Mr. Hino of Mr. Hino’s LEGO Robotics YouTube Channel shares a unique robot he built that travels along a pool noodle. Check out this Youtube video on his channel for the Pool Noodle Runner. I love this build because it is not moving the standard way of a vehicle. I also reversed engineered his robot, and you can find the building instructions on a slide deck here. My slide deck comes with six steps and a video of my own personal SPIKE Pool Noodle Runner. 

3. Breakout EDU

breakout with pool noodles

If you are a fan of Breakout EDU, try incorporating pool noodles for a clue. The very first breakout I designed for a professional development Breakout EDU session was based on Dr. Johnson’s Lab (Zombie Apocalypse!) by James Sanders. I tweaked James’s original game to engage the audience and have their participation in the game. I designed it where objects and costumes held the puzzles to unlock the locks on the breakout box. I had one participant, complete with a beach towel and sunglasses, walk around the room calling out, “Where, oh where have my pool noodles gone?” All of a sudden 10 people popped their noodles out from hiding. Five green, two blue, and four orange noodles appeared which were used to solve the three-digit combination lock.

4. Goose Chase

How about incorporating pool noodles into an interactive experience called a Goose Chase? Below are a few missions I have used at TCEA conventions and conferences. My tip here is to encourage your participants to “think outside the box” and create different ways to improvise with the pool noodles besides lasers and swords.

  • Mission ETC: Improvise with a pool noodle or two. Please do not turn your pool noodle into a weapon.
  • Mission CTS: Act out a movie scene using one or more pool noodles. Think beyond Star Wars.
  • Mission ETC: Create a math problem using some or all the pool noodles you will find hiding down the hall. 
  • Mission TCEA 2018: Form a letter using the pool noodles.

5. Cardio Desk Drumming 

desk drumming with pool noodles

I found this one a year ago on Facebook and have been holding onto this terrific find – until now! P.E. Coach, Mr. Kent Hamilton of Middlebranch-Avondale Elementary School in Canton, Ohio has created routines called Cardio Desk drumming with pool noodles. It sure looks like a bunch of fun. This”get moving” activity is great for the body and the brain! He has several videos on his YouTube channel. He includes two of my favorite songs: Queen’s “We will Rock You” and Imagine Dragon’s “Believer.” Don’t miss “Shake it Off” or “Uptown Funk,” too. Follow him on Twitter for so many more ideas.

6. Pool Noodle Pass

pool noodle pass

Hanging out on Twitter is such a good thing. I also found the 2021 National Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year, Kyle Bragg. He is a P.E. teacher at Anasazi Elementary School in Arizona. Oh, to be a second grader and try the Noodle Pass! Follow him not only for his pool noodle activities but other energizing and engaging lessons in the gym.

Feel free to share the unique ways you use pool noodles in your classroom in the comments. Let’s spread more love for pool noodles!

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RoboticsSTEM/STEAM

How to Build Jitter and JoJo: Two LEGO® Education Robots

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Worldwide, many people have been inspired by the fabulous works of Yoshihito Isogawa– myself included. I consider him a legend in the LEGO world of robotics. Yoshihito Isogawa lives in Tokyo, Japan. His biographies describe him as a LEGO master builder, a LEGO® luminary, and a technical writer. He gives LEGO workshops and lectures at schools and science museums. 

Yoshihito Isogawa has also published ten books. His latest is “The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Idea Book.” This book has 125 models (interactive inventions, toys, cars, games, and more) built with the LEGO Robot Inventor set (#51515). This particular set is the retail/home set of SPIKE Prime. If you own a SPIKE Prime, you might pick up some great ideas from this book. Please remember the part selection for the Robot Inventor is quite different from the educational SPIKE Prime set. 

“The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor Idea Book” by Yoshihito Isogawa

One thing to note is Yoshihito’s willingness to build and share all kinds of robots and contraptions through his Facebook page and YouTube Channel. He always comes up with ingenious building techniques and clever creations. So one day, believe it or not, I was exploring the internet and stumbled upon a YouTube video called, Two Wheels Car: LEGO SPIKE Essential. Check it out!

I am sure once Yoshihito got a hold of a SPIKE Essential set, his creative juices started flowing. This little robot is easy to build and just plain CUTE! 

Two Wheels Car: LEGO SPIKE Essential

As you probably guessed, I was inspired to see if I could build this cutie-pie robot. It was fairly easy to replicate this build after watching the video and pausing it at specific times to figure out part placement. I’m happy to report I was successful, and the only major change I made from the original was the name. In my honest opinion, the robot needed a name upgrade. TCEA’s Communications Specialist, Emily Hopkins, and I changed the name to “Jitter.” Here is the video of Jitter, and you can see how he got his name. If you want to build Jitter, check out my eight-step building directions.

Jitter in action!

I just couldn’t stop here. Next up was SPIKE Essential’s big brother, SPIKE Prime. Here are the directions for JoJo using a SPIKE Prime core set. It was pure joy to use the 5×5 light matrix for JoJo’s mouth and the biscuits (new technic building element included in the SPIKE Prime and SPIKE Essential sets) for sunglasses.

Two Wheels Car: LEGO SPIKE Prime

If you and your students build Jitter and his brother JoJo, please send me a photo or video. I would love to see your take on these two robots!

Interested in learning more about robotics? Register for TCEA’s Robotics Camp! Learn all you need to know about SPIKE Prime in just a few days. Build robots (and your confidence!), explore the possibilities, and gather up fun, adaptable lessons. Sign up today!

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