Session 10: Robot Olympics
Session Architect: Muhammad Bilal
Session Length: 50-60 minutes
Equipment Required:
- M3D Robotics kit (including M3D Go, its attachments, and necessary connections).
- Laptops with Scratch pre-installed.
- Paper and pencils for students to solve math problems and note code errors.
- Pre-prepared coding sequences for the Olympics(available in the provided resources).
- A speaker for playing music during the final celebration.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply math skills to solve problems that guide the robot’s movement.
- Develop problem-solving and debugging skills by identifying and fixing coding errors.
- Learn teamwork, patience, and good sportsmanship while participating in fun activities.
- Celebrate the learning journey with a final robot dance celebration.
Resources:
Scratch Code File:
Grade 1 Session 10.sb3 (3.1 MB)
Note:
For the 2nd part of the Robot Olympics: Code Debugging Race, the teacher would have to code the faulty/buggy code in the provided file according the the position of the Finish Line of the race so that when the code is executed correctly, the robot reaches the end of the race.
1. Introduction to Robot Olympics (5 minutes)
Activity:
Introduce the Robot Olympics as a fun and exciting way to use everything students have learned in the past sessions. Emphasize that today’s event is all about teamwork, participation, and having fun rather than just winning.
Instructions:
Since the session is going to be a fun competition, you may begin with an enthusiastic introduction:
“Welcome to the Robot Olympics! Today, we’re going to see if your robots are ready to face some awesome challenges. Do you think they can solve tricky math problems, fix their own mistakes, and even show off some cool dance moves? We’ll work together in teams to help our robots reach the finish line and celebrate everything we’ve learned!”
Briefly introduce the three activities:
- Math Dash – Solve math problems to guide the robot to the finish line.
- Code Debugging Race – Fix the robot’s code as fast as possible to help it reach the finish line.
- Celebration – End the event by programming a fun dance for the robot and celebrating together.
Teacher’s Role:
- Build excitement for the event and make sure students are ready for the activities.
- Explain the importance of teamwork and having fun, regardless of who finishes first.
2. Activity 1: Math Dash (15 minutes)
Activity:
Students will solve math problems as fast as they can to guide their robot to the finish line. Each correct answer will move the robot forward by a certain number of steps.
Instructions:
- Divide students into small groups.
- Each group will receive a sheet of math problems (simple addition or subtraction).
- For every correct answer, students will input the answer to the robot to move forward by the corresponding number of steps.
- The goal is to solve all the math problems quickly and accurately to guide the robot to the finish line.
Teacher’s Role:
- Walk around and support groups that may struggle with solving math problems or coding the robot.
- Ensure that the activity is focused on fun and learning, not just speed.
- Encourage teamwork and ensure that every group member participates.
3. Activity 2: Code Debugging Race (15 minutes)
Activity:
Students will be given a buggy code sequence and must identify and fix the error(s) as fast as possible. The correct code will help the robot reach the finish line.
Instructions:
- Provide each group with a pre-prepared coding sequence that has a small “bug” (e.g., the robot turns the wrong direction, moves too many steps, or shows the wrong message).
- Students must work together to find the mistake, fix the code, and make the robot reach the finish line.
- If the code is not executed correctly, the students can reset the bot to the previous position and try again.
- The first group to successfully debug their code and have the robot reach the finish line wins this round.
Teacher’s Role:
- Encourage students to communicate and work together to identify and fix the bugs.
- Offer hints and guidance to groups struggling with finding or fixing the errors.
- Reinforce the idea that debugging is an important skill and a fun way to solve problems.
4. Fun Celebration: Robot Dance Party (10 minutes)
Activity:
After completing the two challenges, students will program a fun dance for their robots. They can use the “Express” block for emojis, “Show Text” block for messages, and movement blocks to make the robot dance.
Instructions:
- Students will work together to code a simple dance routine for their robots using movement, emoji, and text blocks.
- Once the robots are ready, the teacher will play some music, and students will make their robots perform their dance routines.
- Celebrate everyone’s efforts and creativity with a fun, lighthearted robot dance party.
Teacher’s Role:
- Encourage students to be creative and have fun coding their robot’s dance.
- Play some music to set the tone for the celebration.
- Ensure that every group gets a chance to showcase their robot’s dance.
5. Conclusion and Good Sportsmanship (5 minutes)
Activity:
Wrap up the session with a discussion about good sportsmanship and teamwork. Congratulate all students for participating and celebrate everyone’s achievements.
Instructions:
- After the dance, gather students together for a closing reflection.
“Today was all about teamwork, fun, and learning! Whether your robot got to the finish line first or not, you all did a fantastic job solving problems, fixing bugs, and creating amazing dance routines!”
- Reinforce the importance of supporting each other, celebrating each other’s successes, and learning from mistakes.
Teacher’s Role:
- Congratulate the winners but also highlight the efforts of every group, emphasizing that the event was more about fun and learning than winning.
- Encourage students to share what they enjoyed most and what they learned during the Robot Olympics.
Learning Outcome:
By the end of the session, students will have applied math and coding skills in a fun and collaborative way. They will have experienced teamwork, problem-solving, and celebrated their efforts with a fun robot dance party. The focus on good sportsmanship will help reinforce the value of participation and learning over competition.