Creative Ways To Use Robots In The Classroom

Gaining access to affordable robotics solutions such as the Mindstorms NXT kit is only a part of the battle (or solution); the true challenge is coming up with additional projects that will continue to engage kids while also allowing them to develop mastery of both life- and content-specific skills. While this list is not exhaustive, the projects contained here will hopefully help you to think of your own!

All animals and plants possess adaptations that greatly enhance their “fitness” and ability to survive or thrive in their environment. Have students design their robots with only specific pieces in the kit. Reducing their supply of parts forces them to look more closely at the tack they’re taking and come up with a design that completes the objectives without sacrificing speed, ability to acquire food, etc. Test the robots under controlled circumstances and use the outcome to design and/or build the next generation of robots!

As unlikely as it seems, genetics and robotics actually go hand in hand- the structure of an organism is determined by the components that comprise it, and those components are, in turn determined by the blueprint. In the case of reality, that blueprint just happens to be deoxyribose nucleic acid, and in the case of a robot, the blueprint might be CAD drawings or a written description. those components reflect that work together. Have the students spend time studying the components; afterward, incorporate a challenge by restricting the components they can use in the construction process.

Writing project journals, technical manuals, documentation, or basic instructions for classmates can all be incorporated into a robotics project, and the product can be posted on the Internet to add an additional technology element to the project. Another possibility is that of doing interviews of people to find out about their first contacts with robots, as well as their views on them.

Catching your robots in motion gives a far better picture of how they operate than any static picture ever taken; podcasts or vodcasts, wikis, and the like can provide a running record of the project while also giving youth a chance to share information, collaborate, and discuss their projects.