I am going to get the students in groups of 3 and pass out different sheets of paper with “Robots” on them and have them decide which of them are considered robots and why? When we discussed what a “computer” was at the beginning of the year we got very technical and it became a debate in my room so I think they will be all over this. So each group will cut out what they consider to be a robot and what is not and tape it up to the board either to the robot side of the board or not a robot side. We will then vote as a class if everything is on the right side and discuss why and what makes them robots. Then lead us to what the definition of robot is versus a machine.
I like the idea of having students cut out what they think robots are and get up an move around to tape up their picture and then discuss. Robot vs machine can lend itself to some great debates.