U6 Day 10-13: PD Discussion Topic
Since we don’t have the Lego robots, my students will be using the Finch robots and programming them. Students will have to install the BirdBrain software and they will use Scratch to get the robot to move. Since the Finch is one unit and does not have to be built, my students won’t have the building part, but they will have to work in groups to program it. I only have 4 of the finches so I plan to put my students in larger groups. Their objective for the first lesson will be to program the finch to move in the direction based off which arrow key is pressed. If the right arrow key is pressed, the finch will move right and go forward, etc. I am attaching a sample of the code that will be used to achieve this first goal. Afterward, we will work with the sensors on the finch to have it’s movement controlled by light and obstacles.
I do like how using the Finch robots is allowing the students to expand their knowledge in Scratch. Using what they have learned in Unit 4 will help them a lot. I do like the building that comes with using the Lego kits since that incorporates even more problem solving…that is one of the disadvantages of the Finch since they are already built.
Just finishing up with the Robotics Unit. Students were very successful in completing the tutorials and building their robots. The students programmed the robot to perform tasks such as walking the straight line, curvy line, square and roundabout. They also completed several challenges such as the Castor Bot and the Combat Robot.
Unit 6 Robotics Lesson.docx (85.0 KB)