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Sphero Coordinate Grid

A 6th Grade STEM lesson

Aimee Katz

The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

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Notes for teachers

You will want to put tape directly on the floor in your classroom to create a coordinate plane or print out a large enough coordinate plane for the Sphero to move on.

You can choose to write the numbers directly on the tape or if you want more of a challenge you don’t have to label the the points.

Sphero for every 2-3 students
Coordinate Plane that is at least 10 by 10 (can make with tape or pre-printed)
Chromebook

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Standards

6.NS.C.6.b- Understand signs of numbers in ordered pairs as indicating locations in quadrants of the coordinate plane; recognize that when two ordered pairs differ only by signs, the locations of the points are related by reflections across one or both axes

6.NS.C.6.c-Find and position integers and other rational numbers on a horizontal or vertical number line diagram; find and position pairs of integers and other rational numbers on a coordinate plane.

6-8.1.d. Students navigate a variety of technologies and transfer their skills to troubleshoot and learn how to use new technologies.

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Objectives:

Students will be able to code a sphero in order to reach the correct location on a coordinate plane.

Students will also be able to state the correct quadrant.

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Agenda

One 45 Minute Class Period

Introduction- 3 minutes

Activity (Instructions and Action) - 34 minutes

Assessment- 8 minutes

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Intro/Driving Question/Opening

How can we use coding and math to program a Sphero to navigate a coordinate plane and stop at the correct location?

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Hands-on Activity Instructions

Place students in groups of two or three
Have one student be partner A and one be partner B (Students will have the opportunity to be both partners).

If you have a group of three, have two students be partner a and one be partner b

Partner A will choose two coordinates and then give them to partner B (ex. -3,-4).
Partner B will then create a program for Sphero to reach the given coordinates.
Once Partner B has written the code, they will run the program.
Partner A will then see where the Sphero landed and will give partner B suggestions on how to modify the program to reach the given coordinates.
Once one program has been run, partner a and b will switch roles. This will continue until time is up.

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Assessment

Exit Ticket: Explain how you would program Sphero in order to reach the coordinate point (-3, 2)

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Differentiation

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students verbally describe how to plot points on the coordinate plane.

You can also have students plot points on paper before moving to the Spheros.

Students will have to start their program on the given x coordinate, then turning it 90 degrees to move to the correct y coordinate.