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The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Drone Racing: Design and Build an Obstacle Course Part 1

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Drone Racing: Design and Build an Obstacle Course Part 1

A 5-8th grade STEM lesson

Brian Piendl

Date:06/25/2024

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Notes for teachers

This next part is more of a unit than it is an individual

lesson.

Pacing is difficult to gauge as well as this unit can be quite long anywhere from a couple of weeks to a whole term. �
This unit covers drone racing, less the rules and such and more about designing and building the students’ own course.�
The linked Canva Doc is a companion research document to use if you would like. It is set to view only. But all you have to do is make a copy.

Once you have made your own copy, click share, then assignment, each student own document.

This is my fourth lesson for ASAP so I won’t be able to add an additional lesson but I will add a link to the end of the slideset to my Drone Drive as a viewer.

This will enable me to continue adding lessons for this unit

List of Materials

Notebook
Pen/Pencil
Drone with all spare parts
Building materials such as legos, knex are very useful for modeling otherwise a healthy amount of pipe cleaners can suffice.
String

Canva Link to Drone Research Document

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Science Standards

P3 - Changing the movement of an object requires there to be a force to be acting upon it.

Science Core Ideas -

Using Science

U2 the knowledge produced by science is used in engineering and technologies to solve problems and or create products.

U1 Explaining Phenomena using Evidence

Technology Standards

The ETS Standards are labeled 1-3 as there is little space.

The entire unit fits into the Design Process, in this particular lesson students in the Define and Prepare Phase (Research)

MS-ETS1-1.

Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2.

Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

MS-ETS1-3.

Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

MS-ETS1-4.

Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

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Objectives:

Students will design and build their own drone obstacle course.

Students will be able to complete/fly the course.

Students will create rules for the drone obstacle race.

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Agenda

Anticipatory set with videos and discussion
Unit Map
Research possible Drone Racing Obstacles and Rule Sets

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What is Drone Racing?

Follow up:

What do you think are some differences you can see between drone racing and … car, horse, runners?

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There are many different types of races, all at different levels

Video Follow Up (1): Turn to your shoulder partner and share how are these races different from one another? Think size, shape, objects

^ Xfinity Drone Challenge

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Project Goal: Design and Build Obstacle Course to Race our Drones

Unit Map:

Research and Discuss possible rules to implement for racing
Research types of obstacles used in drone races
Research Drone Racing Maps
Choose top obstacles and maps share research via slide feedback sessions
Class vote on top 4 obstacles to build
Build prototypes of obstacles

Unit Map Part 2:

7. Create a 3D map of course using prototypes, string and pipe cleaners

8. 3D Map Walk about

9. Choose map as class

10. Assign individual obstacles to groups, design and build life size versions

11. RACE OUR DRONES!!!!

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Grouping Up!

When choosing your groups…

It’s time to choose partners!

You will be working in groups of 4

Responsibilities of partners will include

Research and taking notes
Designing obstacles in notebooks
Input designs into a common Google Slide
Present obstacles, maps and rules
Build prototypes
Build full sized obstacles
Fly drone
Race drone

Think about all the different tasks your groups will be responsible for.

Try to build a well rounded team that can

Present
Draw
Research and take organized notes
Brainstorm ideas
Build using a variety of materials
Pilot drone with speed and accuracy

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It’s Research Time!

Rules of the Race

What drone racing rules for

Pilots’ Conduct
The Course Size
Safety
Competition

Obstacles

Find 5 different drone racing obstacles that you find interesting
For each obstacle

Draw the obstacle
Write a short description of how the drone flies through the obstacle

Drone Maps

Find at least 3 different drone maps/courses
Draw each map

On each map label the path of the drone
Draw mini representations of the obstacles that may be present

Directions: Divide the above categories amongst your team members. Every student must help research so it is ok to double up if need. Every student is responsible for for all the work.

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Research Options

You and your teammates may write and draw all your information in your notebooks

You and your teammates may use this digital canva, or even print this document

Option A: Free Hand

Option B: Canva Document

I try my best to give my students options when doing this kind of work, or the freedom to research and write to their preference.

Option 1 is free hand in their notebooks

Option 2 is a Companion Document

This document is meant to be filled in Canva. However it can be printed (You may have to format it or move it to a new template to look nicer)

Canva Link to Drone Research Document

Clicking on the picture will take you to slides with screenshots of the document so that you can overview it in ppt form.

Otherwise click on the link above. This will take you the Canva Document. The link is View Only, so make sure you make a copy of it and assign it to your class.

Also, it was created as a one pager in Canva. So if you want to print the document it may need to be adjusted in order to format correctly.

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Teacher Only Slide Next

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Teacher Decision

There are a couple ways you have the students do the research

Jigsaw - Once the students have decided who is going to work in which category - break the students into Expert Groups (All students who are researching the same topic)

Rules in one group
Maps in another
Obstacles in a third

When the expert groups have completed their research, students return to their original groups and share what they learned with their team. (The team fills in the notes they are missing)

Students work solely in their original groups to complete the research, share the workload and all their notes. Group member #4 can help whichever team mate needs assistance or take over a spot for a student that may be absent.

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The Overview

Write the names of every member of your group next to the number provided
The Role section is to designate who is going to research which category
#4 has a blank role, this is so your team can choose which research to double up on

Choose a topic that has more work.

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Obstacle Section

Obstacle Research

Name = Name of Obstacle

If you find an obstacle you think is cool but don’t know the name of it, make up an appropriate name

Description

Materials
How drone flies through it
Size

Draw and label what the drone looks like to the right of the description
You only need to complete 5 but you may do more
If you need to add another row click on the … next to the last row

Then select add row.

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Drone Rules

Find as many rules as you can for each of the following categories

Pilot Conduct (Behaviour)
Safety
Competition Rules

How to win
Rules of the race itself

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To Do List

This section is not mandatory, but can be used to help your team be more organized with their work.

You will have 2 class periods to complete this assignment so set the due date to __________________________

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Assessment

RTA - Are students able to draw and describe their research accurately?
Does every student have ALL of the research in their notebooks?

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Differentiation

For younger students or students who have a hard time taking notes, I find that having a guided worksheet for the videos helps keep them focused and able to take notes on what you need.
For each video you can ask one question for the students to focus on.

Ex:

For the Drone Flight Video ask how Drone races are different from a horse or car race

The Canvas Worksheet can be used as a scaffold for students.
You can also break the research into small chunks and do the work as a class.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

In the next lesson students will be presenting their research to the rest of the class for feedback and discussion.

However, an extension of this could be to instead have each researcher choose one Obstacle, Rule, Map to highlight and make a poster.

Hang the posters and do a walkabout.

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Links to my drone drive

The links will be set to view only, so make a copy.

Over the summer I will add notes and modifications to those lessons.

They won't be ASAP vetted but they can be a good resource for you