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Teacher Notes

Topics

Day 1

  • Dash Robots
  • Program Dash
  • Dash Dance Party (if you have time today or any other day)

Day 2

  • Dash Obstacle Course

Day 3

  • Draw with Dash

Day 4

  • Dash Sensors

Day 5

  • Dash Soccer

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Remind students to be nice to the robots each day.

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If you have less than 5 days, you can pick the activities that best fit your group. If they have trouble with coding the first day, it is probably best to skip the sensors.

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I suggest Day 1, 2 and 5 if you have 3 days

Materials

Everyday

  • Dash
  • Tablets
  • Chargers

Day 1

  • Music

Day 2

  • Blocks
  • Legos
  • Boxes
  • Any other materials to make the obstacle course
  • Paper and pencils

Day 3

  • Markers
  • Paper
  • LEGOs and Dash-to-LEGO connectors
  • Tape

Day 4

  • Obstacles (like a box or something)

Day 5

  • Soccer Nets
  • Ball
  • LEGOs and Dash-to-LEGO connectors

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Dash Robots

3rd - 5th Grade

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Dash Robot

  • Robot we can program and drive around
  • Connects to a tablet via 2 apps.
    • Wonder
    • Blockly

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Dash Robot Rules

  1. Dash should remain on the ground
    1. Do NOT throw Dash
    2. Do NOT drive Dash on top of tables
  2. Do NOT push Dash like a car
  3. Treat Dash nicely

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If you need to take a break. Leave Dash and the tablet and walk away for a few moments.

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Program Dash

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Connect to Dash

  • Open the Blockly App
  • Connect your Robot
    • Click the + sign in the corner
    • Select the right robot
  • Open a new project

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How to Program Dash

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In the menu find the Drive blocks.

Attach one to the When Start block.

Press the Green button in the bottom left corner to play your program.

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Program a Square

How many sides does a square have?

How many corners does a square have?

What block can help us make a side?

What block could help us draw a corner?

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Program a Maze

Program your robot to drive through a maze using Drive Blocks

Make 1 continuous program

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Dash Dance Party

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Let’s Dance

Explore different blocks in Blockly

Drive, Look, Light, Sound and Animation blocks

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Make Dash do an awesome Dance

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Dash Obstacle Course

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Obstacle Courses

Have you ever been in an obstacle course?

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Design an Obstacle Course

  • Split up into Groups of 3-4
  • Spend 5 minutes drawing your obstacle course on paper
  • Think about obstacle courses you’ve seen before

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Create an Obstacle Course

  • Each group gets 1 Dash Robot
  • Each group gets a box of obstacle course supplies
  • Make sure the Dash robot fits everywhere it needs to drive through

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  • Should be challenging, but not impossible!

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Complete the Obstacle Courses

  • Each group should move to a different groups obstacle course
  • Connect the Dash robots to tablets (Wonder remote control app)
  • Each team member should get a chance to drive the robot through the obstacle course

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  • Which team is the fastest?
  • Which team made the hardest course?

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Drawing with Dash

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Draw with Dash

  • Use LEGOs to attach a marker to your robot so that the marker tip touches the ground.

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  • How can you attach the marker?
  • Can you attach it without tape?
  • Make a plan and try it out.

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Draw with Dash

  • Connect the Dash to the Blockly app.
  • Place your robot on a large piece of paper.

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  • Can you program Dash to write a letter?
  • Can you program Dash to draw a shape?

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Sensors with Dash

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Sensors as Senses

  • We have 5 senses
    • Touch
    • Taste
    • Hearing
    • Sight
    • Smell
  • And More: Proprioception (close your eyes and touch your nose)
  • Robots have sensors
    • Potentiometers
    • Proximity sensors
    • Microphones/speakers
    • Buttons
    • IR receivers/transmitters

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Input/Output devices

  • Sensors are input devices
    • Take information into the robot
    • Examples
      • Buttons
      • Proximity sensors
      • Keyboards
      • Microphones
  • Output devices
    • Help the robot interact with the world
    • Examples
      • Speakers
      • Wheels/motors turning or driving

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Using Sensors with Dash

  • Control Blocks can help us use sensors
  • Repeat forever
    • Perform the instruction inside over and over
    • Can also use Repeat x times
  • Wait for Dash Top Button
    • Will stop the program until the button is pressed, then will complete the instructions after this block
  • Some Start blocks also use sensors

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Programming Challenge

  • Create a program where Dash plays a noise when one of its buttons is pressed.

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  • Extension: Create a program where Dash drives until one of the head buttons is pressed. Then have it turn and then keep driving.
    • Hint: Use Set Wheel Speed instead of drive forward a specific distance

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Programming Challenge

  • Program Dash to drive until it hits an object (try using the proximity sensor), then turn and keep driving.
    • You’ll need to use the Set Wheel Speed to instead of Drive forward

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  • What else can you have Dash do using sensors?

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Dash Soccer

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Prepare the Robots

  • Use the LEGO connectors to add pieces to decorate and improve the soccer players.
  • Split into groups or pairs.
  • Design the soccer robot additions.

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Soccer Tournament

  • Have each team play against each other in rounds.
    • Each team member should get a chance to drive the robot.
  • Make improvements to the robot design in between your rounds.