The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Robotics: Can Edison Make it Through an Obstacle Course?

Can Edison Make it Through an Obstacle Course?

A K-5 STEM lesson

Dr. Maggie Dominguez

March 2023

Notes for teachers

Before this lesson it is important to make sure that each of the Edison robots has fully charged batteries.

Each group of students or individual student need 1 robot, 1 Ed Comm 3100 cable, and a compatible laptop.

For this lesson, it is best to have an obstacle course already set up for the students to navigate.

List of Materials

• Edison robots (one per small group)
• Computer or tablet with Internet access to https://www.edblocksapp.com/
• Ed Comm 3100 cables
• Paper and pencils for students
• Chart paper and markers
• Obstacle course materials (e.g., cardboard boxes, cones, books, tape)

Teacher Guide

Standards

Arizona Educational Technology Standards:

​

Standard 4: Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful, or imaginative solutions.

​

Standard 5. Computational Thinker

3-5.5.c. Students, in collaboration with an educator, break down problems into smaller parts, identify key information, and propose solutions.

• ​
• ​

Objectives:

1. Students will understand the basic functions and components of an Edison robot.
2. Students will demonstrate basic programming concepts by providing simple commands to the robot.
3. Students will collaborate with peers to complete a task using the Edison robot.

​

Agenda (120 min.)

Introduction / Discussion / Exploration: 25 min.

Programming Lesson: 25 min.

Collaborative Task: 40 min.

Reflection/Conclusion: 30 min.

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

​

​

​

• Begin lesson by gathering students and introducing them to the Edison robot.
• Ask the students: What is a robot? What can a robot do? After this discussion, let students know they will be learning how to use and program the Edison robot.
• On chart paper, have the following questions for groups to brainstorm and discuss: What do you think a robot can do? How do you think a robot moves? What do you think a robot needs to work?
• Introduce basic functions of Edison robot: Top: Record/Stop/Play buttons. Front: Light sensors, infrared LED, and red LEDs. Bottom: Power switch, light tracking sensor, EdComm cable connection holes.

​

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Begin with the programming lesson, introduction to EdBlocks by using the Internet on a smartboard. If you have a Promethean Active Panel, you can show students each of the block components (left turn, right turn, forward, backward) and how to program their robot. Show them how to download the program to the robot and demonstrate the robot following the program.
• Have an obstacle course set up for the robots. Instruct students to create an EdBlocks program for their robot to go from start to finish without bumping into any objects.
• Test Edison robots by having each group play their robot program and see how the robot moves and if it goes from start to finish.

​

​

Assessment

Reflection/Discussion: Have students come together and share their design decisions. Ask students:

• What would you do differently if you could start over and reprogram your Edison?
• What was the most difficult part of programming your robot?
• What did you find easier to do?
• If you could program your Edison to do anything, what would you want it to do?

Differentiation

Students can work as a group or individuals and remediation can occur with hands on help by the teacher or parent helpers. Some students might need more time than others so it is important to have your obstacle course somewhere that is convenient and does not need to be removed every day.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Introduce students to more than the drive commands available for programming. Have students program different sounds to make Edison play music while going through the obstacle course.

​

Have students create their own obstacle course and then program Edison to successfully navigate that course.