The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Western Expansion with Bee-Bots or Dash Robots

Western Expansion with Bee-Bots or Dash Robots

A 2nd grade STEM lesson

Tina Kennedy

7/6/2023

Notes for teachers

• I completed this activity with Bee-Bots but many robots could be used for this lesson
• The criteria was for students to use the EDP to create a covered wagon to gather supplies needed to travel from Missouri to Oregon during the Western Expansion being pulled by the Bee-Bot.
• Any supplies can be provided including K’NEX, Legos, and recyclable materials.
• I 3D printed artifacts to add to their wagon as they programmed through the map but students could create items too. See Resource Slide at end of document for .stl file.
• Day 1 was background information on the Western Expansion, creating groups, brainstorming designs with supplies provided, and voting on one design from the team to build
• Day 2 was assigning jobs within team (1. tape helper, 2. making axles and wheels, 3. making the walls, floor, cover for the covered wagon, 4. creating a tow hook for wagon to attach to the hole on the back of the Bee-Bot.
• When design was done, I gave students a Bee-Bot to connect their wagon to and test if the wagon could move and stay intact during forward and turning programming. Make modifications if needed.
• If design successful, provide Western Expansion Mat and place artifacts on the map icon.
• The Bee-Bot can land on the map icon to count for correct programming. The covered wagon is too long to fit on the icon.

Standards

Social Studies and Geography:

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● 2.G3.1 Explain why and how people, goods, and ideas move from place to place. ▪ Key concepts include but are not limited to transportation, trade, immigration, migration, and communication

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Science and Engineering Practices

• Developing and Using Models
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
• Constructing Explanations and Designing Solution
• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

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Standards

Math:

2MD.A Measure and estimate lengths in standard units

Arizona Computer Science Stds:

2.AP.PD.1 Develop plans that describe a program’s sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.

2.AP.PD.3 Debug (identify and fix) errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops.

Bee Bot Covered Wagon Trail

What is a covered wagon?

A wagon pulled by horses or mules with a high canvas top. They were used by pioneers to transport themselves and their possessions across the North American plains during the westward migration.

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Expectations:

1. Each member creates a covered wagon on paper first

Label the supplies and how the covered wagon will connect to the axle

Label the supplies and how the covered wagon will connect to the Bee Bot

Add your name to your paper

Vote for one design from your team to begin building. Each person is voting for one design that is not yours. The most votes will be the team design.

2. Work as a team to complete the project. Here are the jobs:

Makes the axles and wheels

Makes the covered wagon

Connects the Bee Bot to the covered wagon

responsible for sharing the tape with your team

3. Test with a Bee Bot and make changes as need. Begin the adventure when your testing is done. Take turns programming your Bee-Bot from location to location until you end in Oregon.

Criteria - Goal

Create a covered wagon that Bee-Bot can pull without the supplies falling out. Wagons will need a floor, side walls, and a covering over the top. Program your Bee-Bot with your team all the way to the state of Oregon.

Constraints - Rules

You can use all or some of the following items:

• 5 index cards*
• 3 straws*
• 4 wheels
• 2 paper clips
• 24 inches (2 feet) tape*
• 1 pipe cleaner*
• scissors

*Can cut

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Objectives Day 1:

Today we will discover how people traveled to Western United States during the 1840s to 1860s. This movement was called the Western Expansion.

Today we will collaborate in teams to design a covered wagon that the Bee-Bot could pull with items needed to survive the Oregon Trail journey. Each team member will design their own covered wagon on paper and have the supplies labeled and illustrated.

Today we will compare models with our peers and vote for one model to create with our team.

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Objectives Day 2:

Today we will collaborate in teams to create the one design your team voted for and create a covered wagon that the Bee-Bot could pull with items needed to survive the Oregon Trail journey.

Today we choose the team member jobs for creating and testing the covered wagon.

Today we engineer the covered wagon and test functionality of the covered wagon by programming the Bee-Bot through the map destinations.

Today we take turns with your team programming the algorithms needed to get to the different destinations on the map beginning with the “Start” icon then traveling from Missouri and ending in Oregon.

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Agenda (40 minutes for 2 classes)

Day 1:

Covered wagon and video of the Oregon Trail

Create Groups

Create individual designs

Vote for team design

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Day 2:

Choose jobs for your team

Create covered wagon

Attach and test the covered wagon with a Bee-Bot

Use the Western Expansion mat and Bee-Bot to travel through the destinations and collect supplies ending in Oregon.

What is the difference between these two maps?

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Description

http://itsthewestwardexpansion.weebly.com/the-trails-of-the-west.html

Western Expansion Video

Engineering Design Process

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Review how the Bee-Bot is programmed and safety expectations
• Create groups of 3-4 students, allow for separations as needed
• Preview supplies available to create the covered wagon
• Provide paper and pencils so students can illustrate and label the covered wagon they want to share with their team
• After one wagon design is voted on, share all supplies and teams determine jobs
• Attach the covered wagon to the hole at the back of the Bee-Bot and test if wagon stays attached during turns
• If wagon staying intact, pass out the Western Expansion mats and and artifacts to the mat.
• Students take turn programming from location to location until they reach their destination, Oregon. Add your artifact as you reach that designation.
• Using the Engineering Design Process, if you need to make changes to your design, improve and continue to test.

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Tricks to using Bee-Bots

• BEE-BOT moves 6 inches at a time. Make your own mats with 6x6 squares from chart tablets and laminate your mats to last longer.

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Tricks to using Bee-Bots

• Careful with little hands holding the BEE-BOT from the bottom when moving, the wheels could pinch. Once you press GO, you cannot stop the program until done. Hold from top if moving.
• When you program turning, Bee-Bot does not turn and move to a new space. You will program a direction to turn then press the forward button second to advance to a new space.

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Can pinch

Tricks to using Bee Bots

• The BEE-BOT does not delete your programming once played. Press the BLUE X when done testing your program to erase your programming.

I have the student press the blue X when they are done and I also have the next person press the blue X again before they start programming.

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Team Assessment

• Was your team successful creating a covered wagon
• Was your covered wagon able to stay attached to the Bee-Bot
• Did you make changes if needed to your design if necessary
• Were you able to program your Bee-Bot to get through all the destinations

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Differentiation

• If a student is absent on Day 2, I have students that were not there for Day 1 help that group.
• If students are getting frustrated their design was not chosen, I remind students you may need to change your design if it is not working. If they finish early, they could even try a different design.
• Second-language learners can have a buddy within their group if needed.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

If students get to Oregon quickly, I have one student at a time program all the destinations in one turn to see if they were successful.

Here is a web-based game on the Oregon Trail for an extension activity.

Resources

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Map images/icons

3D printed artifact .stl files