Thanks to DonorsChoose.org, News Corp, and a very special anonymous donor, BGES select students in grade 5 will have the opportunity to make programming come to life. In March 2016, I submitted a project on coding since I had been introducing students to programming and code when the HOUR OF CODE global event kicked off in December 2015. Programming requires critical thinking and problem solving. Reading and math skills provide the basics. The students have really embraced this technology. Wait till they learn about the generous supports who provided them with Sphero robots to program!
PROJECT TIMELINE
- March 2, 2016 – Submitted Coding Project with DonorsChoose.org
- March 2, 2016 – Coding Project approved and posted
- March 11, 2016 – Received notice that my Coding Project had been fully funded
- March 14, 2016 – Submitted my Thank You notes
- March 15, 2016 – Robots have shipped
- March 16, 2016 – Covers have shipped
- March 17, 2016 – Received robots
- March 18, 2016 – Received covers for robots
- Week 1) March 21-25, 2016 – Met with students to tell them about the project and what our two donors have made possible for them. Allowed students to discover the sample programs, drive robots freely through mazes, and begin writing code using Lightning Lab for the robot to travel in a square while performing an action at every corner.
- March 28-April 1 – SPRING BREAK
- Week 2) April 4-8, 2016 – Pull students during computer time to refresh themselves with the program samples and driving freely. Continue working on programming the Sphero with Lightning Lab to travel in a square with actions at every corner. Send home Photo Permission Slips so I can upload 6 photos for our generous donors. Students are to begin writing hand written thank you letters due Friday, April 29th.
- Week 3) April 11-15, 2016 – Students have guidance and Career Day on the 14th. Pull all students on Friday and talk about the Chariot Race and photo permission forms. Give students the Chariot Design Brief for building a chariot out of recycled materials. Show videos and pictures about the upcoming project. They will be using the Tickle app for the Chariot Race.
- Week 4) April 18-22, 2016 – Students will continue programming the Sphero robot using the Tickle app.
- Week 5) April 25-29, 2016 – Students will write proper thank you letters to our generous donors. All letters will be mailed to donorschoose.org as part of the project agreement.
- Week 6) May 2-6, 2016 – Students will bring in their hand made chariots for the Sphero robots and race them manually and by program without having a human driver.
ACTIVITIES PLANNED
- Exploring the robots through sample programs and driving freely
- Exercise – program robot to travel in a square and perform an action at every corner – Lighning Lab app
- Design and create a chariot for the robot to be entered in a chariot race
- Exercise – program robot to complete a circle ending with an action and loop it 3 times – Tickle app
- Race chariots in two modes – manually and programmed
- Write thank you letters
https://youtu.be/RXB9M3E5Dz8
RESOURCES
- Coding with Sphero Robots
- Using the Tickle App (6:59)
- Program Sphero on iPad with Tickle App (4:11)
- Ultimate Sphero Chariot Race commercial version (:56)
- Sphero Chariot Challenge student version (:58)
- Google Search Images – “sphero chariot designs”
- Design Brief – Sphero Chariot Race
- SpheroBasicTrainingActivities
SOL’s ADDRESSED
- Math – distance, speed, time, angles, multiplication, number sense
- Language – proper letter form and writing process
- Social Studies – ancient civilization
- Science – simple machines
- Technology – coding, programming language, robotics