STEM    FIT  
ROBOTICS

Lesson Plan: Robots

Subject: Technology

Duration: One class period: 90 Minutes per Module

 

Lesson Plan Sections

 

Objectives

 

Up on completion students will understand the basic robot concepts such as:

 

·       Displacement

·       Distance and Speed 

·       Velocity and velocity  ratio 

·       Acceleration

·       Force,  moment of a force,  torque and centre of gravity

​

Materials

 

·       Power supply, Arduino Microcontroller, Mobot Chassis, Gears/Pulleys Electronics Breadboard, Electronics Components, Signal Generator, Oscilloscope and Counter.

​

Procedures

 

·       Discuss the safety rules and allow time for question and answer session to ensure everyone understands concepts as it relates to a given task.

·       Module-1 Introduce the process of measuring displacement

·       Module-2 Introduce the process of measuring displacement in relation to distance and speed

·       Module-3 Introduce the process of measuring velocity 

·       Module-4 Introduce the process of measuring velocity  in relation to velocity ratio

·       Module-5 Introduce the process of measuring acceleration  in contrast to velocity 

·       Module-6 Introduce Newton’s Law  as it relates to F= M*A,

·       Module-7 Introduce moment of a force,  product of a force  in contrast to balance beam

·       Module-8 Introduce moment of a force  in contract to centre of gravity 

·       Module-9 Introduce the process of measuring torque

·       Module-10 Introduce projectile and motion (Horizontal & Vertical )

Discussion Questions

 

·       Lesson learned in performing a given task

·       What error likely situation was present  in executing a given task

·       Were there any surprises and why?

·       Were you adequately prepared for task

​

Evaluation

·       

·       Each topic will be evaluated with a quiz in association a three-point  Rubric and Synthesis

Three points: high-quality, clear, neat, and detailed drawings; very clear labels; complete paragraphs addressing the two topics mentioned in Procedures
 
Two points: adequately detailed drawings; clear labels; complete paragraphs addressing the two topics mentioned in Procedures
 
One point: inadequately detailed drawings; weak labels; incomplete paragraphs
Students to contribute to the assessment rubric by determining what an adequately detailed drawing would consist of.

Extensions

Robots in the Workforce
In the future, robots, machines, and computers will continue to replace human workers in all areas of business and industry. Students will be asked to think about their own futures. For specific careers that students may now be considering, ask them to list the ways in which machines may make parts of those jobs no longer necessary for humans to perform. Have students write a 40-year work plan that shows how they will have to reeducate themselves or otherwise adjust in a competitive job market that will employ an ever-growing workforce of robots, machines, and computers.
 

Suggested Readings

Ramblin’ Robots: Building a Breed of Mechanical Beasts
Ingrid Wickelgren. Venture, 1996
How would you design a robot? Reading this book will give you plenty of ideas about how to build a robot and the tasks you can program it to perform a given task or a series of autonomus task.

Artificial Intelligence: Robotics and Machine Evolution
David Jefferies. Crabtree, 1999.
This new book is filled with great illustrations, drawings, captions, and text to help us understand robots, the technology needed to create them, their history, and their possible future uses and forms. The author predicts that robots will be increasingly used in communication, in finance, in entertainment, in environmental work, and even as human assistants. Read the pros and cons of technological advancement for society. What do you think?