A tour through the dark side of the Moon - Robots

Good afternoon readers of PickleRICT's blog! I'm Carlos, bringing the lastest news on this feed! So, back in March we had the opportunity to be working with real students in UDCMM (Un Día en el Cole de Mi Maestro), a wonderful experience project organised by our teacher of Resources and ICT, Linda Castañeda Quintero. But, due to this odd situation, we had to stop this activities right in the middle of them. That is why right now we have to plan new activites for our come back! In this case we will explain how robotics will be used in our example. So, let's begin! 🥒✨

 Our focus on this activity is to explore our universe, how to recognise all the different planets and astral bodies, and to encourage students to be fascinated with the cosmos. So first of all we have to establish the environment we are going to be working on, setting the necessary standards, in our case for a 5th Primary grade class:

SCIENCE:

Part 1: Introduction to the scientific activity.

Evaluation criteria: 

• 2. Establecer conjeturas tanto respecto de sucesos que ocurren de una forma natural como sobre los que ocurren cuando se provocan, a través de un experimento o una experiencia.
• 4. Trabajar de forma cooperativa, apreciando el cuidado por la seguridad propia y de sus compañeros, cuidando las herramientas y haciendo uso adecuado de los materiales.

Learning standards:

2.1 Manifiesta autonomía en la planificación y ejecución de acciones y tareas y tiene iniciativa en

la toma de decisiones.

4.5 Conoce y respeta las normas de uso y de seguridad de los instrumentos y de los materiales

de trabajo.

Part 5: Technology, objects and machines.

Evaluation criteria: 4. Realizar experiencias sencillas y pequeñas investigaciones sobre diferentes fenómenos físicos de la materia: planteando problemas, enunciando hipótesis, seleccionando el material necesario, montando, realizando, extrayendo conclusiones, comunicando resultados, aplicando conocimientos básicos de las leyes básicas que rigen estos fenómenos, como la reflexión de la luz, la transmisión de la corriente eléctrica. 

Learning standards: 

4.3. Conoce y aplica estrategias de acceso y trabajo en Internet.

4.4. Utiliza algunos recursos a su alcance proporcionados por las tecnologías de la información para comunicarse y colaborar.

 

SOCIAL SCIENCES:

Part 2: The world we live in.

Contents: El Universo. Sistema Solar: el Sol. Los Planetas.

Evaluation criteria:  

• 2. Describir las características principales del Sistema solar identificando diferentes tipos de astros y sus características.
• 3. Localizar el planeta Tierra y la Luna en el Sistema Solar explicando sus características, movimientos y consecuencias. 
  

Learning standards: 

3.2. Identifica las fases lunares.

Well, our first duty was to choose a robot to work with. Because we want to do activities that will focused on the construction and programming of a car, we have choose LEGO Mindstorms EV3, but we wanted to share our other options. Also we had already worked with Codey Rocky in UDCMM, but we wanted to take this chance and explore different tools. So we gather some information about robots that can be used in our activities, and this are our best choices:

1. Zowi: Like Codey Rocky, this robot is focused for children to start programming and getting interested on coding a robot. It has its own app on the App Store, that can help them code faster and more instantly, because Zowi connects via Bluetooth. Also can be dismantled to customize it as much as possible! A good charasterisic about Zowi is it price, being cheaper than other robots on the market, costing 79€, more affordable with a bunch of cool features.

2. RaspBerry Pi: Being a small, programmable computer can help us in a more personal and specific way, with a little research we can be able to do a lot of things. From making an arcade machine, to creating a proper robot; anything is possible! In our case we would be looking for a RC car set, that costs around 100€. If you click on the name tag, you'll be redirected to a demonstration of power of the Raspberry Pi. 

 

3. LEGO EVO (Mindstorms EV3): LEGO, famous and worldwide-known toy company, wanted to advance on how we play with their toys some years ago. From that idea Lego EVO was born, a programmable module that can be hook up with our computer to be coded. The company also created a great amount of peripherals, like motors, wires, repeaters; in order to let children's imagination flow as possible. It has had a lot of revision through the years, but the prices for this has never went down. They are pretty expensive, but it's worth each penny; it can costs from 150€ to 400€.

As we had previously said, we will be working with LEGO Mindstorms EV3, a versatile tool in order to achieve our ideal project of activities. But, what are we going to be working to? Now, we are going to be immersed in our activities, through a journey to the dark side of the Moon. 🌚🚀

☆。*。☆。ACTIVITIES;PLANNING  ☆。*。☆。

• Topic: "A tour through the dark side of the Moon" (Moon's phases and learning how machines are designed, assembled and programmed).
• Age/Course: 5th grade of Primary Education.

1. Designing our own "moon rover".

• Main goal:
• To know the creative process behind machines (in this case cars) and what to consider important in their design.

• Tools:
•  A digital board for displaying a video of a moon rover in action and the blueprints of a real moon ro.
• Paper, color pencils, markers; for the creative proccess.

 

 

Moon rover's video (both URL and QR code): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az9nFrnCK60

• Duration: 
• Variable; it depends on how much time we spend explaining the activity to the students, the creative proccess should consist of 40 mins approximately.

•  Steps:
•  Make group of four students. After watching the video and having for reference an actual blueprint of a moon rover, they will start debating which features are more important to count on when they will assemble their vehicle. They can draw and share their designs with their peers, trying to get creative and useful results in same amounts. Those ideas will be concieved or scrapped in the construction part.

 

 

2. Building time!

• Main goal:
• Learn how machines have to be built in order to work properly, relying on their common sense and trial and error.

• Tools:
• LEGO pieces for building the moon rover: tires, motors, servoconnectors, etc.
• Their own blueprints and sketches from the previous activity.
• The LEGO Mindstorms EV3 module. 
• Video made by the teacher to help students assemble their vehicle.

• Duration:
• 60 minutes (one session); if it is necessary, it can be extended for another session.
  

• Steps:
• Each group will have a set of LEGO pieces and module for programming. They will start building the moon rover with the help of their manuscripts and drawings. As help for the students, the teacher should have experimented with this tools before, in this case they can add a video about how they assembled their own boogey. At the end of the session, the vehicles should be ready to be programmed.

 

3. Fueling the motor for takeoff.

•  Main goal:
• Learn the basics of programming; how variables interact between each other, adding or subtracting values changes the outcome, how to troubleshoot with malfunctioning parts... 

• Tools:
• A computer with LEGO MINDSTORMS EDUCATION EV3 program installed.
• Each lunar vehicle ready to be programmed. 
• A mobile device with LEGO COMMANDER app installed. 

 

 LEGO MINDSTORMS EDUCATION EV3 program page

 

 

 

  LEGO MINDSTORMS COMMANDER app

• Duration:
• 120 minutes (spaced out in two different sessions). 

•  Steps:
•  Students will begin to play with the coding program while their teacher is explain how the variables work, how to send numerical values through Bluetooth and how they can interact with different parts of the vehicle. 

 

 

 LEGO MINDSTORMS CODE DOWNLOAD

 

•  This is an easy program to make a vehicle, entirely created around giving numerical values, comparing and acting in response. When our students have this program done, they will need to connect their module to the computer and install the program onit by click on the box on the right down of the screen. There they can select their module and it will be done for the computer part. Here you can download it for your convenience: click here!

 

• Now on the mobile app, we should go to the custom robot option. Don't forget that Bluetooth has to be activated!

• We will be greated with a screen in which we have to click on the lower right side of it, in the sign of the wrench. It will start search any LEGO Mindstorms module to connect, so it is have to be on! If everything has gone successfully, it will be connected and waiting orders.

• In those cells we can choose which type of controller we want to use: vertical and horizontal sliders, buttons, tilt switches, contact and infrared sensors... We are going to choose the joystick.

• In this screen we need to choose which motors are we going to be sending the numerical values through Bluetooth, and in which directions.

• And if everything is done correctly to this point, we would be able to control our own moon rover!

 Here is a diagram of the sequence of the whole activity:

 And this has been our organisation of the robots part of the activity, hope you like it! As always, keep yourelf save and see you next time. Pickles out!
🥒✨🥒✨