After students have watched the video, facilitate a whole class discussion to elicit students' observations and prepare them for co-creating learning targets for the unit.

• Ask students to share their observations, claims, and evidence based on the video, modeling scientific curiosity and openness.
  • Remind students to draw on what they learned in the previous unit about how the robot interacts with objects on the field, and how the magnet in the front of the robot functions to move barrels or sports balls.
• As students share their questions and ideas, help students frame their wonderings as productive scientific questions.
• Guide students to consider the skills and understandings they might need to complete the challenge, as they will use these as they co-create learning targets.

Next, help students to make a real-world connection to the content in this unit and to engage prior knowledge using the following prompt:

• What are some examples of automation you see in everyday life? What jobs were these machines doing? How do you think they make work easier? Examples may vary based on students' relevant experience, and may include:
  • In a city, they might recognize automated subway trains or self-checkout machines.
  • In a manufacturing area, they could discuss robotic arms used in local factories.
  • In a rural setting, they might connect to automated irrigation systems or crop-harvesting robots.
  • Students may also suggest everyday items, such as robotic vacuums, smart thermostats, or programmable dishwashers. 
• If students are unfamiliar with terms like automation or autonomous, define them together to help students establish shared language. 

This unit introduces the concepts of sequencing and path planning. Students can approach coding the robot to solve the unit challenge in multiple ways. For a discussion on how to encourage students to generate multiple approaches to solving open-ended problems, read this conversation in the PD+ Community.

Guide students as a whole class through the process of co-creating learning targets. Providing additional support is helpful as students learn this process. In future units, this initial brainstorming can be completed individually or in small groups.

1. Brainstorm with students what they will need to know to be able to complete the activities shown in the video above. Frame these as “I can” statements.
   1. Example “I can” statements include: 
      1. I can use Button Coding to code the robot to pick up and deliver barrels.
      2. I can collaborate with my group to make a plan to code the robot to complete the unit challenge.
2. Co-create learning targets based on that list.

Use the process of co-creating learning targets to introduce vocabulary such as sequencing, debugging, or automation, and incorporate those words into students' learning targets to best meet their needs.

For more guidance on co-creating learning targets with your students, see this VEX Library Article.