Before You Begin
Essential Question: How do we decide the best way to control technology in different situations?
Students will investigate this essential question by driving the VEX AIM Coding Robot with the One Stick Controller to collect and kick sports balls and place barrels at specific locations. They will learn about different ways to control the robot as well as collaboration methods to come up with a collective strategy.
Unit Understandings:
- The robot's built-in Drive mode allows you to control the robot using the controller.
- The controller has five buttons and one joystick.
- Each element on the controller corresponds to a predefined robot action, such as moving, turning, or kicking.
- Collaborating and discussing ideas when driving the robot helps us develop stronger solutions than working alone.
Standards Alignment:
Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)
- 1B-CS-02: Model how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.
- 1B-DA-07: Use data to highlight or propose cause-and-effect relationships, predict outcomes, or communicate an idea.
- 2-AP-15: Seek and incorporate feedback from team members and users to refine a solution that meets user needs.
Materials Needed (per group):
- VEX AIM Coding Robot
- One Stick Controller
- 2 sports balls
- 3 orange barrels
- 3 blue barrels
- AprilTag ID 0, 1, 2, and 3
- AIM Field (4 tiles and 8 walls)
Suggested Time for this Unit: 5-7 Sessions
While pacing will vary classroom to classroom, suggested timing can help you plan effectively. A ‘session’ is considered approximately 45-50 minutes. You know your students best, so adjust timing as needed to best meet the needs of your students in your setting.
- Introduction: 1 session
- Lesson 1: 1 session
- Lesson 2: 1-2 sessions
- Unit Challenge: 2-3 sessions
Get ready to drive the VEX AIM Coding Robot! In this unit, you’ll use the One Stick Controller to grab sports balls and kick them through goals. You’ll also pick up and move barrels to the right spots. By the end of the unit, you’ll be ready to test your driving skills in an exciting timed challenge.
Watch the video to see how the robot could complete the challenge by:
- Moving orange barrels to the bottom-right corner of the field.
- Moving blue barrels to the upper-right corner of the field.
- Kicking sports balls through the goal in the center of the field.
Record the answers to the following questions in your journal. You will use these answers as you participate in a discussion about the video.
- How do you think the controller affects the robot's movements? How do you think the robot is picking up the objects?
- What do you see in the video that makes you think this?
- Record at least two questions you have about driving the robot to interact with objects using the controller.
- What skills and understandings will you need to develop to complete the challenge?
Record the answers to the following questions in your journal. You will use these answers as you participate in a discussion about the video.
- How do you think the controller affects the robot's movements? How do you think the robot is picking up the objects?
- What do you see in the video that makes you think this?
- Record at least two questions you have about driving the robot to interact with objects using the controller.
- What skills and understandings will you need to develop to complete the challenge?
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.
- 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.
- Draw on students' prior knowledge of things like magnetism, to help them consider how a magnet in the robot could be useful for picking up objects with metal cores.
Next, help students make a real-world connection to the content in this unit and engage prior knowledge using the following prompt.
- Where have you seen remote-controlled machines in real life? What tasks were the machines completing? Examples may vary based on students' relevant experience. Some examples might include:
- In coastal areas, they might mention underwater robots used for marine research.
- In urban settings, they might connect to drones used for food deliveries or surveillance.
- In rural areas, they might recognize remotely operated farm machinery.
Students will be documenting their thinking and learning in their journals throughout this course. Ensure that each student has access to a journal.
Co-Creating Learning Targets
Now that you have watched the video, you know that you will be using the controller to drive the robot to pick up and move objects like balls and barrels around the field. Think about what you will need to know and learn to accomplish these tasks. You will co-create learning targets with your group and your teacher so that you have a shared understanding of your learning goals for this unit.
Record your learning targets in your journal. You will return to these learning targets later in the unit to reflect on your progress and plan for future learning.
Now that you have watched the video, you know that you will be using the controller to drive the robot to pick up and move objects like balls and barrels around the field. Think about what you will need to know and learn to accomplish these tasks. You will co-create learning targets with your group and your teacher so that you have a shared understanding of your learning goals for this unit.
Record your learning targets in your journal. You will return to these learning targets later in the unit to reflect on your progress and plan for future learning.
Guide students as a whole class through the process of co-creating learning targets. During the first unit, additional support is helpful as students learn this process. In future units, this initial brainstorming can be completed individually or in small groups.
- Brainstorm with students what they will need to know to complete the activities shown in the video above. Frame these as “I can” statements.
- Example “I can” statements include:
- I can use the Drive mode and the One Stick Controller to move the robot.
- I can collaborate with my group so all members complete the Unit Challenge.
- Example “I can” statements include:
- Co-create learning targets based on that list.
For more guidance on co-creating learning targets with your students, see this VEX Library Article.
Select Next > to learn more about driving the robot.