Pacing Guide

This unit should be implemented to supplement student learning on the concepts of robot behaviors, sequencing, and debugging.

STEM Labs can be adapted in various ways to fit into any classroom or learning environment. Each STEM Lab includes the following 3 sections: Engage, Play, and Share (optional).

Each STEM Lab in this unit can be completed in as little as 40 minutes

Section Summary

The Engage and Play sections, which contain the primary learning activities, can be completed within 40 minutes. The Share section, which enables students to express their learning is optional, but estimated at around 3-5 minutes per group.

Click on the tabs below to view descriptions of the Engage, Play, and Share sections of the STEM Lab.

Engage (20 minutes)

The Engage section is the introductory section designed to capture the student’s attention. This section is intended to be a whole-class activity. It includes a hook, a leading question that personalizes the learning for students, and the build that will be utilized to create a hands-on, exploratory learning experience that places STEM into the hands of young learners.

Play (20 minutes)

The Play section is split into 3 parts in order to structure learning while maintaining student interest: Part 1, Mid-Play Break, and Part 2. In Play Part 1, students will run an investigation, test, and/or make predictions about scientific phenomena using their build as it relates to the key concepts of the unit. The Mid-Play Break includes a discussion of Part 1 and transition to Part 2. In Play Part 2, students will continue to explore their builds and deepen their understanding of key concepts by applying their knowledge in new ways.

The Pacing Guide

The pacing guide for each Lab provides step-by-step instructions on What, How, and When to teach. The STEM Lab Pacing Guide previews the concepts that are taught in each section (Engage, Play, and Share (optional)), explains how the section is delivered, and identifies all the materials that are needed.

The pacing guide contains the following information:

Lab

Provides the approximate time duration of each section of the Lab.

Description

Provides an overview of what students will do in each Lab.

Materials

Lists the materials that are essential to completing the Lab.

Lab 1 - Find and Fix the Bug

Total Time: 40 minutes

Engage	Play	Share
20 mins	20 mins	Optional 3-5 mins per group

Engage

Students will be introduced to the concept of a bug in a coding project with their 123 Robots, and how they can use a debugging process to find and fix a bug.

Play

Students will be given a Coder project with a bug in it, and will use the debugging process to find and fix the bug so the 123 Robot moves as intended. First they will do this as a whole class activity, then they will find and fix a different bugged project in their small groups.

Share

Students will share how their groups used the debugging process to find and fix the bugs in the project to make the 123 Robot move as they intended it to.

Materials Needed

123 Robot
Coder
Coder cards
123 Tile
Lab 1 Image Slideshow
Dry erase marker
White board eraser

Lab 2 - Step Up to the Bug

Total Time: 40 minutes

Engage	Play	Share
20 mins	20 mins	Optional 3-5 mins per group

Engage

Students will be introduced to the Step button on the Coder, and how this can be used to slow down the behavior of the 123 Robot to help them find bugs more easily.

Play

Students will be given the same project they encountered previously, but with a different bug in the project. They will use the Step button as part of the debugging process, to help them find the bug. First they will Step through the project to find and fix the bug as a whole class activity, then they will use the Step button to find and fix a different bugged project in their small groups.

Share

Students will share how their groups used the Step button to help them debug their projects successfully.

Materials Needed

123 Robot
Coder
Coder cards
123 Tiles
Lab 2 Image Slideshow
Dry erase marker
White board eraser

Adapting this Unit to Your Classroom

Not every classroom is the same, and teachers face a variety of implementation challenges throughout the year. While each VEX 123 STEM Lab follows a predictable format, there are things that you can do in this Unit to help make it easier to meet those challenges when they arise.

Implementing in less time:
- For a shorter implementation of Lab 1, skip the Engage demo, and work through the debugging process together as a demonstration in Play Part 1. Then, complete Play Part 2 as a whole group guided demonstration activity.
- In Lab 2, complete both Play Parts 1 and 2 as whole class guided demonstration activities.
Activities to support reteaching:
- For students who need more practice finding and fixing bugs in a project, use these 123 Activities in your learning center or with the whole class.
  - Crash and Debug (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) – Students will enter a simple touch project, and debug the project to drive around a pom-pom on the Tile. Have students use three Drive 1 Coder cards instead of touch buttons as the base project, and give them Turn left and Turn right cards as well, to implement this activity with the Coder.
  - Move Around (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) – Students place obstacles on the Tile, and have to code the 123 Robot to drive around the obstacles. Have the Tile preset, and a bugged project for students to begin with, then have them complete the activity by finding and fixing the bugs in the project.
  - Path Finder (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) – Students draw a path on a Tile, and code the 123 Robot to travel along the path. Have a path pre-drawn on the Tile, and a bugged project for students to begin with, then have them complete the activity by finding and fixing the bugs in the project.
Extending this Unit:
- Use the Choice Board activity like Debugging Deck to have students create their own bugged project puzzle cards. Use the Project and Motion Planning Printable for students to draw the desired path and the fill in bugged project. Then have students swap sheets with another student or group, to debug and fix the project so that it follows the path that is drawn.
- Create a Bug Board bulletin board to help foster students’ positive attitude towards bugs, and the debugging process. Have students create their own bugged projects for the Crash and Debug (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) activity, and draw or write about how they used the debugging process and the Step button to solve the problem.
  - To connect robot behaviors to students' behaviors, have students draw or write about times that they had a ‘bug in their code’ and made a mistake or didn’t follow directions correctly. How could they use a debugging process to help fix their human behavior?

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