Robot Gauntlet: Obstacle Design Challenge

Students will:

• Design and create a cardboard obstacle course for a robot.

• Develop their programming skills.

• Develop critical thinking, problem-solving and help-seeking skills to navigate challenges that may arise when programming their robot.

Students can:

• Design and construct a cardboard obstacle course with a reasonable level of challenge for their robot.

• Program their robot to navigate their obstacle course.

• Respond to the prompt and challenges that arise throughout the activity using critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Technology, obstacle course, maze, electronics, robot, robotics, programming, coding.

The Stanford Design Thinking Process helps solve complex problems with creative solutions.

We've broken down the process to support you when engaging with your Makedo Design Challenge here.

Creativity and innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processesb. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions:

• PS2.A: Forces and Motion (K-5, MS): Students will explore how pushes and pulls can cause changes in motion and design mechanisms to create desired movements.

• PS2.B: Types of Interactions (MS): At the middle school level, they could consider how different types of interactions (e.g., friction in a rolling mechanism) affect the game.

Science and Engineering Practices (SEP):

• Developing and Using Models (K-12): Students will create a physical model (the game itself) to represent their design ideas.

• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations (K-12): Testing different aspects of their game and how the moving parts function.

• Analyzing and Interpreting Data (K-12): Observing how their game works and identifying areas for improvement.

• Designing Solutions (K-12): The core of the project is to design a functional game with moving parts.

• Engaging in Argument from Evidence (K-12): Students could justify their design choices based on testing and observations.

  PS2: Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions:

  • PS2.A: Forces and Motion (K-5, MS): Students will explore how pushes and pulls can cause changes in motion and design mechanisms to create desired movements.

  • PS2.B: Types of Interactions (MS): At the middle school level, they could consider how different types of interactions (e.g., friction in a rolling mechanism) affect the game.

  Science and Engineering Practices (SEP):

  • Developing and Using Models (K-12): Students will create a physical model (the game itself) to represent their design ideas.

  • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations (K-12): Testing different aspects of their game and how the moving parts function.

  • Analyzing and Interpreting Data (K-12): Observing how their game works and identifying areas for improvement.

  • Designing Solutions (K-12): The core of the project is to design a functional game with moving parts.

  • Engaging in Argument from Evidence (K-12): Students could justify their design choices based on testing and observations.

The student is expected to:

• Science 1.7 A (Grade 1):  explain how pushes and pulls can start, stop, or change the speed or direction of an object's motion

• Science 1.7 B (Grade 1) : plan and conduct a descriptive investigation that predicts how pushes and pulls can start, stop, or change the speed or direction of an object's motion.

• Science 2.7 B (Grade 2): plan and conduct a descriptive investigation to demonstrate how the strength of a push and pull changes an object's motion.

• Science 3.7 A (Grade 3): demonstrate and describe forces acting on an object in contact or at a distance, including magnetism, gravity, and pushes and pulls

• Science 3.7 B  (Grade 3) plan and conduct a descriptive investigation to demonstrate and explain how position and motion can be changed by pushing and pulling objects such as swings, balls, and wagons.

• Science 4.7 (Grade 4): plan and conduct descriptive investigations to explore the patterns of forces such as gravity, friction, or magnetism in contact or at a distance on an object.

• Science 5.7 A (Grade 5): investigate and explain how equal and unequal forces acting on an object cause patterns of motion and transfer of energy; and

• Technology (Middle School): Creativity and innovation--innovative design process. The student takes an active role in learning by using a design process and creative thinking to develop and evaluate solutions, considering a variety of local and global perspectives. The student is expected to: 

  • (A) resolve challenges in design processes independently using goal setting and personal character traits such as demonstrating courage and confidence;

  • (B) discuss and implement a design process using digital tools to compare, contrast, and evaluate student-generated outcomes; and

  • (C) identify how the design process is used in various industries.

Key Stage 1 (Years 1-3 ):

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design 

• design purposeful, functional, appealing products for themselves and other users based on design criteria

Make  

• select from and use a range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing]  select from and use a wide range of materials and components, including construction materials, textiles and ingredients, according to their characteristics

Technical Knowledge

• build structures, exploring how they can be made stronger, stiffer and more stable

Key Stage 2 (Years 3-6):

When designing and making, pupils should be taught to:

Design  

• use research and develop design criteria to inform the design of innovative, functional, appealing products that are fit for purpose, aimed at particular individuals or groups  

• generate, develop, model and communicate their ideas through discussion, annotated sketches, cross-sectional and exploded diagrams, prototypes, pattern pieces and computer-aided design

Make 

• select from and use a wider range of tools and equipment to perform practical tasks [for example, cutting, shaping, joining and finishing], accurately

Technical Knowledge

• understand and use mechanical systems in their products [for example, gears, pulleys, cams, levers and linkages]

Evaluate

• investigate and analyse a range of existing products

• evaluate their ideas and products against their own design criteria and consider the views of others to improve their work