Once they feel successful in programming the robot, students move back to their desks to allow another pair to experiment with the robot. Students use a trial-and-error method to find the three numbers (time, speed, heading) that produce the results they want: moving the robot forward and backward and making it turn (see Online Supplemental Materials for student direction sheet). I suggest that the speed be any number below 50. Once the robot is headed in the right direction, students press “Start” at the top of the screen. A light will turn on when students tap “Aim,” and they rotate the robot so that the red light is facing at their feet. Before the robot actually moves using a coded program, it is placed on the floor to determine its direction. This block has three functions required to move the robot: time, speed, and heading. To use the program, the first block, “Roll” (aqua-colored block shown in Figure 4), is dragged to the programming pad. 57, for a screenshot of the app with several lines of a program added). Students could use their phone or a classroom tablet to code because the app will work on any device (see Figure 4, p. Each pair needed about 10 minutes to accomplish this coding task (see Figure 3) because the drag-and-drop program on the Sphero Edu App is easy to figure out. With one robot available in each corner of the room, my students worked in pairs to program a Sphero to roll forward, backward, and then turn 90°, while others worked on a chemistry assignment. Your science department might be interested in buying a few each year or even asking local businesses to donate money to implement coding skills. If you are looking to buy a classroom set, organizations such as are a good avenue to pursue. Any of these models, or Lego robots, would be sufficient for the lesson. Sphero also carries other robot models, such as the Ollie at $79.99 and the Mini at $50. I am lucky to have access to enough Sphero robots from the librarian, other teachers, and the district STEM office to allow students to work in pairs.
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