Robots K-2 Story oriented

K-2 Story-oriented arts and robots

Overview 

Goal: To excite K-2 about STEAM through fun activities, that let them associate learning with creativity and imagination.

Why Story-oriented? This age is rich in imagination, so good to connect robots with a story or puzzle. Whatever the robot does is part of a general story as a character or an object or lesson goal. Ex.s: Go to bridge on mat, Go to answer, Simple math or spelling, maze, etc.

Simple robots make a good introduction to following a sequence of commands = programming to solve a problem or present a solution. This is good as an introduction even for older students.

A=Arts in STEAM

• decorate the robot and surroundings to go with their story 
• via crafts, Legos, attachments or even 3D printed parts
• have to the robot movements drawn via a pen attachment

Overview of Robots

Programming Input

Button commands

• Press buttons to form a program sequence and press Go.
• Coding cards are used for planning.

Icon Blocks – like Scratch Jr
Word Blocks – like Scratch and Blockly

• Although reading “required” , some basic puzzle piece patterns may be still be usable.

Color based (Lego (pre-K-K) Coding Express, Ozobot)

• Robot runs over the color to read it in
• One color or color sequence indicating a programming action to happen

Programming levels

Each level adds a little more complexity. All levels here have been used with K-2.

Programming levels and inputs vary by robot.

1. 1 step at a time [“Turtle” robots] 

• Typical commands are:  forward, left, right, back (often harder),  go, erase
• Can use cards to show “program” steps
• Some “turtle” robots have helps for story telling like mats (2D) & objects (3D)
• Turtle robots became famous through Seymour Papert’s research at MIT in early computing education in mid-60s and early 70s.

2. Add sound and light (1 light, led matrix, etc)

• To add to their story
• Signal when reach a goal or sensor event 

3. Additional movements

• Non-90 degree turn via button
• Botley's 45 degree turn
• Note: Both Back and 45 degree turns are more advanced for this age
• Move motors more than 1 rotation (Spike Essential, Micro:bit)
• Usually icon blocks(Scratch Jr like) or word blocks (Scratch like)
• Motor Movements
• Animations  like a mouth, walking, amusement rides
• Micro:bit Baby Shark lesson 
• Most of Spike Essential example builds 

4. React to sensor events like their own senses:

• Obstacle (via distance or touch/crash sensors) [see, touch]
• Color [see]
• Loudness [hear]  (used less often)
• Reaction not limited to one kind of programming input
• Reaction is not specific to one type of programming inputs Ex.s
• Botley -buttons; 
• Lego Spike Essential – icon blocks,  
• VEX123 – word blocks

For K-2, line following is only for observation of what a robot can do.

K-2 Robot Competitions Overview

Lego – Spike Essential and competitions:  

• FLL Discover (preK-1st) 
• FLL Explorer Challenge (2nd-4th) 
• Lego supports younger than Kindergarten [Lego pre-K-K Coding Express,]

Vex 

• 123

Robot Descriptions

BeeBot 

Follow sequences of button push commands to a place of story-oriented mat 

• Coding cards and mats with various themes are available
• A simulation app is available
• Note a wide variety of similar toys are on the market currently.

Botley 2.0  

Unique and award winning because 

• Turtle robot with
• Obstacle detection
• When see obstacle then do special sequence of commands
• Good preparation for using sensors later
• 45 degree turns
• Line follower setting

Spike Essential 

• Story telling and building characters, vehicles, amusement park rides; 
• 3x3 LED matrix; 2 small motors; color and touch sensors 
• Can be programmed with Icon Blocks (ScratchJr like) or Word Blocks (Scratch like)

VEX 123 

• basic turtle buttons, with option use of blocks via an app. 
• There is a craft circle to easily attach crafts and arts to the robot. 
• Coding card and app with word blocks are available

Micro:bit lessons for K-2 

• Animation like Baby Shark shown 
• Programmed with basic word blocks

Ozobot 

• Follows color patterns that can be used as a programming language (patented) 
• Also supports Blockly

Lego Coding Express 

• A train which reacts to colored activity blocks between the tracks when it runs over them.

Homegrown turtle or color programmable

• Uses programmable robots
• Good project for older students to create for younger students.