Classroom Robotics – Language Arts Day 6- Pg. 1
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Classroom
Robotics –
Language Arts
Day 6
Overview
Students will begin telling the robot what to do by programming
them. Programming is a critical aspect of robotics. Programming
requires very careful communication so the robot will actually
accomplish what the students want it to do.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to…

Turn a task into a program
Suitable Ages: 11+
Time Needed: 1 hr 15 min
In this packet
Teacher’s Guide
Program a Person Activity
Programming Task List
Programming Task List Answers (for reference)
Day 6 Vocabulary
Day 6 Vocabulary Definitions
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TEACHER’S GUIDE
Activity Goal
Students will begin telling the robot what to do by programming them. Programming is a critical aspect of robotics.
Programming requires very careful communication so the robot will actually accomplish what the students want it to
do.
Objectives
Students will be able to…

Turn a task into a program
Materials


Program a Person
Copies of Programming Task List


Set Up
Familiarize yourself with the lesson plan, and copy any handouts.
Copies of Day 6 Vocabulary
Programming PPT
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Procedure
Time
Action
Materials Needed
Program a Person Activity
1. Conduct the Program-A-Person Activity
20 min
Programming PPT
2. Use the Powerpoint to teach the students NXT-G
30 min
25 min
<75
minutes
3. Hand out the Programming Task List and instruct students to
finish building their robots and start programming these,
showing you each time they complete one so you can sign off.
Programming Task List
We encourage and welcome your feedback!
Please send any feedback about your experience and observations and forward it to
<NETID>@utdallas.edu at the Science and Engineering Education Center.
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Program-A-Person Activity
Directions: Have each student or group get out a piece of paper. Tell them that they are going to program a person
just like they would a robot. They will each be given a task and they are supposed to be break it down into step by
step instructions. Share the following example with your students to give them an idea of what you expect.
Example:
Walk
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Lift right leg in front of body
Put right leg down in front of body
Shift weight to right leg
Lift left leg in front of body
Put left leg down in front of body
Shift weight to left leg
Repeat steps 1 through 6
Below are example tasks you can give to students:
 Sit down in a chair
 Walk around a desk
 Pick up a Pencil
 Open a door
 2 robots - Shake hands
 2 robots - High-5
 Wave
Other things:
 Students get to start the “robot” actor wherever they like at the beginning
 They can NOT change the instructions when reading them aloud; they must read exactly what is written
After they have their “programs” written out, have each group read their instructions out step by step (without saying
the task), allowing the “robot” actor to act out each step. Have the other students guess what the task was upon
completion.
Teacher Note: Your goal is to TRY to misinterpret these instructions, that way it will lead to a discussion about
precession in programming. Also note that the students had a TASK before they started programming and they did
not just start writing. Many students program this way despite how silly it sounds and it should be addressed.
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Programming Checklist
Directions: For each of the following tasks, make a new program and name it “Task 1” or “Task 2”,
etc. Save all of your files!
1. Drive forward 720o
2. Drive forward 720o, turn around, and come back to where it started
3. Drive in a square using a loop (make the sides of your square 720 o)
4. Drive forward until you pass over a dark line, then stop (make sure your light sensor is facing down)
5. Follow a dark line
6. Drive forward until you are 15 cm from an object
7. Drive backwards until the touch sensor is pressed
8. Do both of the above in a loop (go back and forth in a doorframe)
If you finish all of the above and still have extra time, you can ask your teacher for the Mathematical MyBlock
videos/worksheets.
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Classroom Robotics – Language Arts Day 6- Pg. 6
Programming Checklist Answers
1. Drive forward 720o
a. This should be fairly simple, just a move block.
2. Drive forward 720o, turn around, and come back to where it started
a. This is also pretty simple, a move block to go forward, either a motor block or move block to turn, and a
move block to come back.
3. Drive in a square using a loop (make the sides of your square 720 o)
a. This is just a move block for the sides and a motor or move block to turn, all in a count loop to go 4 times
(make sure they don’t use an infinite loop, and instead use a count loop)
4. Drive forward until you pass over a dark line, then stop (make sure your light sensor is facing down)
a. This will require them to use the “View” function to see their robots recognition of the white and black
areas they are using. Each robot is a little bit different, even if they are built the same, so it is important
that each group checks it themselves. The programming is a sensor loop using the light sensor set to
“less than” and the value entered should be the average of the white and black areas they read. Inside
the loop is just a move block.
5. Follow a dark line
a. This one, they will probably ask a lot of questions. Try not to give the answer away, and instead make
them come up with it by giving them hints. The program should be a switch using the light sensor with
their average of the white and black entered in, and the top should have a motor block that just uses one
of the motors to go a tiny bit. The bottom should have a motor block using the other motor to go a tiny bit.
All of this should be in an infinite loop. The robot looks really jerky when this works right, because it has a
small pause between each movement and keeps going back and forth on the line it is following.
6. Drive forward until you are 15 cm from an object
a. This is just a sensor loop using the ultrasonic sensor with the value set at < 15 cm. Inside the loop is just
a move block.
7. Drive backwards until the touch sensor is pressed
a. This is just a sensor loop using the touch sensor with the variable being “pressed”. Inside the loop is a
move block going backwards.
8. Do both of the above in a loop (go back and forth in a doorframe)
a. This is just putting both of the programs above together (program 1 + program 2) and putting all of it
inside an infinite loop. The robot (if it goes straight) will just stay in a doorway bouncing back and forth.
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Day 6 Vocabulary
Laws of thermodynamics
1st Law
2nd Law
Energy
Kinetic Energy
Potential Energy
Sound
Light
ROYGBIV
Absorption
Reflection
Transmission (with regards to energy)
W= ma x D= Energy= m D/t2 x D= m x D2/t2= mv2
Stall
Generator
Loops
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Day 6 Vocabulary
Laws of thermodynamics
1st Law– Energy is neither created or destroyed, conservation of energy law.
2nd Law–Energy tends to its lowest state, heat. This is also called the law of
Entropy- things tend to disorder. For example, the robot kits over
time
Energy– Amount of work done by a force. Work and energy are pretty much the same thing although Work is
generally kinetic energy.
Kinetic Energy– Energy of motion or moving objects.
Potential Energy– Energy that is available but not yet released. Sometimes the work potential of an object in a high
spot. There is a lot of potential energy in rain water that lands on top of a mountain.
Electric Energy– Energy created by electrons moving through a wire.
Sound–Energy in a compression wave created by a noise. Air pressure moving. There is no sound in a vacuum.
Light– Energy that travels at the speed of light. Radio waves, TV waves, Micro waves, visible light, UV and IR light, Xrays
ROYGBIV– the colors of the rainbow, the colors we see, Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet
Absorption–The light that disappears in a substance. Looking at a red can, all colors are absorbed except for red,
which is reflected. Leaves absorb most light except for green.
Reflection– The light that we see bounced off an object.
Transmission (with regards to energy)– Energy that passes through a substance like a wire.
W= ma x D= Energy= m D/t2 x D= m x D2/t2= mv2 – The mathematical revelation of Emile du Chatelet connecting
Archimedes to Newton to Energy.
Stall- When a motor stops running and all energy goes to heat. This is very bad for the motor. Releases the blue
smoke.
Generator– putting energy into a motor creates electrical energy that can light light bulbs and work electrical
appliances in your home. Any motor turbine, spinning coil inside a magnetic field can produce energy.
Loops– a programming command that repeats either forever or for a given amount of time.