LEGO WeDo: Introducing Primary Students to
Robotics with the Concept of Systems
Steve Coxon
College of William and Mary’s Center for
Gifted Education, Williamsburg
LEGO WeDo is a new robotic
system designed for primary
age children. This session
will both review how WeDo
was utilized in a 15-hour
summer program for
kindergarten through third
graders and provide an
interactive demonstration of
the drag-and-drop block
programming language.
1:45 – 3:15 PM
Focus: K-3
Session overview
• Materials and format of 15 hour summer
session (5, 3-hour days).
– Organization, scheduling
– Letters to parents
– Concept mapping
– Systems model
– Frayer vocabulary
• Programming overview
LEGO WeDo: The science and engineering of robotics
The Center for Gifted Education’s (CFGE) Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) 2009
Teacher: Steve Coxon; Assistant: Mr. Smith
Dear students and families,
I am very excited to be teaching this new robotics course! Before leaving the classroom to pursue my Ph.D. full-time at
the College of William and Mary and to work at the CFGE, I served as a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) coach for five years at the
elementary school where I taught fourth and fifth grade in southwest Virginia. I have also served as a mentor to new coaches and as
an FLL competition judge at both the local and state levels. When I saw that LEGO had introduced a new robotics kit, the WeDo, I
knew I would have to design a new SEP course!
In this course, students will problem solve to design, engineer, and program robots using LEGO bricks, a computer, a
motor, and other special elements. Students will learn to incorporate tilt and motion sensors into their designs. Students will test their
designs and programming. After reflecting on what did and did not work students can consult with peers, adapt programming, and
adjust their designs. The macro-concept of systems and the Frayer model of vocabulary development will be integrated into the
course to deepen students’ understandings of robotics’ use in science and engineering.
Students will generally work in pairs and will have the experience of working with several other students, as we will switch
pairs several times. We will also work on teamwork with particular foci on politeness, fair sharing, “I messages,” and constructive
feedback. It is my expectation that students will act with gracious professionalism.
On Friday, families are invited in at 11:00 a.m. to observe their children’s robotics demonstrations. Families and students
will receive pre- and post-assessments on the student’s understandings of robots and the concept of systems. Families and students
will also receive summative assessment of the student’s daily progress on course objectives, teamwork, and robot design.
Some important things to remember:
•Students may arrive between 8:45 and 9 a.m. Please do not arrive earlier. Unless your child is participating in an afternoon SEP
course, families should arrive to pick up between 11:55 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. Families are invited in on Friday at 11:00 a.m. to
observe their children’s robotics demonstrations.
•Without exception, no child will be allowed to leave with any adult (even mom or dad) unless a driver’s license matching a name
on the child’s pick up form is shown. Licenses will be checked every day for every child for your child’s safety.
•If any LEGO pieces accidently make it home, please return them the following day. We do not have extra pieces for these kits at this
time; missing pieces could prevent some projects from completion.
•Students are welcome to bring a snack, but please do not bring peanuts or products containing peanuts. Students are not allowed
to use the vending machines.
•We do not administer any medication except for EpiPens, which should have prior approval and be labeled with the child’s first and
last names.
If needed, I may be reached by cell phone between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I do not make a habit of
answering the phone while teaching, but will check for messages at our break and around the end of class. You may also e-mail me
at [email protected].
Sincerely,
LEGO WeDo
235 Jones Hall
Family members are welcome to come and see their student’s robotic creations and
programs today, arriving anytime between 11 and 11:30. Expect to spend about 10
minutes. Students will need to begin our end of the day procedures at 11:40 a.m. and
class will conclude at noon, as usual.
For family members who cannot make it in, I will take a digital picture of each project.
You are welcome to e-mail me at [email protected] for a copy.
Also, several families have asked about purchasing a WeDo set. Search for product
number W991479, which includes the necessary software, at
http://www.legoeducation.com/.
LEGO WeDo:
The science and engineering
of robotics
Teacher:
Mr. Coxon
Mr. Smith
Assistant:
Your name: ________________________________
Organization of your kit:
MONDAY
8:45-9:15
Check in
K’nex tub
9:15-10
Welcome, introduction, team
building
Hand squeeze challenge
Concept map pre-assessment
Frayer vocabulary model
10:00-10:30
“Order the human robot”
game
Bathroom break
Ball
10:30-10:45
10:45-11
About the pieces: organization Kits
and what’s what
Intro video
11-11:40 (add time here if
speedier)
Build “Dancing Birds,”
program and experiment as
time allows
Organize kit
Complete day’s learning log
Play with K’nex
11:40-12
Kits
Learning Log
K’nex tub
Sample Concept Map
Center for Gifted Education, The College of
William and Mary, 2009
Robot concept map (pre-assessment)
Robots
Vocabulary Building
Definition
Examples
Characteristics
Robot
Non-Examples
Center for Gifted Education, The College of
William and Mary, 2009
Learning Log for: Monday
Gracious professionalism:
___ I showed politeness ___ I shared fairly ___ I gave my partner constructive feedback
___ I used “I messages” when talking to my partner
What I did today:
What I learned today:
I think that the most important thing to remember is that:
What I still want to know:
TUESDAY
8:45-9:15
Check in
K’nex tub
9:15-9:30
Welcome back, review of
yesterday, team building
Hand squeeze challenge
(OBSERVED 9:15-9:45)
9:30-10
Systems intro
Systems pre-assessment
Gracious professionalism
10-10:30
Order the human robot game in
pairs
Balls or other object
10:30-10:45
Bathroom break
10:45-11:40
Build and program the “smart
spinner”
Kits
11:40-12
Organize kit
Complete day’s learning log
Play with K’nex
Learning Log
K’nex tub
Analyzing a robot as a system (Pre-assessment)
Boundaries
Elements
Inputs
Outputs
Interactions
Systems
• Provide examples:
• Provide non-examples:
• On the back, categorize your list. Include every item.
• What generalizations can you make about systems?
Center for Gifted Education, The College of
William and Mary, 2009
Gracious Professionalism
Politeness example:
Politeness non-example:
Fair sharing example:
Fair sharing non-example:
Gracious Professionalism
“I message” example:
“I message” non-example:
Constructive feedback example:
Constructive feedback non-example:
Vocabulary Building
Definition
Examples
Characteristics
Gracious
Professionalism
Non-Examples
Center for Gifted Education, The College of
William and Mary, 2009
Learning Log for (circle one): Tuesday
___ I showed politeness ___ I shared fairly ___ I gave my partner constructive feedback
___ I used “I messages” when talking to my partner
What I did today:
What I learned today:
I think that the most important thing to remember is that:
What I still want to know:
WEDNESDAY
8:45-9:15
Check in
K’nex tub
9:15-9:30
Welcome back, review of
yesterday, team building
Hand squeeze challenge
9:30-10
Systems continued
Aquarium as a system
10-10:30
Build and program a choice from Kits
the “wild animals” choices
10:30-10:45
Bathroom break
10:45-11:40
Build and program a choice from Kits
the “wild animals” choices
11:40-12
Organize kit
Complete day’s learning log
Play with K’nex
Learning Log
K’nex tub
Systems
• Draw an aquarium
• Draw and label
– Elements
– Inputs
– Outputs
– Boundaries
Learning Log for (circle one): Wednesday
___ I showed politeness ___ I shared fairly ___ I gave my partner constructive feedback
___ I used “I messages” when talking to my partner
What I did today:
What I learned today:
I think that the most important thing to remember is that:
What I still want to know:
8:45-9:15
THURSDAY
Check in
K’nex tub
9:15-9:30
Welcome back, review of
yesterday, team building
Hand squeeze challenge
9:30-10
Systems continued
Systems model
10-10:30
Design own or choose a model
to build and program
Kits
10:30-10:45
Bathroom break
10:45-11:40
Design own or choose a model
to build and program
Kits
11:40-12
Organize kit
Complete day’s learning log
Play with K’nex
Learning Log
K’nex tub
Analyzing a/an _____________________________ as a system
Boundaries
Elements
Inputs
Outputs
Interactions
Learning Log for (circle one): Thursday
___ I showed politeness ___ I shared fairly ___ I gave my partner constructive feedback
___ I used “I messages” when talking to my partner
What I did today:
What I learned today:
I think that the most important thing to remember is that:
What I still want to know:
FRIDAY
8:45-9:15
Check in
K’nex tub
9:15-9:30
Welcome back, review of
yesterday, team building
Hand squeeze challenge
9:30-10
Post-assessments
10-10:45
Complete building and
programming of own design
Robots as a system
Robot concept map
Kits
10:45-11:00
Bathroom break
11:00-11:40
Parents attend
Kits
11:40-12
Organize kit
Complete day’s learning log
Play with K’nex
Learning Log
K’nex tub
Robot concept map (post-assessment)
Robots
Analyzing a robot as a system (Post-assessment)
Boundaries
Elements
Inputs
Outputs
Interactions
Learning Log for (circle one): Friday
___ I showed politeness ___ I shared fairly ___ I gave my partner constructive feedback
___ I used “I messages” when talking to my partner
What I did today:
What I learned today:
I think that the most important thing to remember is that:
What I still want to know:
Concept goal and outcomes generalizations for
systems
Generalizations:
Outcomes:
(Students will be able to…)
Systems have elements. Recognize that a robot is a system
with identifiable elements.
Systems have
boundaries.
Systems have input and
output.
Define the boundaries of a robot
system.
Discover that systems have
identifiable inputs and outputs.
Observe the nature and behavior of a
The interactions and
system as its elements interact with
outputs of a system
each other and with input from outside
change when its inputs, the system.
elements, or boundaries
Center for Gifted Education College of William and Mary
change.