2nd Grade Robotics and Computational Thinking

This example of my work shares my 2nd grade robotics and computational thinking process that took place over a school year.

Computational Thinking

The students began the school year by creating paper programs, where they learned how to write a simple program. The students became robots and played out the program created by their partner. The students transitioned to working in various programming apps on the iPad and computer transferring their skills into an authentic coding environment.

Engineering Design Process and Paper-Prototype

The students were given the opportunity to work in collaborative groups to work through the engineering design process. They worked together to plan, ideate, and then made a paper prototype of a robot. They were not aware that they would be adding a motor to "bring their robot to life!" With this discovery, they were then forced to redesign their robots to be able to stand and move independently with a Lectrify® Shake It Motor. Through this design process students were able to make connections between a physical object and the possibility of adding a circuit with a motor.

Lego® WeDo Robotics

The students transitioned to using their iPads to program Lego® WeDo 2.0 robots. They transferred their knowledge from the paper-prototyping and programming experience into their Lego® robotics. They are now working through new challenges in their collaborative teams to build robots and learn how to apply their programming knowledge to make their robot move and function according to the set challenges. 

Student Prototypes and Beginner Lego WeDo 2.0 Robotics