Robotics
5th Grade Robotics
At MLK Jr. Elementary we feel that participation in student-oriented STEM activities is a vital part of a student’s education. A wide range of activities are provided during all 5th graders school year, here are a few of them:
Robotics Programming/Coding/Makers club/R.C. Repair
Activity Coordinator – Mr. Ben W. Lawton 206-252-6735
This year we will be using Microbits, Ciurcut Playgrounds, MeowBit Arcade and Lego Mindstorm as tools to teach kids how to code with the help of a Microsoft Programmer Peli Halleux and Microsofts public “Makecode” site. These are programmable hand held devices that allow kids to write computer programs on their laptops then download them to the device to preform hundreds of tasks. This year we added another Microsoft programmer Michael Braun to assist with the engineering design process and writing code for their own video games called “Kodu”.
Seattle City Light partnership, five years and counting for our fifth graders!
In the Spring of 2015 I was one of five teachers chosen in Washington to partner with Boeing engineers to design STEM lesson for Boeing’s Centennial in 2016. Five teachers in Houston were also partnered with Boeing engineers there. Each teacher worked with a pair of engineers to add expertise. I worked on “Forces of Flight” a ten lesson unit for fifth grade.
The Lego Mindstorm and WeDo Robotics kit activities will introduce the 5th grade students to building and developing programmable bots. The kids will write programs to have the bots perform certain tasks. The WeDo Robotics kit will be the introductory hands on activity preparing the students for the more advance Lego Mindstorm NXT 1.0 and 2.0 kit.
We also build, repair, drive and fly radio Controlled planes, helicopter, quads, cars and boats. The kids learn attention to detail and problem solving skills by using the engineering process they learned with the Lego kits.
- Leadership building skills
- Critical thinking skills/computer programming
- Cooperative group teamwork
- Engineering of projects using the design process