Lesson Plan (Grades 6-8): Engaging Middle School Students with Robotics and Coding

Lesson Title: Robotics and Coding: Building and Programming a Simple Robot

Grade Level: Middle School (Grades 6-8)

Subject Area: STEM

Overview: In this lesson, students will delve into the world of robotics by constructing and programming a simple robot using kits like LEGO Mindstorms or VEX Robotics. This hands-on activity will teach them the basics of robotics, coding, and engineering, while promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives:

   1. Students will understand the fundamental concepts of robotics and coding.

   2. Students will build a functional robot using a robotics kit.

   3. Students will program their robot to perform basic tasks using block-based or text-based coding.

   4. Students will develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills through hands-on activities.

Standards Alignment:

• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
  • MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution.
  • MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
• Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) Standards:
  • 2-CS-01: Recommend improvements to the design of computing devices, based on an analysis of how users interact with the devices.
  • 2-AP-11: Create clearly named variables that represent different data types and perform operations on their values.
• Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for Mathematics:
  • CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP4: Model with mathematics.