How Do I
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Objective:
Children will learn about robots through stories and hands-on science activities.
Grade Level: K-2 and 3-5
Books:
Grades K-2
CookieBot! A Harry and Horsie Adventure
When Harry and his best friend Horsie build a robot that can reach the cookie jar for them, it goes out of control and wreaks havoc around the city.
Grades 3-5
The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot
Three aliens set off to find a new planet for themselves but soon Bork and Gork have forgotten all of their mother's good advice and only Nklxwcyz builds a home safe enough to withstand the Big Bad Robot in this story reminiscent of "The Three Little Pigs."
Informational Text
Robot
Discover the amazing world of machines, from robots that play chess to systems that think.
by the Editors of YES Mag
The role of robots in our lives is growing all the time. Learn about their many different shapes, sizes and uses and meet robots who do dangerous and dirty jobs, help perform surgery, look like us, show emotion like us and much more.
Robots
Robots are everywhere: in the movies, on TV, in space, in games. This book will bedazzle children with possibilities-all accompanied by detailed photos, illustrations, explanations, and activities.
Return to the topActivities
Design a Robot
Materials: Paper, pencils, markers, pipe cleaners (optional)
Be creative and design a robot to do a specific task or job. The task could be anything from cleaning your room to searching for underwater treasures. What would your robot need to look like to perform its job? Would it need to be large or small? Long and narrow or short and round?
Draw a picture of your robot and write a story to describe its design and job duties. Take this project a step further and create a model of your robot design using five pipe cleaners.
Robot Sensing
Materials: craft sticks, masking tape
Many robots have special sensors that can help them detect things in their environment. Even still, robots do not have the benefit of nerves and skin to help them feel objects. Tell the children they are going to experience how it might be to sense like a robot instead of a human with skin and nerves.
Give each child ten craft sticks and small pieces of masking tape. Help the children attach the craft sticks to each of their fingers. Allow them to experiment with their new robot fingers! Ask the kids to perform tasks such as: tie their shoes, pick up small objects such as a paper clip, open a door, turn the page in a book, etcetera. What is happening? Why is this challenging?
Vocabulary:
Circuit: [sur-kit] A complete pathway or loop for the flow of electricity
Program: [proh-gram] A series of instructions for a computer.
Robot: [roh-bot] A machine that can be programmed to perform a job.
Roboticist: [roh-bot-uh-sist] Person who designs and/or builds robots.
Sensors: [sen-serz] Devices that can detect things, such as heat, light, sound or the presence of gases.
Additional Resources:
Books
- Ralph Masiello's Robot Drawing Book by Ralph Masiello (use when designing bots)
- Baby Brains and RoboMom by Simon James
- If I Had a Robot by Dan Yaccarino
- Robots Everywhere by Denny Hebson
