Background

How often have we seen rubbish littering the ground at school and throughout our community? Perhaps robots could be used to help with our litter dilemma. Sphero BOLT is a fully programmable robot, which is an excellent STEM based tool. In this design thinking challenge, students will design and create a device to clean-up rubbish using Sphero Bolts. This session promotes creativity, problem solving, imagination, collaboration, and communication skills.

Prior Knowledge

No prior knowledge required.

Key Learning Question

How can we effectively use Sphero Bolt to clean up rubbish?

Learning Intentions

In this program students will:

• Learn about the possible ways to clean up rubbish on our streets or at school
• Learn how to block code a Sphero Bolt

Activities

Students will:

• Block code a Sphero Bolt
• Create an animated image on a Sphero Bolt
• Plan a path for a Sphero Bolt, considering angles and bearings, speed and time
• Reuse items that would normally be thrown away to make a device that fits over the Sphero Bolt that can be used to clean up rubbish on the ground

Victorian Curriculum

Science – Understanding

• Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives (VCSSU073)

Science - Planning and conducting

• With guidance, plan appropriate investigation types to answer questions or solve problems and use equipment, technologies and materials safely, identifying potential risks (VCSIS083)
• Decide which variables should be changed, measured and controlled in fair tests and accurately observe, measure and record data (VCSIS084)

Science - Analysing and evaluating

• Compare data with predictions and use as evidence in developing explanations (VCSIS086)
• Suggest improvements to the methods used to investigate a question or solve a problem (VCSIS087)

Science - Communicating

• Communicate ideas and processes using evidence to develop explanations of events and phenomena and to identify simple cause-and-effect relationships (VCSIS088)

Design and Technologies – Technologies and Society

• Investigate how people in design and technologies occupations address competing considerations, including sustainability, in the design of solutions for current and future use (VCDSTS033)

Design and Technologies - Technologies Contexts: Engineering principles and systems

• Investigate how forces or electrical energy can control movement, sound or light in a designed product or system (VCDSTC034)

Design and Technologies – Creating Designed Solutions - Investigating

• Critique needs or opportunities for designing, and investigate materials, components, tools, equipment and processes to achieve intended designed solutions (VCDSCD038)

Design and Technologies – Creating Designed Solutions – Producing

• Apply safe procedures when using a variety of materials, components, tools, equipment and techniques to produce designed solutions (VCDSCD040)

Design and Technologies – Creating Designed Solutions – Evaluating

• Negotiate criteria for success that include consideration of environmental and social sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (VCDSCD041)

Digital Technologies - Creating Digital Solutions

• Design, modify and follow simple algorithms represented diagrammatically and in English, involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (VCDTCD032)
• Develop digital solutions as simple visual programs (VCDTCD033)
• Explain how student-developed solutions and existing information systems meet current and future community and sustainability needs (VCDTCD034)