Sue Mellon – Project Ideas
Project #1
Discipline: Mathematics
Grade level: 6th
Skill: Measuring Angles to 180°
(Math Assessment Anchor –
Measurement, Eligible Content: M6.B.2.1.3 Measure angles using a protractor up to 180° - protractor must be drawn - one side of the angle to be measured should line up with the straight edge of the protractor. )
Idea: Using Servo motors with the “finger like” extension, position small characters at the end of the “finger like” extension and have students move their characters various degrees less than 180°. Project #2
Discipline: Reading
Grade levels: 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th
Skill: Comprehension of Poetry
(Note: The “Target Passage Types for the Reading PSSA” chart indicates that poems will be included in all tests for these grade levels. Many students view poetry negatively and they need to accept the fact that must demonstrate understanding.)
Idea: Hold a “Robot Theater Classroom Festival” where students give poems “life” by using Robot Diaries. I would divide the students into groups of two and assign them a poem. After completing an analysis of the poem, they will create a scene with the servos, LEDs, etc. to accompany a recorded reading of the poem. After all projects are complete, students will walk around the room viewing each other’s scenes. Project #3
Discipline: Social Studies
Grade level: 7th
Skill: Reporting Research
(Note: For the last two school years, I have been working with our 7th grade Social Studies teacher to complete the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh’s Middle School Ambassador Program. Each year, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh identifies an area of the world for targeted study. We invite speakers from these regions to our school. We also research the region by dividing the students into teams and have them create PowerPoint shows as part of a team presentation. These presentations are very important to the students because they are the basis of determining the top 20-25 students who get to attend the culminating seminar held at the Cathedral of Learning each spring.)
Idea: I believe that Robot Diaries could be a nice addition to this presentation and would give the teams of four more “hands-on” activities. The students could use the Robot Diaries to recreate a famous citizen from their region. Project #4
Discipline: Technology
Grade level: 5th & 6th
Skill: Understanding Programming Basics
(Note: Each week, during one of the daily IE (Intervention-Enrichment) periods, I have a “pull-out” Gifted Support Time called GATE Tech in which we create technology based projects. With the 4th grader, we do a great deal with PowerPoint—taping presentations and attaching these files, attaching videos from Discovery Education as well as creating interactive presentations (non-sequential). With the 5th and 6th graders, we complete projects using MovieMaker and Storytelling Alice.)
Idea: I believe that adding Robot Diaries would be a perfect addition to this work as many of my students are very artistic and love creating things this year. My students love the new duct tape art as well as origami. This would also reinforce our exploration of programming concepts such “looping.” Project #5
Discipline: Health and PE
Grade level: 6th and 7th
Skill: Identifying health eating habits
Idea: Students could create a robotic character and have the character deliver the “health message.”