WeDo 2.0 Lab Activity

Day 1: 

My partner Ellie and I chose the WeDo 2.0 Grabbing Objects. We started building our robot to see what we are going to be working with during the Metro Activity Plan.

Standards:

5.1.c: Leverage CT and CS experts, resources and professional learning networks to continuously improve practice integrating CT across content areas. 

Students will use the LEGO Education WeDo 2.0 resource to practice computational thinking.

5.1.d: Develop resilience and perseverance when approaching CS and CT learning experiences, build comfort with ambiguity and open-ended problems, and see failure as an opportunity to learn and innovate.

Computer science can be difficult. Students will not always succeed on the first try, but will problem solve to figure out how the robot in the activity works and see their failure as a way to improve and come to a solution. 

5.5.c: Use a variety of instructional approaches to help students frame problems in ways that can be represented as computational steps or algorithms to be performed by a computer.

Students will work through the WeDo 2.0 Program to work through and solve problems. As a facilitator, I will be there to lead, guide, and direct in student learning.

Day 2:

Ellie and I completed building our robot. And then began to program it using Education WeDo 2.0 Program. 

Student Will:

• Explore how prosthetic designs help people with disabilities
• Create and program a prosthetic hand to move objects around
• Test your program to make the hand as functional as possible
• Share your program and ideas for how to succeed in this project

Build and Program

The students will build a robotic hand that they can program to grab, lift and place objects. The hand is equipped with a Motion Sensor that can be used to detect objects, detect a table and detect movement of the arm.

The students will use this robotic hand to move small objects. Their first task is to grab a flower and place it on the table. Their second task is to grab an electric plug and insert it into the socket. The students can also choose to build their own objects to use in these tasks.

Steps:

1: Introduction: Read opening prompt

"The human hand can perform several different movements. When combined, these movements present a whole range of possible motions and actions. These important movements are: finger flexion and extension (closing and opening), thumb flexion and extension (closing and opening), thumb rotation, and wrist flexion, extension and rotation. When a person can’t perform one or more of these movements, some actions become difficult and sometimes impossible for them to do. Prosthetic arms can help people to regain mobility. Some very advanced robotic arms can almost replicate all of the movements of a normal hand." 

Step 2: Show video and asking discussion questions: 

What are some of the different movements that you can do with your hand?

Pupils will probably describe movements with words such as grabbing, holding and throwing. Have them describe in detail how the fingers are used in these motions.

What is the role of the muscles in your hand?

Muscles are responsible for all of its movements.

What are some machines that help move objects in real life?

Students will probably answer with cranes and other operating machines.

Step 3: Tell students they will be using legos to create their own objects to pick up with mechanical hand.

Step 4: Explain movement vocabulary

Flexion- closing

Extension- opening

Rotation- moving around

Step 5: Tell students they will be using the LEGO Hand to pick up and move objects that they have built.

Step 6: Open WeDo 2.0 App

Step 7: Go through the coding actions in the application and show that a duration can be set to each action if needed. (Show codes on handout)

Step 8: Show students an example of how to use the program and code that gets hand to move.

Step 9: Let students explore and build their code to get the robotic hand going.

Step 10: Conclusion: discuss with students what was difficult/what they enjoyed about the activity and robotic hand in real life action.

Video Explanation: This short video briefly explains student goals and shows how the LEGO Mechanical Hand works.