Bionic
Cat Research and Design
Grade Levels: 9-12
Primary Content Area: Physics, Technology, Engineering Applications
Teaching
is a lot like building a house. Most of us generally know what we
want the house to look like in the end, but we often need to sit down
with several plans of finished houses in order to identify the specific
house design we will want in the finished
product.
Just like contractors, we need to have blueprints drawn up that identify specifications for how to proceed.
Then the actual site work is done, which includes foundational work and temporary structures. And of course, during the course of construction, site inspectors check to see if the work is done correctly.
Check out the links to the left to see this unit was put together using Constructa-Vision
Rationale:
This module is a melding of scientific content, mathematical and engineering applications, and the use of applied technology to solve an authentic task. The use of technology in this manner is most appropriate because there is no fabrication of purpose. The purpose is real, well-defined and involves students actively in the entire process.
This module is research-based. This is illustrated by its strong alignment with the National Standards in the content areas of technology education, science education, and mathematics education.
Extending Skills and Knowledge
Some students may already be adept at programming the Lego robot with Mindstorms. Use the links provided above to allow the students to develop a more developed sense of the programming.
Classroom Extensions:
Students who become skilled at design, programming, and the problem solving inherent in this activity may well ask for more opportunities to meet a design challenge. There are many different kinds of robots and robot kits for use by enterprising high school students, with or without teacher or adult support. The World Wide Web has a great deal of information on this topic. Have students conduct a web search for “robot” and they will discover opportunities that abound.
Dissecting a Furby has been documented on the World Wide Web, students may wish to dissect their own robot and work to improve some section of their original design that did not work well.
