Here is my NETA 2015 presentation about using the Dash and Dot robots with my students:
Dash and Dot lessons:
It was really fun to think back on and share all that we learned and experienced with Dash and Dot!
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Around and Around We Go!
I love a good challenge and this week I gave my 2nd graders a new Dash challenge called Around and Around We Go!
I placed an x inside our tape squares and a rectangle in the middle. Their first task was to code Dash around the square and avoid the green rectangle in one button press or event.
I also created two student handouts. I wanted to make sure all group members would have a job to focus on during the task. We worked in groups of 3-4 students.
The first handout was used for recording the original code the groups created. I also asked them to briefly write about what happened when running the code.
The second handout was placed in a dry erase sleeve and used to guess and check their code as they worked.
The guess and check strategy was another important part of this lesson. I stressed to the kids that programmers write small parts of their code and then test them often. The kids did a great job with this!
Cheers could be heard around the room as groups completed a challenge.
Once they coded Dash around the square, I would give them another challenge.
Several groups made it through 3 of the challenges in 1 50 minute class period.
I loved how this activity turned out. It was open enough that groups could have creativity, yet challenging enough they really had to problem solve.
Around and Around We Go Challenge Cards
Around and Around We Go Handout
Around and Around We Go Guess and Check Sheet
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Bowling with Dash!
Have you ever seen a robot bowl? Well I have and here's how it all started!
Right after Christmas, I was strolling through Target, and stumbled upon a child's plastic bowling set on clearance. Thoughts of using Dash to hit the bowling ball popped into my head and suddenly the set was in my cart! Note: I did end up replacing the plastic bowling balls that came with the set with some dog toys from the pet store. The ones from the set were easily dented.
I decided I would try having a bowling "tournament" with my 4th and 5th graders. I had the kids start by pairing up. I also thought about having the kids in bigger groups so they would have more chances to bowl. I ended up going with pairs, so the kids could have more hands on time with the iPad and robot.
Next, I modeled what the bowling might look like by using code to try and get Dash to hit the ball into the pins and knock some down. My code didn't get any pins, but it did give the kids ideas of what they could do.
Bowling Rules
Dash and the ball have to start on or behind the start line.
Dash can't touch the pins or the cloth under the pins. It would be too easy to just have Dash knock pins down.
Each pair of students gets two tries at a time.
I used a Google Sheet to keep track of how many pins each group knocked down. I would love to set something up for more formal bowling scoring, but just keeping track of the pins was good enough for the kids.
The Bowling Genius site would also be a great way to keep track of scores, especially if you had time for a full game!
This was a fun way to practice coding and problem solving skills. The kids were constantly revising their codes to knock down more pins and be extra creative. There was even one group who tried having Dash drive backwards into the ball to see if that would work!
Could you code a strike? ;)
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Changing Dash Challenges
My students have really enjoyed using the brick connectors and LEGOs to create with Dash. The older students have built bulldozer attachments, and my younger students have built "hats" for Dash.
I decided it would be fun to see what they would do with an open ended challenge. I came up with 5 different ideas I thought kids could use as a starting point. I decided upon animal, car, fire engine, alien, and train.
I created a set of cards I could hand out to small groups.
The kids were really creative and had a blast coming up with ways to change Dash!
We used the tow hook attachment along with LEGOs for the train.
The only issue the kids had was wanting to spend more time on the activity!
You can download the challenge cards here.
LEGOs, Dash , and kid creativity are a winning combination in my book!
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Making Music with Dash
One of the optional attachments you can purchase for a Dash robot is a xylophone. It's super cute and fun to create with!
Once you have the xylophone and mallet attached to Dash, the Xylo app takes you through a quick set up process. I used the xylophone with Dash when I did a centers type of rotation with groups. I did the xylophone set up once, so the kids wouldn't have to worry about it.
I also made a task card to help the kids access a demonstration video. This way each group of students could play the video and learn how to navigate the Xylo App and I wasn't giving directions over and over again.
You can watch the video here:
The kids loved playing the pre made songs and creating their own music!
It was fun to watch the kids collaborate on songs! They are much better at writing music than I am! ;)
You can download the Xylo task card here.
Do you have a Dash xylophone? I would love to hear your creative ideas for using it in the classroom!
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Build a Better Bulldozer Activity
At the end of January, I did a post about using Dash and the Bulldozer attachment to collect snow. A friend mentioned they were getting a robot, but was sad they wouldn't have the bulldozer attachment to try the activity.
This got me to thinking, could the kids build attachments out of LEGOs? Every Dash robot comes with a set of two Building Brick Connectors for attaching LEGOs. Suddenly, the Build a Better Bulldozer challenge was born!
I have amassed quite a collection of LEGOs . I've had kids use them for everything from movie making to depicting vocabulary to Red Ribbon Week posters. Kids love LEGOS and they are so versatile for projects. I can't say enough good things about using LEGOs in the classroom!
I had my 4th graders break into groups of 4 students and gave each group a random selection of LEGOs. I asked them to collaborate to create a new plow attachment for Dash. Groups were then given time to discuss, sketch, and create.
Once groups were done with their initial construction, they were given some cotton balls to use a snow. Groups then used an iPad and the Blockly app to code their Dash to collect some snow. It was fun to watch groups discover if their plow worked or not. Almost every group made changes after their first test.
We had a final sharing time when each group showed their plow in action. The groups cheered for each other and offered ideas to improve designs.
We did this activity in one 50 class period. This could easily take 2-3 class periods. It would be great if groups could write or share a diagram of how to re-create their plow and what their findings were.
I have a feeling this activity will lead to many more just like it! Have your students used LEGOs with Dash and Dot? I would love to hear about it!
Happy creating!
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The Main Event
One goal I've had over the last few weeks is to use Dash and Dot to teach and enhance the new Code.org computer science curriculum. I've loved how the robots take the lessons in new directions and really help the students see a 3d representation of what the characters on the screen are doing.
This activity pairs well with the The Big Event lesson from the Code.org Course 1 curriculum. I started by discussing the vocabulary word Event and having the kids do some unplugged examples.
Next, we discussed what Event we had been using most often to trigger Dash to run our code, When Top Button.
I then demonstrated how to use the When Dash or Dot start block. My first and second graders loved making Dot shake to start their code.
We then added the Control Block called Wait for. I demonstrated having Dash wait for Dot to shake, look up, and look down before running the next block of code.
Having the students repeatedly use Dot as an Event really helped them understand the concept.
Have you used Dash and Dot to each the concept of Events? Have you tried teaching other coding concepts using robots? I would love to hear about your experiences!
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Turn the Bot Around
Once my 1st graders were comfortable pairing Dash to the iPad, making Dash go to “sleep”, and adding move forward and backward blocks, I knew it was time for more.
I decided to have the students focus on turning and not on having Dash move forward or backward for the beginning of this lesson.
They placed Dash facing the back wall of my room and coded Dash to turn Left 90. They were excited to see that Dash was now facing a different wall. They repeated this process, but had Dash turn Left 180.
I knew this simple lesson was a powerful one when one 1st grade girl said, “That 180 was two 90 turns put together!” And another student made the connection to the Teaching Loops with the Beats Project lesson we did earlier this year. She said, "Dash is turning just like we turned in our dance loop!"
I then asked them to make predictions for Left 270 and 360. It was amazing how quickly they understood where Dash would face at the end of each turn. Next, we talked about making Dash turn right and do the same movements.
I was exciting to see lots of light bulbs going off for students. Left and right in coding can be very hard when a character is 2 Dimensional. Coding and seeing Dash move in relation to the room really brought the concepts home to students.
I created a handout for groups to record their findings. I didn’t use the handout with all of my classes, but it does help to give students in groups of 3-4 different jobs to be accountable for.
Once they were comfortable with turns, I let them have free time to explore all of the blocks we had learned and add in sounds and other fun blocks.
Do you have an angle or coding lesson involving turns that you use often? I would love to hear about it!
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My kindergarten students LOVE using the Path app with Dash! My room is full of squeals, giggles, and smiles when we are playing with Dash and the Path app!
The app allows kids to draw a path and add code nodes for Dash to interact with. Students are creating and testing algorithms in racetrack, farm, and city settings.
I decided the Path app was a perfect way to reinforce the concepts my students learned from Al The Algorithm Alligator, during the Hour of Code week. During the fisrt lesson with Dash, I asked the students what an algorithm was and used that word as we were creating our Path lines for Dash to follow.
I was very pleased with how easily most students connected the Paths with creating algorithms. However, I wanted another activity to really bring the point home for the kids and that is how my Path Unplugged activity was created!
I created some paper nodes, a presentation with example algorithms, and found some string. This idea was so simple and yet the kids absolutely loved it!!!
We talked about the string representing the line path from the app. I showed the presentation on the board and asked for a volunteer to place the correct nodes on the path.
Next, I modeled becoming Dash! I pressed my top button and began to move through the path. At each node, I would make corresponding noises. The kids howled when I turned into a pig, duck, and frog!
We took turns laying out the path, adding the nodes, and becoming Dash. The kids loved “pressing their top button” as if they were Dash!
The unplugged activity could easily be used in a classroom without any robots. It would still be a wonderful model of how to view and recreate an algorithm.
Download unplugged Path Nodes. (You will need to print multiples of some of the nodes if you are using the presentation I created.)
Download example unplugged Path algorithms presentation.
Do you have some fabulous coding activities for Kindergarten? I would love to hear about them!
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