Designing our smart city pt. 2

Part of:

Code Smart

Encounter Edu offers a classroom bundle for Code Smart Ages 7-11 which contains everything you need to get started with coding and robotics in your classroom.

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Lesson overview

Part two of the workshop sees your class use an ideas funnel to select and refine ideas from the brainstorming activity in part one. Each group will then prototype one of the ideas using the hardware and software skills they have learned with the mBot in lessons 1-6.

Learning outcomes

  • Understand what prototyping is and why it is used
  • Describe a number of prototyping methods
  • Evaluate and refine own ideas and the ideas of others
  • Combine hardware, software and crafting skills to make a prototype
  • Share learning with the class

Lesson steps

  1. Video opener (5 mins)
    Introduction to prototyping, including examples of different ways people prototype and why it is useful.
  2. Classroom discussion (10 mins)
    The class will discuss the video and think about how they can use prototyping to take some of their ideas forward.
  3. Design thinking: prototype (35 mins)
    Groups will use an ideas funnel to choose one idea from the brainstorming session and use the mBot and crafting skills to create a working demonstration that they will be able to present to the class in the next part of the workshop.
  4. Reflect (10 mins)
    Students will reflect on the prototyping activity and share their learning.

Equipment required (per group)

  • mBot with remote
  • Laptop or tablet with mBlock
  • Prototyping materials, such as clay, coloured paper and tape