Robotically+Measuring+Area+and+Volume

Calculating with Robots?



Fifth grader are calculating with robots, in our unit learning about area, perimeter, and volume calculations. Students will follow the guided instruction on how to build and program the robot, to properly measure the area and volume.  In the process to incorporate more engineering and STEM based lessons, building the area and volume robot to allign with what the students already learning about calculations of area, perimeter, and volume it enlightens them giving them a better grasp on the concepts, instead of the basic pen and paper learning approach. Although students will still learn to calculate without using the robot, and will make hypothesis based off their observations of the object being measured they will check their answers determined by hand with the robot.

  The pictures above and below are a demonstration of how to use the robot when measuring the area and volume. 

 The picture to the right is of the screen that prompts the student of what they should measure next, whether its the length to calcula te the area or the dipth to calculate the volume.

St udents will be in groups that are provided with a Lego Mindstorm box and a laptop for programming the robot.

Please begin to test your students knowledge on measuring area, perimeter, and volume. What factors are used in measuring those concepts, what measuring unit is used in calculating those measurements, when do would you use the concept of measurement and why? All these questions will benefit the students when it comes time to discuss taking measurement using those concepts.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 250%;">Miss Hughley :)