STEM Lesson Plan & Activities - SPHERO Year 4-6


Year 4-6 (and beyond..)
Tool: Sphero
Lesson 1:
Initial lesson idea – how can we use a sphero within a school environment?
Show Sphero and APP – allow students time to explore in Drive Mode on APP
Set simple challenge ‘Can you get Sphero to travel from A to B?
Class brainstorm – potential suggestions from students could include…
- Delivering messages
- Litter collection
- First aid to student in playground
- Delivering lunch orders
- Rolling in paint and marking out athletics tracks
Coding discussion – in partners have a blind folded student – the partner needs to direct using language key words to get their partner to move from one place to the next. Reiterate that coding is about setting out simple steps/ instructions for something/ someone to follow.
Lesson 2:
Exploring Coding properties on APP – how to program etc.
Can they program it to follow a chalk drawing of a simple shape in the playground
Differentiate through variety and challenge of shapes drawn
Lesson 3:
Exploring how to code and program the Sphero to complete a more complex journey. Putting in obstacles – how to direct it to move around/ away from an obstacle
Put students into groups/ partners and decide on their Sphero Challenge.
Lesson 4-6:
Students to spend next 3 lessons developing and recording/mapping their progress and challenges. Emphasise need for students to note and explain challenges they have come across and their ways of solving problems.
Students can record their progress in a manner of their choice – dramatic, powerpoint, poster, video,
Lesson 7:
Putting presentations together and rehearsing.
Complete evaluation and reflection. Where they went well and what their challenges were.
Lesson 8: Presentation/ Transformation/ Evaluation to audience – peers and admin?
Other Big Picture Ideas for a Sphero:
Karijini Rescue;
Imagine a mini-prototype that could travel through the body – design its journey;
Mapping out a cross country course
Mapping routes through school
Using it as a school guide – eg kindy students to follow it for a tour of the school when they first arrive or to help new students navigate their way to library, art etc.