I am teaching a Tech Tuesday to 5-8 graders this summer, so I thought I would blog about it too. Every Tuesday for the next couple weeks, I will write a post about a specific STEM Tech Tool that I have used and absolutely loved!
Today's tool was Ozobots. Probably one of more simpler tools to use, Ozobots was actually my first STEM tool. Ozobots are small little robots that blend both the physical world and technological world. It teaches students how to program and code by using FOUR markers: black, red, blue and green. With one type of Ozobot, the Bit, you just need the Ozobot itself, paper and the markers. These can be any brand of markers. The other type of Ozobot, the Evo, you can actually use it on a digital device and code from there. Both types are great, I however prefer the Bit. They are more affordable, selling on Amazon for about $40-$60.
I have used the Ozobots mainly in Math and Social Studies/Science. The first time I used them for Math, was during our Monster's Inc. Multiplication Day. I wanted to integrate STEM, so I actually introduced students to Ozobots on this day and they were a hit. If you go to the link above, it will take you to the Ozobot website. There they have a lesson library for lessons that you can use in your classroom and printable for you to use. I used the printables to allow students to get adjusted to using the Ozobots. When they felt comfortable with the tools and codes, I had students create a map of Utah, with the different environments we had learned about in Science and code their Ozobot to "travel" through the state visiting each landform.
The next time that I used them it was for a Math lesson. As you can see in the picture below, Sully and Mike needed to help return Boo safely to her door before Randall catches them. Naturally when you place the Ozobot on the black line it will start moving, but when it gets to Door Number 1 it will stop because it doesn't have a code or command. That is where I snuck in math problems. The second page of this had five multiplication problems, where students needed to solve them. Their answer to their multiplication problem would give them the code that they needed for the door they were at. For example, the answer to Door Number 1 is 365, students would then find their answer from the codes below and then color the boxes at Door Number 1 to match the codes. This code is Super Snail Dose, meaning their Ozobot then would go super slow. The Ozobot would then continue to follow the path until they made it to Door Number 2 and the process would start all over.
The next way that I used Ozobots in my classroom was in our Geometry Unit. I was doing a Race Car Room Transformation and wanted to stick with the same thing. I set the scene and told students that race car drivers have to use their knowledge of lines and angles to plan their perfect route. Using the markers they had to to code what they thought would be the perfect race car track BUT they had to include different types of lines and angles. This is where you see a lot of s student creativity come into play because they are able to have choice in what the end product looks like. I have included a video of a students map with some coding on it at the end, so you can see what it looks like with this activity!
Make sure to visit the Ozobot website and check out their Lesson Library. Let me know if you have any questions by commenting or e-mailing me.
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