For the past eight weeks, students in Grades 3-5 have met after school to explore the world of robotics and coding. The Lower School Robotics Club, led by parent Ryan Kennedy and Kindergarten Teacher Kenya Barber, allows students to develop their analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills through the creation of programmable Lego machines.
For the first several meetings, students created robotic creatures and vehicles from instruction booklets in Lego’s WeDo building system. WeDo features an iPad app that allows students to design algorithms, including code to help their robots complete tasks. Students gradually eased away from the instruction books and created their own robots from scratch in the final meeting, where they were joined by their parents.
Unique pieces in the WeDo sets include batteries, motors, sensors, switches, actuators, and remote controls. Kennedy and Barber designed the course curriculum to tie into skills developed in the MFS Lower School Coding Program; however, the club also remained open and accessible to those without previous coding experience.
This is one of the many After-School Clubs offered for Lower School students to both enhance their learning and have fun! There are three sessions (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
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