Robotics Lab

📘 Teacher Guide

Unit overview

Students learn what makes a robot a robot: sensors, a controller and actuators working in a sense–think–act loop. They explore how robots help people, then program the KELO rover, finishing with sensor blocks that let one short program solve any maze.

Big ideas

• Robots sense, think and act.
• Sensors bring information in; actuators make things happen.
• People write the programs that control robots.
• Sensors plus loops let robots handle new situations.

Before you teach

• Create a free class at keloskillracer.com/teacher and print the student code cards.
• Test one activity on a classroom computer before the lesson (sound on or off, screen size).
• Show students how to sign in at /join with the class code and their student code.
• Optional: show a short video of a robot vacuum or Mars rover.

Pacing

4 lessons of 40–45 minutes.

Teaching tips

• Act it out: one student is the 'sensor', one the 'brain', one the 'motor'.
• Connect to real jobs: factories, hospitals, farms and space.

Standards alignment

• ISTE 1.5 Computational Thinker
• ISTE 1.4 Innovative Designer
• CSTA: Computing Systems (hardware and sensors)
• CSTA: Algorithms & Programming (conditionals and loops)

📝 Lessons

1. 1What Is a Robot?Grades 2–8 · 40 minFree
2. 2Sense, Think, ActGrades 2–8 · 40 min⭐ Pro
3. 3Programming the RoverGrades 3–8 · 45 min⭐ Pro
4. 4Smart Robots with SensorsGrades 4–8 · 45 min⭐ Pro