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Scribble Bots

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Scribble Bots

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Lesson Summary

  • Introduce and explore patterns through toys, fine arts, Zentangle art, and machine systems.  
  • Use the engineering design process to solve problems.  
  • Design, test, and improve a Scribbler Robot. 

Lesson Key Facts

  • Grade(s): 3rd Grade
  • Subject(s): Dance, English Language Arts, Music, Science, Visual Arts
  • Duration of lesson: 1-2 hours (2-4 sessions)
  • Author(s): Amy Rosenvall, Tina McCullough, Steve Shumway, Kylie Decker, Kayleen Nelson, Yvette May

Lesson Plan and Procedure

Objective:

  1. Introduce students to patterns in art and in toys. (connection to their world)
  2. Introduce students to mechanical devices and let them see examples of what types of activities a mechanical engineer performs.
  3. Provide students with an opportunity to engage in the engineering design process and go through the process 3-4 times to develop a solution to a given problem.

SESSION 1: Patterns (30-60 minutes)

Upload: Slide Show

SLIDE 6: Starry Night

Teacher: Look at this picture, what patterns do you see?

ACTIVITY: Use this Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routine: Looking Ten Times Two 
This routine helps students slow down and make careful, detailed observations by encouraging them to push beyond first impressions and obvious features.

Possible student responses: "Swirls, towers, lines."

Teacher: Let's look again, what sort of movements do the patterns in the painting convey or show?

Possible student responses: "The swirls in the air could be wind. The lines around the stars could be starlight. The straight lines on the buildings could show how strong the buildings are."

SLIDE 7: Anticipatory Set: Display 3-4 mechanical /electrical toys that are performing some type of functions, as the students gather in the area. Demo the toys for the students. 

Teacher: Notice these toys. Do you have any toys that move, spin, light up, or make sounds when you push a button or flip a switch. Can you describe how you think these toys work?

Most of these toys have mechanical parts and electrical parts.

Teacher: Let's open up these toys to see their parts. Some are mechanical, others electrical. Mechanical parts make things move, while electrical parts use batteries to power movement, light, or sound.

Open up the toys (if possible or point out the screws, hinges, shapes etc. that allow the toy to move.) and demonstrate them for the students.

  • The mechanical devices are for movement and the electrical section uses power from batteries to move the mechanical devices or make things light up or emit a sound.
     

SLIDE 8: Musicians, patterns in music. LISTENING ACTIVITY

Open the video in a separate tab before teaching, to avoid ads popping up.
Play an excerpt of Peter and the Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmi5zHg4QSM (Play from the beginning to 2:28)

  • This 2:30 min. excerpt will introduce the melodic themes and patterns for Peter, the Bird, and the Duck


As the children listen, invite them to raise their hands when they recognize a new instrumental voice or a change in the instrumental melodies, themes, or patterns.

Invite students to review and answer the questions on Slide 8.

Teacher: (In your own words) Sergei Prokofiev composed Peter and the Wolf in 1936 to introduce children to the orchestra. He uses specific instruments and melodic patterns and themes to represent distinct characters as a story of a young boy, who ventures out into the forest alone, against his Grandfathers warnings, and seeks to get a wolf. Along the way, Peter meets a bird, a duck, and a cat. We only listened to two minutes of this storytelling music and we were introduced to three of the characters themes: Peter, the Bird, and the Duck. 

SLIDE 9: Character Instrumental Voices

1.    On this link, found on the slide 9, open and scroll down to the Listening Guide and play the shortened themes/musical patterns for each of these characters: Peter, the Bird, and the Duck. 

Movement Activity: Peter and the Wolf: Character Patterns and Themes in Music and Movement: Using the same link as above. 

2.    Play each theme again, one at a time, and as you do ask the students to visualize, how they would move their body to show the character the musical pattern is written for.
3.    After the students listen a second time and visualize, invite them to stand and create their own movements, as you play each of the character themes. Demonstrate some movement ideas that you might use. Invite them to use different levels and the whole movement space, while being aware and respectful of those around them.

Teacher: Can you visualize these characters using different pathways, levels, speed, and energy? How will you move your body to show the character and its musical pattern There are no right or wrong movements listen carefully and let the music inspire your ideas. Begin to move when you hear the music play.

4.    Acknowledge individual children's artistic and creative choices. Invite some to share their movement choices with the class.

Zentangle Animal Design Activity

Teacher: Artists, Scientists, and engineers also see patterns in the way things move and flow. Today, you'll create a Zentangle to show artistic patterns. Be intentional about the Zentangle patterns that you choose. For example, if you draw a fish, add Zentangles that show flowing/swimming patterns. If you choose to draw a furry animal, choose Zentangles that would represent fur or softness. 

Option: While students are working on their Zentangles, play the full music score of Peter and the Wolf, softly in the background.

SLIDE 10-11: Students create a Zentangle as a way to show patterns.

Instructions for creating a Zentangle Animal:
 

 
  1. Choose an animal you would like to draw.
  2. Lightly sketch the outline of your animal with pencil.
  3. Divide the animal into different sections using simple lines or shapes.
  4. Fill each section with repeated patterns such as lines, dots, curves, spirals, zigzags, checkerboards, or waves.
  5. Repeat patterns carefully to create rhythm, balance, and texture.
  6. Add contrast by coloring some sections black and leaving others white.
  7. Review your artwork and add details to improve your design.
  8. Share your work and explain how repeated patterns helped create an artistic design.

SESSION 2: Mechanical Engineering (30 minutes)

SLIDES 12-15: Mechanical engineers are people that figure out how to make objects move.

Teacher: Mechanical engineers figure out how to make objects move in unique ways. Let's look at some examples. Engineers work to make many of the objects that we use every day.  (Examples: cars, robots, etc.).

SLIDE 16 & 17 & 18: Show a few of the video clips, so the students can see examples of what mechanical engineers are doing. 

Teacher: Watch these clips and slides to see what engineers do. What do you notice? What patterns do the Engineers or machines use to move? Are any of the patterns repeatable?

SESSION 3: Engineering Design Process (30-60 minutes)

SLIDE 21: Engineering design cycle

Teacher: In order to find solutions to problems, engineers often use steps called the ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS.

Refer to the slide-graphic as you explain: 

  • Engineers first EMPATHIZE what the problem or challenge is.
  • Refer back to the videos you watched last time: What problem(s) were the engineers trying to solve?
    • Discuss answers with the students.
    • The engineers then have to ask additional questions related to the constraints of the problem and then conduct research and experiments related to the problem.  
  • Then, they IDENTIFY possible problems/solutions (They think of lots of different ways to solve a problem).  When they imagine possible solutions, they often sketch their ideas in order to communicate them with others.
  • Next, engineers BRAINSTORM how they will implement their design, (planning usually involves drawing your ideas on paper)
  • Then they BUILD/TEST (they make a model of the device called a prototype) the design and try it out,
  • Most of the time the design does not work on the first try, so the engineers need to IMPROVE it.


SLIDE  22-23: Artistic Robots
 

 

Show a few minutes of the Harvey Moon example where he has designed/programmed a robot to do art. 

Teacher: Now let's watch an example of an artist who programmed a robot to make art. This is where art and engineering meet. 

After watching the video, show the segment from WALL-E (Mo trying to clean the tracks left by WALL-E https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiMFRMoxxE)
 

SLIDE 24-29: Engineering Design challenge: Design a Scribbler/Scrubber Robot 

Teacher: Your challenge is to design a Scribbler Robot! First, brainstorm and sketch your ideas. Show me your sketches before getting materials.

  1. Invite everyone to refer to the design slide (23) as you read the instructions.
  2. Show the list of materials / constraints
  3. Review the engineering design process, but this time in relation to the Artistic Robot (Scribbler) design challenge.
    1. Empathize
    2. Identify Problems
    3. Brainstorm: sketch ideas (5 minutes of planning before building)
    4. Build/Test
    5. Create/Improve: 40 minutes to create and test design and make improvements
      1. Leave lids on markers until ready to test
      2. Make sure everyone participates
      3. Use design paper to sketch ideas and test robot
    6. Share your designs by testing them on the large paper provided by the teacher.

Teacher: Now, build your robot with your group. Remember to test it often and make improvements. How can you make it move in interesting ways?
 

Begin the design process: Tell teams to start the brainstorming and sketching ideas phase.

  1. Once students show the teacher their ideas they can get the materials.
  2. Teacher circulates and asks questions to determine what problems the students are having (write these down)
  3. At the end of the 40 minutes have all the scribblers bring their "Scribblers" to a central location and demo them. 

Teacher: Bring your robots to the large paper and test them. Let's see the patterns they create!
 

Debrief the activity: 
 

Teacher: What problems did you run into while building? How did you solve them? Remember, failure teaches us what direction to move in. That's part of engineering!

  • List some of the problems students were having as they created their design.
  • Have students share how they solved the problem (call on the kids to answer!)
  • Talk about how failure is an important tool.  Thomas Edison said, "They taught me something I didn't know.  They taught me what direction to move in."
  • Put materials back.

Reflection: Discussion

Teacher: How do artists and engineers both use patterns, movement, and creativity to make things work?

Culminating Activity Option: Art STEAM Gallery
Display each individual/group's:

  • Zentangle art (visual pattern)
  • Scribbler-scrubber robot

Additional ARTS Activity Option: Pendulum Art

Materials

 
  • Plastic cup
  • Pencil
  • String
  • Sidewalk chalk (2 sticks per cup)
  • Water

Directions

  1. Prepare the cup.
    Use a pencil to carefully poke a small hole in the center of the bottom of a plastic cup.
  2. Attach the string.
    Tie a string securely to the cup so it can hang freely like a pendulum.
  3. Make the chalk paint.
    Mix two sticks of sidewalk chalk into a cup of water. Stir until the chalk is mostly dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
  4. Fill the pendulum-cup.
    Cover the hole in the bottom of the cup with your finger. Pour the chalk mixture into the cup, then take the cup outside.
  5. Create the pendulum pattern.
    Hold the string so the cup hangs freely, keeping it as far away from your body as is comfortable. Position the cup over a paved surface or sidewalk. Remove your finger from the hole and gently release the cup.

Teacher Tip: Do not push the cup. A gentle release allows gravity to create a natural pendulum swing, producing beautiful repeating patterns.

  1. Observe the artwork.
    As the chalk mixture drips from the cup, watch the pendulum create curved, repeating line patterns. Allow the chalk to dry, then invite students to observe and discuss the designs that were created.

Discussion Questions

  • What patterns do you notice?
  • How did the swinging motion affect the design?
  • What happened to the pattern as the pendulum gradually slowed down?

Learning Objectives

  • Identify patterns in art, movement, engineering, and everyday objects. 
  • Observe how mechanical and electrical toys use different parts to move, make sounds, or light up. 
  • Distinguish between mechanical and electrical components. 
  • Describe how mechanical and electrical engineers work together to solve problems. 
  • Discover how engineers design objects that move. 
  • Explain the steps of the Engineering Design Process. 
  • Identify a problem and the constraints of an engineering design challenge. 
  • Brainstorm multiple solutions to a design problem. 
  • Sketch a design to communicate ideas before building. 
  • Collaborate with a team to design and build a Scribbler Robot. 
  • Build and test a working prototype using provided materials. 
  • Evaluate test results and improve a design through redesign and iteration. 
  • Recognize that testing, mistakes, and redesign are valuable parts of engineering.
  • Create a Scribbler Robot that produces artistic designs through movement. 
  • Create artistic patterns using motion. 
  • Explain how artists and engineers use creativity, observation, and problem solving to develop new ideas. 
  • Observe scientific phenomena involving forces and motion. 
  • Investigate how forces affect movement. 
  • Make predictions, collect evidence, compare results, and communicate observations using scientific vocabulary. 
  • Interpret music through movement. 
  • Match movement to musical expression and musical themes. 
  • Explore locomotor and non-locomotor movements using a variety of levels, pathways, body shapes, energy, and spatial awareness. 
  • Express characters and ideas through creative movement. 
  • Connect music, dance, storytelling, science, engineering, and visual art through creative expression. 
  • Share designs, observations, and results with others. 
  • Reflect on challenges encountered during the design process and describe how they were solved.

Utah State Board of Education Standards

This lesson can be used to meet standards in many grades and subject areas. We will highlight one grade’s standards to give an example of application.


Science (SEEd), Grade 3

  • 3.1.1: Design a solution to a problem by applying the Engineering Design Process. 
  • 3.1.2: Analyze data from tests of two or more solutions to determine which solution better meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. 
  • 3.1.3: Generate and communicate ideas and possible solutions using sketches, models, and prototypes.
  • 3.3.2: Plan and carry out investigations to collect evidence about the effects of forces on the motion of an object.

Science & Engineering Practices, Grade 3

  • Asking Questions and Defining Problems 
  • Developing and Using Models 
  • Planning and Carrying Out Investigations 
  • Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions 
  • Engaging in Argument from Evidence 
  • Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information 

Science Crosscutting Concepts, Grade 3

  • Patterns 
  • Structure and Function 
  • Systems and System Models 

English Language Arts (Integrated)

  • Collaborative Discussions 
  • Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas 

Math, Grade 3

  • MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. 
  • MP4: Model with mathematics. 
  • MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically. 
  • MP.7: Look for and make use of structure.
  • MP.8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning. 

Dance, Grade 3

  • DA.CR.3.1: Explore and improvise movement ideas using a variety of movement qualities. 
  • DA.CR.3.2: Develop movement that communicates ideas, experiences, and stories. 
  • DA.PR.3.1: Demonstrate locomotor and non-locomotor movement with control and body awareness. 
  • DA.PR.3.2: Perform movement using a variety of pathways, levels, directions, speed, and energy. 
  • DA.RE.3.1: Observe and describe how movement communicates ideas and emotions. 
  • DA.RE.3.2: Identify how music influences movement choices. 
  • DA.CN.3.1: Connect dance with music, storytelling, and other academic subjects. 
  • DA.CN.3.2: Explain how movement can communicate characters, ideas, and experiences.

Visual Arts, Grade 3  

  • VA: Cr1: Generate and develop artistic ideas using an unconventional art-making process. 
  • VA: Cr2: Experiment with materials and techniques to create artwork. 
  • VA: Cr3: Refine and Complete Artistic Work. Observe how changes in movement create different artistic results. 
  • VA: Re7: Perceive and Analyze Artistic Work. Identify and discuss patterns, lines, and movement created in the artwork.

Music, Grade 3

  • MU: Cn10.0.3: Demonstrate how music connects to other subjects, such as technology and engineering. 
  • MU: Re7.2.3: Describe how musical elements communicate meaning. 
  • MU: Re 8.1.3: Interpret how music expresses mood, character, and story. 
  • MU: Cn11.1.3: Connect music with dance, storytelling, and other arts.

Equipment and Materials Needed

  • Become familiar with this Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routine and be prepared to apply it: Looking Ten times Two
  • Bring in a few toys that move or spin. (examples: tops, yo-yos, spinners, remote controls, hot wheels, sit and spin)
  • For Zentangle Animal Art: 
    • Art paper
    • Pens, pencils
    • Watercolors (preferred, or can use colored pencils/crayons)
  • For the Scribble/Scrubber Bots: Create zip-lock bags with selected supplies. Here is what each group should receive:
    • 1.5 DC Motor: Pitsco Motor 280  http://www.pitsco.com/Motor_280
    • AA battery
    • AA Battery Holder:
    • Roll of masking tape (share between groups)
    • Pink eraser (they will eventually become small bits of eraser)
    • Cups (I like to use various sizes to increase creativity)
    • 2-3 Pipe cleaners 
    • 3-4 pencils
    • 2-3 Paper clips 
    • 2-3 Rubber bands 
    • 2-3 drinking straws
    • 3-4 popsicle sticks
    • Small pieces of sponge
    • Any other items you think might be useful and will promote creativity
    • Scissors
    • Xacto knives if the students know how to use them properly.
    • String (1 roll per class – students can cut what they need)
    • See the video of teachers designing scribbler bots at: https://vimeo.com/160298906 
    • Optional materials for Pendulum Art
      • Plastic cup
      • Pencil
      • String
      • Sidewalk chalk (2 sticks per cup)
      • Water
    • Scoring Rubric

Additional Resources

Image References