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Marty Image

2.05: Obstacle Course Challenge 1

60 Minutes

Lesson Overview

Students will now have a solid understanding of how Marty works, how we can program him and what simple programming concepts can be used to help with this. In this lesson, students will design another obstacle course to get a feel for what kind of environment robots can work in. Before either building or using the one provided, get students to plan for how Marty should walk around the course before programming him to go around it without help! Trial and error will be implemented, regularly.

Key vocabulary:
    Script, If statements, Functions, Environment , Obstacles, Repeat/Loops, Interaction,

Content Sections

  • Learning Objectives
    1. Extensions & Challenges
      • Additional Reading
      • 2.05: Obstacle Course Challenge 1

        60 Minutes

        Lesson Overview

        Students will now have a solid understanding of how Marty works, how we can program him and what simple programming concepts can be used to help with this. In this lesson, students will design another obstacle course to get a feel for what kind of environment robots can work in. Before either building or using the one provided, get students to plan for how Marty should walk around the course before programming him to go around it without help! Trial and error will be implemented, regularly.

        Key vocabulary:
          Script, If statements, Functions, Environment , Obstacles, Repeat/Loops, Interaction,
        • Loops are needed; awareness of mazes, in general
        • iPad or Tablet with MartyBlocks
          • Marty the Robot
          • Marty Workbook
          • Tablets
          • Obstacle course mat/layout

        Learning Objectives

        • Take into consideration the kind of obstacles that Marty could tackle based on his size and movement and also the environment that he could react to
        • Use concepts such as if statements, loops and functions to build a program to allow Marty to go around a pre-defined obstacle course
        • Ask students what environments that they think we could use robots in and why. What about Marty? Where do you think we could use him? Why?
        • Recap of concepts if statements and loops
        • Ask students to design their own obstacle course for Marty to go around. Class can then either vote and build their favourite or use the layout provided
        • Breaking up into small groups with a device and a Marty, get students to plan together how Marty should move around the obstacle course and take notes of how they did this and what moves had to be made at certain parts
        • Emphasise estimation as a tool for testing
        • Program Marty to go around the obstacle course without using the remote control or touching him, allow sufficient time for improvement of the parameters

        Extensions & Support

        • Time how long it takes each teams Marty to go around the obstacle course – is anyone faster? How did they program Marty to be faster?
        • Add in some small obstacles to make things more difficult and see if student teams can change the code that they have to tackle this obstacle too

        Additional Reading

        • Educator’s Guide
        • Introduction to Programming with Marty using MartyBlocks

        • Technologies: Craft, Design, Engineering and Graphics
        • Technologies: Computing Science
        • Literacy & English: Listening and Talking
        • Health and Wellbeing: Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Wellbeing
        • Numeracy: Number, Money and Measure
        • Literacy & English: Writing
        • Computing, Design and Technology: Design and Technology
        • Computing, Design and Technology: Computing
        • CSTA Education Standards
        • Elementary Technology Applications: Grade 3 to Grade 5
        • Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Design & Technologies
        • Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Digital Technologies
        • International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)