Lesson: EV3 - Moving with Linkages

Overview: 
This unit was originally designed to get students to explore the idea of locomotion. It was called “Move Without Wheels” and was based on a unit from LEGO’s Engineering and Design pack for EV3. The result I got from students was a lot of robots that used LEGO pieces to mimic wheels without actually using any. After a few attempts of even more narrowly defining what students were allowed to use, I went in another direction. I looked at all the robots on youtube that moved in the way I wanted my students’ robots to and saw that most of them utilized some sort of linkage. So I decided to start there and by teaching and requiring the use of linkages, I avoided the attempts to make a wheel that wasn’t a wheel. The current unit requires students to build a robot that uses linkages to move in a straight line for a minimum of two feet.
Objectives: 

Students will be able to:

1. Define animal locomotion and mechanical linkage

2. Build several linkages both attached and unattached to motors by following diagrams/directions

3. Design and build a robot that uses linkages to move

Instruction Guide: 
Primary Instructional Material: 
Differentiated Instruction Material: Extended: 
Differentiated Instruction Material: Supplemental: 
Formative Assessment: 
Summative Assessment: 
Education Level: 
Middle School
High School
Scope & Sequence: 
Engineering
Focus Subject: 
Engineering
Robotics Hardware
Technology
HW Platform: 
EV3
SW Platform: 
Any
Interactivity Style: 
Mixed