SPIKE™ Prime Set

What is this?

Define, customize, and communicate the use of a new “thing.”

30-45 min.
Beginner
Grades 6-8
lesson-header

Lesson Plan

1. Prepare

  • Read through the student material in the LEGO® Education SPIKE App.
  • If you feel it's needed, plan a lesson using the getting started material in the app. This will help familiarize your students with LEGO® Education SPIKE Prime.

2. Engage (3 Min.)

  • Use the ideas in the Ignite a Discussion section below to engage your students in a discussion related to this lesson.
  • Use the video to explain the lesson.

3. Explore (12 Min.)

  • Have your students work in pairs to build “the thing."
  • Ask them to play the program to get an idea of how it works.

4. Explain (10 Min.)

  • Give your students some time to come up with a purpose for "the thing."
  • Have them make changes to the model or program so that "the thing" fulfills its purpose.
  • Make sure they can explain their thinking.

5. Elaborate (15 Min.)

  • Have the teams take turns presenting their version of "the thing."
  • Make sure they clearly communicate why it's so cool.
  • Don't forget to leave some time for cleanup.

6. Evaluate

  • Give feedback on each student's performance.
  • You can use the assessment rubrics provided to simplify the process.

Ignite a Discussion

Have a discussion about the different ways ideas can be communicated.

  • What's an argument?
  • What's proof?
  • What's a fallacy?

Have your students watch this video to see what they're about to do.

lesson-header

Building Tips

An Interesting Contraption
This "thing" uses a motor to rotate something from one side to the other. It's up to your students to figure out what it is and how to use it!

teacher-thing

Add Functions
You can easily add sensors to diversify this lesson:

  • Use a Force Sensor to start or stop the movement of "the thing."
  • Use a Distance Sensor to detect movement and activate "the thing's" movement.
teacher-more-build

Coding Tips

Main Program

SPIKE Extra resources What is this Step03-Program - en-us

Differentiation

Simplify this lesson by:

  • Assigning an area of focus (e.g., a specific environment or a toy). This will provide context and hone your students' thought processes.

Take this lesson to the next level by:

  • Asking each team to include at least one sensor in their final model. Let them choose the sensor.
  • Using this lesson twice in a row, with the constraint that your students can't use any ideas from the previous class.
  • Incorporating the language arts extension.

Assessment Opportunities

Teacher Observation Checklist
Create a scale that matches your needs, for example:

  1. Partially accomplished
  2. Fully accomplished
  3. Overachieved

Use the following success criteria to evaluate your students' progress:

  • Students can describe the function of an object.
  • Students can describe the benefit of an object's features against needs.
  • Students can construct effective arguments.

Self-Assessment
Have each student choose the brick that they feel best represents their performance.

  • Blue: I can describe how things work.
  • Yellow: I can describe in detail how things work and I can highlight what it's good at.
  • Violet: I can convince someone that I've invented the coolest thing in the world.

Peer-Assessment
Encourage your students to provide feedback to others by:

  • Having one student score the performance of another using the colored brick scale above.
  • Asking them to present constructive feedback to each other so that they can improve their group's performance during the next lesson.
student-06

Language Arts Extension

To incorporate language arts skills development:

  • Organize a school-wide "thing fair" where each team has to effectively communicate their ideas in front of a diverse audience. Find the best "thing" in your school!
  • Organize a “promote your idea” contest. Have some students play the role of entrepreneurs and others play the role of sponsors. Then switch roles.

Note: This will make for a longer lesson.

Students who enjoyed this lesson might be interested in exploring these career pathways:

  • Business and Finance (Entrepreneurship)
  • Education and Training (Teaching)
  • Media and Communication Arts (Broadcast Technology)

Teacher Support

Students will:

  • Develop communication skills and put them into practice

NGSS
MS-ETS1-1
Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

MS-ETS1-2
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Common Core
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.4
Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Student Material

Student Worksheet

Download, view, or share as an online HTML page or a printable PDF.