Arctic Ride

• Review the Arctic Ride lesson in the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App.
• If necessary, pre-teach these related vocabulary words: the Arctic, backward, forward, left, right, and snowmobile.
• Consider the abilities and backgrounds of all your students. Differentiate the lesson to make it accessible to everyone. See the Differentiation section below for suggestions.
• If time allows, plan and facilitate the language arts extension. See the Extension section below for more information.

• Facilitate a quick discussion about following directions to get somewhere, like a playground.
  • Talk with your students about using directional vocabulary, like left, right, forward, and backward.
  • Ask questions, like: How could you explain to a friend how to get to a playground? What words would you use?
• Introduce your students to the story’s main characters and the first challenge: making the snowmobile go.
• Distribute a brick set and a device to each group.

• Have your students use the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App to guide them through their first challenge:
  • Make and try the program that makes the snowmobile go.
• Have your students iterate and test their models to complete the next two challenges in the app:
  • Change the program for Leo’s next trip. Don't forget to make sure he can get home!
• You can find coding support in the Tips section below.

• Gather your students together to reflect on their completed challenges.
• Ask questions, like: Where did Leo go on his next adventure? How did your snowmobile get him there?

• Prompt your students to discuss and reflect on how to describe a sequence.
• Ask questions, like: Why is it important to use words like "left, right, forward, and backward" when giving directions? Why is it important to be able to give directions to a friend?
• Have your students clean up their workstations.

• Ask guiding questions to encourage your students to “think aloud” and explain their thought processes and reasoning in the decisions they've made while building and programming.

Observation Checklist

• Measure your students’ proficiency in describing where the model goes and how they can get there.
• Create a scale that matches your needs. For example:
  1. Needs additional support
  2. Can work independently
  3. Can teach others

Self-Assessment

• Have each student choose the brick that they feel best represents their performance.
  • Yellow: I think I can describe where my model needs to go and how it can get there.
  • Blue: I can describe where my model needs to go and how it can get there.
  • Green: I can describe where my model needs to go and how it can get there, and I can help a friend do it too.

Peer-Feedback

• In their small groups, have your students discuss their experiences working together.
• Encourage them to use statements like these:
  • I liked it when you…
  • I'd like to hear more about how you…

Coding Tip

• After your students complete their first challenge, they'll be provided with a map.
• Your students can use the map and experiment with the available Coding Blocks to modify their programs to follow the route for the trip.

Simplify this lesson by:

• Reading the Arctic Ride story and instructions from the LEGO® Education SPIKE™ App aloud to your students
• Shortening the lesson to only include the first challenge

Increase the difficulty by:

• Creating a map that their peers can use for Leo’s next adventure
• Clicking Show Full Palette in the app to utilize more Coding Blocks

• Have your students participate in a shared research and writing project to create a “how-to” brochure about exploring the Arctic.

If facilitated, this will extend beyond the 45-minute lesson.

Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.7