Move Forward Exercise

Please find a printable PDF of this page HERE.

Task Description

Robot moving length of measuring stick

This task will help to learn about and systematize one of the robot’s simplest functions: driving forward.

There are two additional parts to this exercise, and printable PDFs of student worksheets can be found here:

Materials Needed

  • Pipe Cleaners
  • Measuring sticks/meter sticks
  • Tape to mark exact start and finish
  • EV3 robot in base configuration as per the instruction booklet (no sensors or attachments are needed)

Key Understandings

  • Students will gain experiences with connecting the robot to the iPad (or another device), and downloading and running program.
  • Students will learn how to program the robot to move forward.
  • Students will gain a spatial sense of the proportion of wheel rotations and distance traveled.
  • Students will gain experience using decimal numbers for measurement.

Note for Teachers

  • Different surfaces affect the robot’s driving: try to direct students to an even floor without much friction (carpet is not ideal)
  • This exercise can be used to practice measurement strategies, for instance lining up the measurement stick and  the robot’s wheels  – encourage students to use the robot’s white wheel holder

  • 1 wheel rotation make the robot travel approximately 17.6 cm
  • Decimal numbers are important in this exercise. Having a printout of a number line with decimals available will help students learn to use decimal numbers to program travel distances. Do not worry if you have not taught decimal numbers yet. Students can learn to use them quickly in this lesson.
  • Note: Language is important. Wheel rotations are a count – asking how many wheel rotations in most appropriate. Questions about the robot refer to a distance traveled – asking how far the robot travels is most appropriate

Printable PDFs:

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© 2022 Dr. Krista Francis & Stefan Rothschuh