After years of trial and error, there is a project I come back to in every classroom, after school program, and summer camp: Robot Zoo! Using the Birdbrain Technologies Hummingbird Robotics Kit, I have guided and curated experiences with students to create close to 100 animal robots. I have successfully organized a Robot Petting Zoo at every school I’ve taught, during most of my summers, and even with my friends at home. I’d like to share some of the essentials to the Robot Petting Zoo and share a few tips that might help you try one with your students.
Introduction to Robotics
Have you ever asked your students, “What is a robot?” Well, if you haven't, I recommend you put that class discussion on your to-do list because it’s hilarious every time. Young and 
old, my students have often described robots as human-like things made of metal, machines that do things for you, and George Lucas's 1977 classic "Star Wars" droid references. This is where every robotics unit of any kind has always begun in my classroom.
Once students have expressed their creative ideas about what they think a robot is, I follow up with another question, “What are some examples of robots in your everyday life?” This is where things get really interesting. Kids these days go right to cars and Alexas and phones. However, when I ask them this final question, “What is the room in an average public building with the most robots?” their eyebrows start to raise and their brains really start to think.
Well, what do you think? Any idea what room I’m thinking of? It just happens to be the room that we have invested most of our robotics into is the bathroom! That’s right friends, bathrooms are filled with robots. If you’ve ever used an automatic flushing toilet, you know that when you sit down and do your business. When you stand up, the toilet ACTS by flushing away the stuff you don't want anymore. Turns out, that toilet is a robot. This has every class in an uproar! Nothing like some potty humor, right?
This revelation leads us into some of the real content about what robots really are. Robots do three things, they Sense, Think and Act! The next example helps kids get the idea. I ask kids if they’ve ever been to Target before and walked through the automatic opening doors and pretended to be a Jedi and use the 
force to open the doors? Well, any kid worth their salt will say, “Yes! I’ve done that!” And the final revelation is the reveal that unfortunately it isn't the force that is opening the door. There is a sensor built into the door that sees you coming, thinks about what to do, and then acts by opening the door so you can go to the dollar section and buy things you don't need. In the end of the discussion, anything with a sensor could be considered a robot by this very simple definition.
Hummingbird Robotics Kit
You really could create animal robots with a variety of classroom friendly robotics kits or materials. However, we all have our favorites, and mine is the Birdbrain Technologies Hummingbird Kit. First, Birdbrain technologies has built its success and research on creative robotics. I have yet to be impressed or enthused about any competition based robotics, at least for elementary students. Creative robotics is built on the principle that students can have voice, choice, and identity in the things they create. Second, this kit is designed for classroom, student and teacher use. The Hummingbird Kit gives you an easy to use breakout board for the micro:bit, lights and motors, and several common sensors. Students can code this kit in whatever language works best for you and your school setup. Along with the copious, teacher-friendly resources presented on their website. The goal is then to create projects using crafting supplies and things you’d commonly find in a makerspace or a recycling bin.
No matter what subject I have taught, I would always spend a day or class period doing an introduction to the Hummingbird Kit. I would often put students in pairs, give them a kit with coding cards, and some super basic instruction (like how to plug things in). Then, I let kids code without much formal, explicit instruction. With the coding cards, which are color coded and have visual and text, kids could make lights go on, motors move, and usually sensors interact, without much frontloading. I would roam around the room providing support and tips. This is my favorite way to teach. Forget “sage on the stage,” it’s all about “guide on the side.”
Curriculum Integration
Once students had the basics down, we all knew what a robot is and how to work a Hummingbird, it was time to get to work! I have never been a full time, stand alone computer science teacher. I have taught reading and writing, math and science, general classroom all subjects, all in tested grade levels. I’ve worked in both public and private schools, primarily with elementary students. However, I’ve had plenty of chances to try these things out with middle and high school students too. Unless I was teaching Robot Zoo as an after school or summer program, I couldn't just stop teaching my standards-based, required objectives. 
I have always integrated robotics, coding and CS concepts into my core subjects and curriculum. The number one way that I’ve accomplished this in multiple grade levels and subjects was through an Animal Research Project.
Animal research projects are pretty common across grade levels, curriculums, and standards, all over the country. There are speaking and listening standards for presenting, reading and writing standards for expository texts and informational writing, science standards that work are numerous, and don't even get me started on the math standards that align with CS and coding! There are really a lot of ways to check the boxes, and animal research was a great, all-in-one project.
Here are some specific examples of a Robot Zoo curricular project I’ve tried:
- Animal Adaptations - Students learn about animal adaptations in science, expository writing in writing class, research in library. Put all of those together and now they need to make an animal robot that uses the robotics to give their animal a new adaptation to help it survive more successfully in the wild.
- Combo Animals - Similarly to above, students complete some sort of animal research on more than one animal. Now, challenge them to create an animal robot that combines the best features or adaptations of both of their animals to make a highly adapted species that can survive more successfully in the wild.
- Pokemon - Students learn about biomes, environments, and habitats in science through the lens of Pokemon. Like many video games, Pokemon represents elements of real life in their game design. Students get to play BiomeGo, collecting animals in different biomes, learning about their adaptations that help them to live there, and they make a custom Pokemon card for the animal of their choosing. Their Pokemon card features different special abilities and attacks that are related to this animal's real-life adaptations. Finally, they work in groups to bring their Pokemon to life with an animal robot.
Along with the easy standards alignment and curriculum ties, animal research is often a favorite amongst many grade levels. Kids love animals. This project also leaves room for students to choose the animal they want to learn about and create. I’m sure there are even more ways this project could be more culturally relevant for students or you could integrate it into a variety of subjects.
Authentic Audience
Another key element that has made this project really successful in so many circumstances is some kind of showcase at the end. We know that an authentic audience can bring purpose and meaning to a learning experience for our students. Whether the audience is the 2nd grade buddies, their parents, or their peers, your students’ robot animals deserve to be put on display. In all of the ways I have done Robot Zoo, there is always some kind of showcase of their hard work at the end. Here are some ideas I’ve tried for project sharing:
- Lobby Display: If it is a normal part of your school setup or culture to display artwork, why not display robots! Be sure to add plenty of signage explaining how to interact or how the robots work.
- Parent Showcase: Whether it is a special event, such as the art show or grandparents day, or just the last day of your summer camp, invite families to see what their kids have made. Particularly for after school and summer programs, this also helps parents see what their money went toward.
- Share with Peers: I would often have our “buddy class”, whether it was K or 2 or any younger grade walk through to see student projects. Particularly if your class has a younger buddy class, it gives them an opportunity to feel proud of themselves and a tangible thing to share with younger kids.
One year, I created a 3 day intensive summer camp where students made animal robots to showcase at ISTE in Philadelphia. A student of mine went above and beyond building several mechanisms into her dragon.
If you are inspired to bring project based learning into your classroom, be sure to share with us on social media @CodeJoyEdu on most social platforms.
Expert Tips - Read our Next Blog
Hopefully you’re feeling inspired to try Robot Zoo or integrate some creative physical computing into your classroom! Our next blog will showcase a few expert tips to make this project as successful as possible:
- Cardboard attachments
- Focus class on sensors
- Mechanisms with Hummingbird