Real World Computer Game

Activity developed by Western Downs Libraries

Details

Age group	Year 3 to Year 7 (ages 8 to 12)
Method	Individually or Small groups (2 children)
Participant to facilitator ratio	6:1
Duration	50 mins - 1 hr 5 mins

Aim/Key Learning

Drive a Sphero to navigate over an obstacle course.

Develop critical thinking and problem solving skills

Prediction skills

Preparation and Materials Required

Sphero and iPad (with the Sphero Drive app installed) per individual or group

Ensure that each Sphero is paired to an iPad and charged

Floor space of at least 4m x 4m

Obstacles such as witches hats

Materials to build ramps and walls such as cardboard and masking tape

Activity Steps

1. Construction of the Course

Time: 5-20 mins

If this step is to be done as a group, perform it after the Introduction step
Design the obstacle course either yourself or as a group as part of the activity. The time allocated will be dependant on the size of the course and if materials need to be constructed. When designing the course, keep in mind that all Spheros will be run simultaneously!

2. Introduction

Time: 10 mins
Introduce yourself, participants introduce themselves, cover any housekeeping. Cover basic group rules such as working together, being respectful and taking turns. Explain the aim of the workshop ('Today we are going design an obstacle course and using the Sphero Drive app on the iPads navigate through the course to the end').

Show the participants how to drive the Sphero and face the Sphero the right way. Conduct a Brief demonstration of the Sphero navigating through the course (However don't complete it!)

3. Practice

Time: 10 mins
Distribute the Spheros and iPads and have the participants take turns in driving the Sphero around and outside the course. If working in groups, some participants could be part of the course as obstacles.

4. Race

Time: 20 mins
The race now begins. Ask participants to line up their Spheros at the start line and race through the course. It will be chaotic! If working in groups, if a Sphero falls off a ramp of goes out of bounds, they are to swap control.

Another way to share control is to do a relay race where the first participant has to reach a 'swap' point and hand control to the other participant to complete the remainder of the course.

5. Evaluation and Closing

Time: 5 mins
At the end of the session, ask for volunteers to share their learnings or how they found the session. Thank everyone for their participation and team work.

Loanable Kits

State Library has kits of this item available for loan to libraries within the Regional Libraries Queensland and Indigenous Knowledge Centres network. Libraries can place a reservation through the Aurora catalogue (availability is subject to existing reservations, loans and associated return dates).

The kits are for use by patrons within the library only, as part of supervised library programming. They will not be listed in the public online catalogue for personal reservation.

Please contact Access Services, or phone 07 3842 9014 with any queries.

Loanable Kits

State Library does not have kits of this item available for loan to libraries.