Sphero
Sphero
Here is our Google Doc where you can view and/or add helpful tips and tricks from other STEM Brain Booster teachers. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W2z9QQa6PE8E-jz7_MA_368OmTbVDU2Ci0UbmDkEKyQ/edit?usp=sharing Links to an external site.
This is information on the final unit of the STEM Brain Booster curriculum. The STEM Booster curriculum can be found in this Canvas course. The sixth unit covers the application of coding utilizing small circular robots called Sphero Indi for K-2 and Sphero SPRK+ or Bolt (we have both in our schools) for 3-5. Here is a general Sphero Education Guide Links to an external site. to learn more. You might find it helpful to see all of the lessons across the weeks and grade levels and how they fit together.
The following image shows the scope and sequence of the lessons included in Unit 6. Sphero Indi lessons are found in the teacher's manual that comes with the Indi kit. Sphero lessons have been purchased and a lesson manual (Computer Science Foundations: Course 1) should be available at your school. The links provided here will guide you to the lesson online and in the app. To access the online content for the Sphero lessons, you will need the user name and password for your school, which can be found in this document Links to an external site..
+- lessons that are ideal for arts integration, check with Arts Brain Booster at school if available
Resources
Resources needed to teach Spheros are listed below, broken down by grade level and lesson.
Screencasts: Online Access to Sphero Lessons Links to an external site. Creating Class Codes Links to an external site.
Resource List: Sphero Resource List for Sphero Lessons in 3rd-5th grade Links to an external site.
| Grade Level | Week #/Lesson | Lesson Resources Needed |
| K | Week 2/Meet Lesson 2 | Traffic signs or pictures of traffic signs |
| K | Week 5/Directions Lesson 1 | Drawing paper and crayons |
| 1st | Week 1 or 2/Patterns Lesson 1 | Picture book on patterns (optional) |
| 1st | Week 2 or 3/Pattern Lesson 2 | Cone, polydots, or masking tape (a way to mark the floor) |
| 1st | Week 3 or 4/Pattern Lesson 3 | Image or book of nature cycle (day/night, 4 seasons, water cycle, etc.) |
| 1st | Week 4 or 5/Measuring Lesson 1 | Measuring tools (ruler, yardstick, tape measurer) |
| 2nd | Week 5/Sphero Edu Jr. Lesson 4 | Worksheet Link Links to an external site. (works in Safari, not Chrome), PDF Links to an external site. |
| 1st/Bonus | Bonus/Directions Lesson 3 | Book about maps (optional), map (you can create your own), butcher paper, drawing paper, crayons or markers) |
| 2nd/Bonus | Week 6 or Bonus/Measuring Lesson 3 | Drawing paper or graph paper (graph paper may be easier), crayons or markers |
Below are bonus activities and lessons you can use to supplement the end of the year for Sphero and other units. These and other activities can be found on edu.sphero.com Links to an external site. (CSD Docs login required). For time filler activities, you can also make up simple challenges where they have to use block code like "Draw a house, create a maze, draw a circle with green then draw a square in blue."