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Weeks 24-25: Dash Robot Friends

Unit Overview
Grade Level Kindergarten
Duration 2 sessions × 25 minutes
Lesson Type Multi-Week Unit
STREAM Focus T (Technology), R (Religion), M (Math)

Weeks 24-25: Dash Robot Friends

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Use Blockly Jr. (or Path) to program Dash to move 2. Make Dash complete a simple task 3. Understand that robots follow instructions exactly 4. Debug simple programs (find what's wrong)

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Connect programming to caring for others 2. Understand that we can use technology to spread kindness 3. Practice patience when coding doesn't work the first time

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Love in Action — When we program robots to do good things, we're putting love into action. Technology can help us be kind, deliver messages, and help others.

Scripture Connection

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." — 1 John 3:18

Wonder Question

"Have you ever wondered how robots can help people? Some robots deliver medicine in hospitals, some help people who can't walk, and some help keep buildings clean!"

📚 Materials and Preparation

Materials Needed

Item Quantity Source
Dash Robots 1 per 3-4 students CSCOE Checkout
iPads with Blockly Jr. or Path app 1 per group School inventory
Clear floor space Large area Classroom
Target cards/destinations 5-6 Teacher-made
"Kindness Delivery" cards Several Teacher-made

CSCOE Reservation

Reserve Dash robots 2 weeks before this lesson!

Teacher Preparation

  • Reserve Dash robots from CSCOE

  • Charge Dash robots night before

  • Test Blockly Jr. app on iPads

  • Create destination spots (pictures of people to visit)

  • Practice coding Dash yourself

📝 Week 24: Meet Dash

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer & Introduction 4 min Meet Dash
Demonstration 6 min How to control Dash
Exploration 12 min Try coding Dash
Closing 3 min What did we learn?

1. Opening Prayer & Introduction (4 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, thank you for creative minds that can make robots. Help us learn to use technology to do good things and help others. Amen."

Meet Dash:

"Meet Dash! Dash is a friendly robot. Dash can move, make sounds, and light up. But Dash can only do what WE tell it to do!"

Show Dash's features:

  • Head moves and looks around

  • Lights change colors

  • Wheels let Dash drive

Compare to Sphero:

"Remember Sphero? Dash is different — Dash has a head and can make sounds!"

2. Demonstration (6 minutes)

Show Blockly Jr. (or Path app):

"We use this app to tell Dash what to do."

Demonstrate basic commands: 1. Drive Forward — Drag the forward block 2. Turn — Add a turn block 3. Make a Sound — Add a sound block 4. Press Play — Watch Dash do it!

Show what happens:

"Watch — I'll tell Dash to go forward, turn, and say hello!"

Run the simple program.

Point out:

"Dash did EXACTLY what I told it — nothing more, nothing less. If I want Dash to do something different, I have to change the code!"

3. Exploration Time (12 minutes)

Divide into groups (3-4 students per Dash).

Simple challenge:

"Can you make Dash move forward and make a sound?"

Rotation within groups:

  • Take turns being the "coder"

  • Others can help and suggest

Teacher circulates:

  • "What are you trying to make Dash do?"

  • "What block do you need?"

  • "What happened? Is that what you expected?"

Troubleshooting:

  • Not moving? Check connection

  • Wrong direction? Check which way Dash is facing

  • Didn't do enough? Add more blocks

4. Closing (3 minutes)

Gather together.

Discussion:

  • "What could you make Dash do?"

  • "Was anything tricky?"

  • "Did Dash always do what you expected?"

Preview:

"Next week, Dash is going to deliver kindness messages!"

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for helping us learn to code. Help us use technology to do good things. Amen."

📝 Week 25: Kindness Delivery

⏱️ Timing Guide (25 minutes)

Section Time Activity
Opening Prayer 2 min Prayer for kindness
Kindness Challenge 5 min Set up the mission
Coding & Delivery 15 min Program Dash to deliver
Celebration 3 min Reflection

1. Opening Prayer (2 minutes)

Prayer:

"Dear God, help us to be kind today. Show us how to use Dash to spread Your love. Amen."

2. Kindness Challenge Setup (5 minutes)

Set the scene:

"Today, Dash has an important job — to deliver kindness messages!"

Set up destinations: Place pictures around the room:

  • Teacher's desk (message for teacher)

  • A friend's spot (message for friend)

  • Classroom helper spot (thank you message)

Show kindness cards:

"These cards have kind messages. Dash will carry them to the people who need them!"

Challenge:

"Program Dash to go from HERE to one of these people and deliver a kind message!"

3. Coding & Delivery (15 minutes)

Groups work on programming: 1. Attach/place kindness card on Dash 2. Figure out which way Dash needs to go 3. Code the movements 4. Test and adjust 5. Deliver the message!

Celebrate deliveries: When a group successfully delivers, the class celebrates!

Challenges to try:

  • Deliver to one person

  • Return to start after delivering

  • Deliver to multiple people

Teacher support:

  • "How many forward moves do you need?"

  • "Does Dash need to turn?"

  • "What went wrong? How can we fix it?"

4. Celebration (3 minutes)

Gather together.

Reflection:

  • "How did it feel to deliver a kind message?"

  • "What was hardest about coding Dash?"

  • "How else could robots help people?"

Faith Connection:

"God calls us to love others. Today, we used technology to share kindness! That's how we can use our learning to do good in the world."

Closing Prayer:

"Thank you, God, for Dash and for helping us code. Thank you that we can use technology to be kind. Help us to always look for ways to help others. Amen."

✅ Assessment

Observation Checklist

Skill Week 24 Week 25
Can connect Dash to app ☐ ☐
Adds blocks to program ☐ ☐
Runs program successfully ☐ ☐
Adjusts code when needed ☐ ☐
Works cooperatively in group ☐ ☐
Connects technology to kindness ☐ ☐

Success Criteria

  • Student successfully programs Dash to move

  • Student participates in group coding

  • Student can explain what their code tells Dash to do

🔄 Differentiation

For Students Who Need Support

  • Pre-loaded simple program to modify

  • Hand-over-hand block placement

  • Focus on one simple action (forward only)

  • Adult helper in group

For Advanced Learners

  • Add sounds and lights to program

  • Create longer sequences

  • Try to make Dash draw a shape path

  • Help other groups debug

🆘 Substitute Teacher Notes

If Dash isn't working: 1. Use Spheros instead (similar experience) 2. Do "Human Robot" game — one student gives directions, another follows exactly 3. Paper coding activity — draw the path, then walk it

Key message:

"Robots only do what we tell them. We can use them to help people!"

📖 Vocabulary

Word Definition Visual Cue
Program Instructions that tell a robot what to do Block sequence
Code The instructions written for a computer/robot Text or blocks
Debug To find and fix mistakes in a program Magnifying glass
Sequence The order of steps 1, 2, 3
Command One instruction for the robot Single block

📎 Home Connection

Family Note:

"We used Dash robots in STREAM! Your child learned to program Dash to move and deliver kindness messages. We talked about how technology can be used to help others. At home, play 'Human Robot' — give your child exact directions (take 3 steps forward, turn right) and see if they can follow precisely. Then switch roles!"

Lesson Version: 1.1
Last Updated: 2025-12-05