Resources from Sphero

Check out edu.sphero.com/cwists/category to find Sphero activities for all content areas.

Virginia Computer Science Standards

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/computer-science/index.shtml

Sphero Mini Golf Course: Design

Students love a design challenge!  In this class, students were tasked with designing a mini golf hole that the Sphero could be coded through.  They spent one day researching, planning, and creating their golf hole.  The next day was spent programming their Sphero to complete as many holes as they had time for.
Planning Sheet Linked Here

Sphero Battle Bots: Design

What could be more exciting than combining robots, balloons, and sharp objects?  These middle school students were challenged to design a battle bot by using a paper plate, cup, two kabob sticks, two pipe cleaners, tape and a balloon.  They then battled it out in the Sphero Battle Bot Arena.  You could tell who put a lot of thought into their designs!

7th Grade Math:
Quadrilaterals

These students were learning about the properties of quadrilaterals.  In this Sphero activity, they had to choose a type of quadrilateral and draw it on large paper.  They used the sound codes to have the Sphero speak clues at each turn.  At the end of the activity, we took their papers away and rolled out blank white paper.  We covered the Spheros in washable paint, then let them run their code to draw their chosen quadrilateral.  Other students in the class had to guess which figure was drawn.

7th Grade Science: Creature Features

Classes used the Spheros to code a path in their Creature Feature projects.  Students had to design a biome and make a path for their creature to follow.  It had to have food, predators, source of water, and a habitat.  The students created a cup with the design of their creature.  It had to have special adaptations that helped it survive in its environment.  Students coded the Spheros to control speed, make sound effects, and use special moves.

Triwizard Breakout Challenge

Students in the after school coding club  had a great time completing the Harry Potter themed Breakout.  Each part of the Breakout involved coding the Sphero for a specific task.  The best part is freeing the "underwater prisoner" in the water challenge.  (Special thank you to Jess Stafford at WMMS in Greene County for sharing her Breakout!)

Coding, Light Painting, and Battle Bots

8th Grade students got to check the Spheros out for a week and experiment with different coding projects.  They played with light painting, actual painting, and designed Battle Bots and had a tournament.

Theseus and the Minotaur

After reading Theseus and the Minotaur, students coded their Sphero through a labyrinth to defeat the Menotaur.  Students coded through the path, creatively using colors to represent colorization, and sound effects.

Timeline Activities

Use Spheros to make an engaging activity out of reviewing timeline materials.  These students had to find all the timeline events posted around the library, put them in order, and code a path between them.  They used speed to represent time between events, and colors and sounds effects to tell the story along the way.  Let's just say Paul Revere's Ride got pretty interesting!

Triwizard Cup Sphero Breakout

Students in English Classes had a great time completing the Harry Potter themed Breakout.  Each part of the Breakout involved coding the Sphero for a specific task.  The best part is freeing the "underwater prisoner" in the water challenge.  (Special thank you to Jess Stafford at WMMS in Greene County for sharing her Breakout!)