Technology

Teaching Unit: Control and Robotics

4th Course of Secondary Education

Ismael Orqun Serrano

Lesson planning CLIL Unit Control and robotics 4th ESO

Justification

The curricular elements which must guide the teaching of the subject Technology insecondary school are suggested in the decree 112/2007 in the Valencian Community.According to that, contents are divided into blocks in order to group them by topics. One ofthose blocks is entitled Control and Robotics and it appears in the third and fourth coursesof secondary education. So one or more didactic units dealing with Control and Roboticsmust be given in both years mentioned. This topic is highly related to another entitledElectricity and Electronics, especially in the fourth course of secondary education sincesometimes both contents are needed in order to solve some exercises. That is why thedidactic units related to electricity and electronics should already be given when explainingthis didactic unit on Control and Robotics.

This teaching unit will deal with automatic and control systems, explaining its basicelements such as sensors, controllers or actuators as well as its application to theconstruction of a little robot which will be a line or light follower.

Context and students

The secondary school IES Juan de Garay, located in Valencia, is part of thePlurilingual Schools Net of the Valencian Community since the course 2013-14. That yearTechnology was one of the Departments which decided to take part in the programme.Technology in first course of secondary education was taught in English then. Technologyin the third course was incorporated to the plurilingual programme in the course 2014-15and it is expected to incorporate the same subject in the fourth course of secondaryeducation the next year 2015-16. That means the students will have a certain backgroundin CLIL since the will have studied third course of Technology in English, at least. I say atleast because the plurilingual programme usually incorporates more than one department.From the course 2016-17 on, the students of fourth year of secondary education will havehad more contact with CLIL since they will have been the students who started with theprogramme in 2013-14 in their first course of secondary education, and thus, have been ina CLIL context during all their secondary education studies, which last four years.According to this a level of English of B1 according to the european framework ofreference is expected from the students.

Time needed

Legislative texts state that an annual course lasts 178 working days in secondaryschool. That means 35,6 working weeks. That is almost 12 weeks per trimester, let's take11 weeks per trimester since extracurricular activities may take some of our class time.The subject of Technology is organized through the combination of theoretical andpractical classes, usually taking both the same time, more or less. This means we havearound 5 weeks of more procedural classes, focused on making things in the lab such aselectronic circuits or mechanical devices, and other 6 weeks for working with moretheoretical contents. Three units are usually taught per trimester, so the teacher shouldplan 2 weeks time for teaching each unit. Having 3 sessions per week, that is a total of 6classes to deal with the most theoretical part of the unit. One could think of having up toother 6 classes more for the most practical contents which will be taught through labpractice for that unit.

Aims of the unit

Upon request, students will identify different types of automated systems. Students will explain what an automated system is. Students will describe which elements form a control system. Students will distinguish between different types of control systems. Students will give at least two different sensors for measuring any of the

magnitudes studied in the lesson (temperature, position and pressure). Students will explain how some mechanical actuators work (at least two of them). Students will explain how some electronic devices used in closed loop control

systems work. Students will write a simple code into a programming language after having written

the algorithm in two ways: first in a command line mode, and second in a flow chartmode.

Students will explain which the differences among automated systems and robotsare.

Students will decide which sensors and other control elements are necessary toautomate a given process.

Students will design an electronic circuit to control some magnitude in a littlephysical model.

Students will design a mechanical device for transmitting movement from a motor toan output mechanical device.

vocabulary needed: robot, thermal expansion, program, commands, microcontroller,milestone, effort, load, feedback, motor, automate, irrigation, moisture, infraredradiation, mercury, platinum, pinpoint, touchscreen, gauge, scale, tyre, carbonmonoxide, electromechanical, coil, positive pole, built-in, peripherical devices,programming language, bit, fern, variable,motorway, square root, scrollbar,checkbox, listbox, defuse, miniature, microcontroller, cam, limit switches, relays,controller, actuator, sensor.

Grammar needed: conditionals, passive voice, relative pronouns, relative clauses,phrasal verbs, quantifiers.

Learning outcomes

to review the elements of an automatic system. To understand the function of control systems to be able to follow a guided plan to make a printed circuit board for a little robot. To understand and analyze the behavior of a control circuit of a robot. To make a line follower robot according to the guideline suggested by the teacher. To be able to write simple programs under Scratch environment or similar to control

the little robot. To be able to decide which pressure, temperature or position sensors are needed in

certain applications.

Language support

Scaffolding is needed for introducing the students the new vocabulary and newconcepts. Different activities are planned in order to facilitate the learning process,such as crosswords, glossaries, listening activities etc, which will be describedbelow. Students will also be given a sheet with kind of a summary of what grammar

is important as well as which are the main structures they are using during the studyof the unit.

Methodology

Lesson outline: the first class will be an introductory motivating class. We will see a video of

tiny robots dancing(http://www.ted.com/talks/bruno_maisonnier_dance_tiny_robots). After watchingthis video, the whole class will have a debate about how many differentthings robots can do. This will take about 20 minutes, 5 to see the video and15 of discussion. This is a reflection activity for the whole class for them toget used to speaking loud in English. Here it can be discussed some culturalissues such as which will be the role of robots in the near and far future, forexample. Other reflection activity related to cultural aspects would be thedebate about this question: Would robots do the same things in all countries?How much does it depend on the economy or the culture of each country?The second part of the class, the teacher will write down on the blackboardwhich are the learning outcomes of the unit at the same time the timing of theactivities and scoring criteria for that unit are explained.

In the second class, students will be asked about their prior knowledge onthe topic since they are expected to have studied Control and robotics andelectronics the year before. They will do a quiz by means of the computer inpairs in order to foster the communicative competence. The teacher will bemoving around the class to see how it is the peer interaction. The quiz will beshared by a local area network for the students access to the file located atthe teacher's computer. In order to consolidate more the vocabulary that willbe used in the lesson, they will work on some group activities using Quizlet.The exercises can be found at https://quizlet.com/78365308/robotics-flash-cards/These Quizlet activities are low order thinking, but pave the way for theknowledge construction they are about to face along this unit. They will begiven a glossary summarizing the main concepts they are going to study inthis unit. This material can be understood as necessary scaffolding for themto have it always in mind during the classes, so they can see it wheneverneeded, during an activity or a conversation. This way the understand stepby step each concept. This is an activity that focus in language of learning,i.e., the specific vocabulary they need to know in order to master the contentof the unit.

The third session will show three different diagrams of closed loop controlsystems to the whole class. First a general picture of what it is and then twoexamples. The general picture will be explained by the teacher and studentswill be asked to complete the blanks for the next two examples. After havingfinished the exercise, students will be asked to point out similarities anddifferences between the elements of the two examples, to encourage higherorder thinking skills. They will be given a sheet with some questions andexpressions they should use in order to ask about similarities anddifferences. This way, they work language for learning, practicing the waythey must interact with others in order to acquire knowledge. Moreover, thesediagram activities are necessary to offer a wider range of activities for thosestudents who don't understand so easy the definitions because they are morevisual understanding. Then some videos on different kind of sensors will beshown and the teacher will dictate some important definitions. This dictation

will provide scaffolding regarding phonetics, pronunciation, and intonation. The fourth and fifth session will deal with a Clilstore unit of robotics. The unit

can be found at http://multidict.net/wlcs/?navsize=1&sl=en&url=http://multidict.net/clilstore/page.php?id=2865 . The firstsession working with this unit we will see the video (which lasts six minutes).After that, fifteen minutes will be given for the students to read carefully thetranscription and use Multidict to search for any word they don't understand.They will be encouraged to see the video as many times as needed in orderto get used to the pronunciation. The teacher will highlight certain words tostudy their spelling and pronunciation. During the second session workingwith the clilstore unit, they will be asked to read at home the optional materiallocated at the first two links, dealing with how to do robots, and an extra markwill be assigned to those students who explain to the whole class what theyhave learned by reading those materials. They will also be asked to solve acrossword online related to the glossary they already have from the secondclass. They should have studied the glossary in order to attempt to solve thecrossword.

The sixth session will be used to do an exam of all the contents.

Lab sessions: The main goal of these 6 lab sessions is making a simple robot with Arduino

and its graphical programming environment Ardublock. So, the first class willbe dedicated to present what is Arduino and what is Ardublock. Students willsee an introductory video about Arduino (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqrQmQqpHXc) and they will be given a cheat sheet that summarizes themain commands to program in the arduino environment, just for them tounderstand how it is normally programmed. However they will not programArduino using its developing environment, but using a simpler tool calledArdublock. To understand what it is, they will see an introductory video toArdublock (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICMIOl4T7Lo). The last part ofthe class the teacher will give some Arduinos to the students for them tofamiliarize with all what they have been told.

In the second class the students will be grouped in pairs. Each pair will begiven an Arduino board and some information about what they have to do.First, some graphical information about what Arduino is and how it works(they must remember some things from the last class) and then some veryeasy circuits they must do working with some of the sensors they have beenstudying. The first circuit will consist of connecting a photoresistor to theArduino and display its value on the computer. They will work both with thecircuit and the Ardublock environment at the same time. Whenever they areworking in groups they work language through learning, which are the termsor expressions they need to communicate with their peers in this specificcontext and they may not know yet.

The third class they will have to connect a temperature sensor to Arduino(LM35) in a more similar way in which they did the last circuit. When finished,they will connect an infrared sensor to Arduino.

The fourth class will consist of doing a control circuit for managing twomotors.

The fifth and sixth class they will have to put it all together (they shouldn'thave detached the circuits already done in previous classes) in order to do alittle robot that follows a light, for example. They will be assessed in the lastclass.

It is important to group in pairs for making sure they are speaking all the time. Ifgrouped in fours, they may be just listening and there may be some shy people whowouldn't even speak a word.

Materials

Video Session 1 http://www.ted.com/talks/bruno_maisonnier_dance_tiny_robots Quiz, session 2 file:///C:/Users/Ismael/Documents/test_session_2.htm Quizlet activities, session 2 https://quizlet.com/78365308/robotics-flash-cards/ Images session 3

CLILSTORE didactic unit, sessions 4 and 5 http://multidict.net/wlcs/?navsize=1&sl=en&url=http://multidict.net/clilstore/page.php?id=2865

GLOSSARY session 4

GLOSSARY ROBOTICS AND CONTROL SYSTEMS

robot: intelligent automated machine that can be programmed to do various tasks and canperceive the environment through the use of sensors.

Control system: is a set of interconnected elements that can be used to automate amachine or process.

Sensor: it is a device that detects information and measures physical parameters such astemperature or humidity.

Controller: it is a device, mostly an electronic circuit, that activates or does not activatethe actuator depending on the information provided by the sensor.

Actuator: it is a device that carries out the action for which the automatic system has beendesigned.

Bimetallic strips: they measure temperature based on the expansion of two metal strips.The two strips are of the same length but made of two different metals, so they expand bydifferent amounts.

RTDs: they are resistive thermal devices and measure temperature based on thevariations in the resistance of metals when the temperature changes. Platinum RTDs canbe used to measure temperatures of up to 600C.

Thermistors: they measure temperature based on the variations in the resistance of asemiconductor when the temperature changes. There are two types: PTC and NTCdepending on whether there happens an increase or decrease of resistance whentemperature increases.

Thermocouples: they are devices consisting of two different metals that produce avoltage proportional to the temperature being measured, between either end of the twometals.

Program (vb): create or prepare a computer program that gives instructions for actions tobe carried out.

Commands: data that a processor interprets and executes.

Microcontroller: miniature computer included in an integrated circuit.

Feedback: the process of sharing information to check that system is working correctly.

Motor: a machine that uses a power supply to generate movement.

Automate: make a device, process or system work automatically.

Infrared radiation: radiation in the light spectrum with a wavelength longer than visiblelight, but shorter than microwaves.

Touchscreen: a special screen on a computer or phone that the user touches in order toselect or input data.

Electromechanical: relating to a mechanical device which is electrically operated orcontrolled.

Built-in: already installed.

Peripherical devices: external units or devices in a computer system that can be used fordata input or output.

Programming language: technical language used to write computers, which tells thecomputer directly what operations to execute.

Bit: binary digit; a unit of information expressed as either 0 or 1.

fern: non-flowering plant found mainly in warm, moist areas.

Variable (n.): data structure whose content can change while a program is beingexecuted.

Scrollbar: element in a user interface consisting of a moveable horizontal or vertical bar,usually at the top, bottom or side of a window or box.

Checkbox: dialog box used to activate or deactivate an option.

Listbox: a graphic symbol used to select one or several objects from a list.

Defuse: remove the fuse from an explosive device to stop it exploding.

Miniature: of a much smaller size than normal.

Pulley: wheel with a groove around it into which a rope, chain or belt fits, used to transmitmotion in machines and mechanisms.

Counterweight: weight used to balance another weight.

Doorway: space in a wall occupied by a door.

Pause (vb.): interrupt an action or activity for a brief period of time.

Crossword session 5 file:///C:/Users/Ismael/Documents/robotics_crossword.html Exam session 6

EXAM CONTROL AND ROBOTICSNAME and SURNAME:

1.- Write down the definitions of the words given: (2,5 pts)

robot:

control system:

2.- Explain two examples of automated systems that can be seen on everyday life. (1,5pts)

3.- If the light of the bathroom has a switch for turning it on and it turns off automaticallyafter 40 seconds, what kind of control system it is? Explain why. (1,5 pts)

4.- Say which of the next control systems are open-loop and closed-loop: (1,5 pts)

SYSTEM TYPE OF CONTROLHeating controlled by timeAutomatic filling of a tank with level sensorsto start or stop the pump.Program a recording at TVFilling a tank with a temporized faucetAutomated system for stamping mail

5.- Say which kind of sensors can be used by the next robots: (1,5 pts)

ROBOT SENSORIt doesn't fall from a tableIt follows lightIt follows a black lineIt doesn't fall from a high roadIt doesn't touch white walls

6.- Complete the next figure, where some elements have been erased. (1,5 pts)

Video arduino, lab session 1 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqrQmQqpHXc)

Video ardublock, lab session 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICMIOl4T7Lo Image Arduino UNO, lab session 2

Image circuit sensor IR, lab session 3

Image circuit LM35 sensor of temperature, lab session 3

Image circuit photoresistor lab session 2

Image circuit DC motor, lab session 4

Assessment

The assessment procedure will be formative, since the final goal of the assessmentis making sure that certain skills and learning outcomes haven been acquired by thestudent and also summative, this is it will take into account several marks from verydifferent assessment activities.

In the lesson plan it can be seen that there is a diverse way of assessing thestudents work:

There is written assessment in the exam, where mostly short response is required,allowing both the assessment of low order thinking and high order thinking activitiesaccording to Bloom's taxonomy. For example, exercises 1 and 2 require justremembering concepts (LOT activity) but exercise 4 requires analysing controlsystems and exercise 5 requires certain synthesis capability in order to give acorrect response, which are HOT activities.

Performance assessment is employed using an oral exposition for an optional workfor those who have read an extra material and then they want to explain it to thewhole class.

Observation is also very important, mostly in those activities which are learner-centered, this is, those task-based activities where the teacher only assumes therole of guiding them or supervising the work. It happens mostly in the lab practicebut also in some activities along the most theoretical classes, such as thoseactivities related to the use of Quizlet tool.

The lab practice assessment will also take into account a self-peer assessment,asking the students how the group has been working and which difficulties theyhave found while working in group.

Regarding the scoring criteria, 40% of the final mark will be given to the written

exam, 40% will be given to the lab work and 20 % will be given to the attitude. A minimummark of 3,5 over 10 will be necessary for both parts (exam and lab practice) for taking intoaccount the rest of the marks and obtaining the weighted average explained above. Thisway we make sure that all of our students have a minimum performance level in boththeoretical and practical knowledge. The lab work will be calculated according to specificrubrics. The attitude will be assessed using a rating scale that takes into account theattendance, the participation in class, correct answering after general questions to thegroup and the cooperation attitude in the lab between peers.

The procedural rubric to assess the lab practice will be this:

Excellent (8-10)

Very good (6-8)

Good (5-6) Not good (3-5) Very bad (0-3)

Completion(0,4)

Everything isdone.

3 out of 4circuits aredone with itscorrespondingprogrammingcodes.

Half of hecircuits aredone with itscorrespondingcodes, or justall the circuitsbut no codeprogrammed.

Just one circuitdone or morecircuits but noprogrammingcodes.

No circuit iscompleted andno code isworking,although itmay be somework.

Performanceandexplanation tothe teacher(0,4)

Everythingworks fine.Explanationhas nomistakes.

Everythingworks but thereis some non-critical mistakein the circuitsor in theprograms.Explanation isfine, with littlemistakes.

There aremistakes thatare non-critical, so themainbehaviour iscorrect.Explanation isvery brief butcorrect.

The function ofthe circuitsdon't work orthe programshave manymistakes.Explanationhas mistakesand can bemisunderstoodby a personwho is notfamiliar withthe project.

None of thecircuits workand/or none ofthe programswork. There isno explanationor very looseexplanation esgiven. Manymistakes andno fluency inthe oralexplanation.

Group work(0,2)

Coordination,cooperation,communicationandparticipationhas beenperfect aseveryone in thegroup states.

Although therehas been somecoordinationmistakes, workhas beenpossible. Somecommunicationissues shouldbe fixed.

Everyone hasworked wellbut there hasbeen no muchcoordination soit was more anindividual thana group task.Communication was fine.

Somecomponents ofthe groupdidn't do theirjob or groupcoordinationcan not beappreciated inthe work.

There has beenbig problemsamong thecomponents ofthe group andthere has beennocoordination.

Finally just say that Bloom's taxonomy will be taken into account when demandingto the students activities which have been practiced in class. This is, if have workedactivities up to the synthesis level (5th out of six levels in Bloom's taxonomy) that is themost which may be assessed. It can not be required to the student activities which may fallunder the highest levels of Bloom's taxonomy if they have not been practiced at class.