Robot Maze Lesson Plan

Designing a Robot to Navigate a Maze Title of Lesson: Designing a Robot to Navigate a Maze Date: Fall 2025 Author's Name: Designer and Dr. David Burghardt Grade level: 7/8 Content or Subject Area's: Informed engineering design with computer science and computer control Duration of lesson: 8 days General Objectives: Students will design, construct and program an autonomous mobile robot equipped with distance sensors and rotation servos to navigate through a predetermined maze course, integrating programming logic, sensor data processing, and mechanical engineering principles to create a path-finding robotic system. Learning Outcomes: What knowledge, skills, and strategies do you expect students to gain? (1-4 stated outcomes) After completion of the lessons, students will be able to: (use action verbs) 1. Use the informed engineering design process 2. Apply mechanical engineering principles to design and construct a stable, maneuverable robot platform using rotation servos, wheels, and stabilizing components. 3. Program sensor-based navigation systems using conditional logic, distance sensor data, and servo motor control to enable autonomous obstacle avoidance and path planning. 4. Design, build, and test an autonomous navigation system that integrates hardware construction, sensor programming, and algorithmic thinking to solve complex spatial navigation challenges. State Standards: (NY Computer Science & Digital Fluency Standards) End of Grade 8: 7-8.CT.4: Write a program using functions or procedures whose names or other documentation convey their purpose within the larger task 7-8.CT.6: Design, compare and refine algorithms for a specific task or within a program 7-8.CT.8: Develop or remix a program that eectively combines one or more control structures for creative expression or to solve a problem 7-8.CT.9: Read and interpret code to predict the outcome of various programs that involve conditionals and repetition for the purposes of debugging 7-8.NSD.2: Design a project that combines hardware and software components