Okay, robots are amazingly cool all by themselves. They’re shiny, they’re powerful, and they’re just a little bit like us. Without a doubt, they’re a great gateway to STEM learning, but they can also an amazing source of big questions and great discussion.
For all the little fanatics out there (and for those who are just starting to learn about them), here are some suggestions for robot-themed activities:
- Grab a piece of poster paper and make a list of rules for robot behaviour. How should a robot act? What do we want them to do, and what do we not want them to do? Could the same set of rules apply to humans?
- Find a partner and act out an interview with a robot. Have the interviewer ask the robot about their daily routine, and their observations about the world around them. Do you think robots have thoughts and feelings to express?
- Learn about binary code, the language that robots (and computers) speak. Is it the same as the languages that human speak? If programmers use binary to give robots instructions, what do humans use language for?
- Play robot dress up! Imagine what it would be like if you could replace human body parts with robotic ones. Which parts could you replace, and still feel like yourself? Could a robot become human if it had human parts installed?
Believe it or not, humans have been imagining robots for more than two millennia. Why not use them as inspiration for some amazing dialogue with your little thinker?
