If you’re looking for ways to engage gifted students in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, consider teaching a lesson or unit on robotics. Robots hold a special fascination for many kids and can be a great way to stimulate their interest in engineering. Although the topic might seem intimidating to teachers without an engineering background, there are plenty of free resources that make it easy to get started.
- The University of Pennsylvania offers a robotics curriculum designed specifically for middle school students.
- The NASA website has more than 20 lesson plans based on robots for students in grades K–12.
- Kids Ahead provides an activity in which students build a robot arm using common materials.
- If your students develop a passion for robots, consider starting a team to compete in FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) robotics competitions!