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Robots & Sensors

Seventh graders learn how robots sense the world. Sensors — for light, touch, distance, and sound — turn the real world into data a program can act on. They explore each sensor, then plan a sense-think-act behavior.

Grade 7Robots & Sensors50 minutes1 class periodCSTA / ISTEExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name common sensors.
  • ✓Explain sense → think → act.
  • ✓Match a sensor to a task.
  • ✓Plan a robot behavior.
Essential Question

How does a robot sense the world and decide what to do?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

The Sensor Explorer

Project this and tap each. Have students explore what each sensor measures.

🤖 Explore robot sensors — tap eachTry it

The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — How Does It Know?

6 min

How does a robot vacuum avoid falling down the stairs?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a robot reacting.
  • Ask how it “sees.”
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Sensors

12 min

Students use the idea.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to the Sensor Explorer.
  • Tap each sensor.
  • Note sense → think → act.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tap each.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Pick a Sensor

13 min

Students modify.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Match a sensor to a task.
  • Change the task; pick a new sensor.
  • Explain the choice.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Match.
  • Swap.
  • Explain.
4

Create — Plan a Behavior

13 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a goal (avoid a wall).
  • Choose a sensor.
  • Write sense → if → act.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Choose.
  • Write.
5

Reflect — Reflect

6 min

Students close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name a sensor & its job.
  • Say what sensors give the program.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name one.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and the ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
2-CS-02

Combine hardware and software to collect and exchange data.

CSTA
2-CS-01

Recommend hardware/software for a task.

CSTA
2-AP-10

Use flowcharts/pseudocode to plan behavior.

ISTE
5 Computational Thinker

Use data from the world to build solutions.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Sensor picture cards.
  • Frame: “sense ___, then ___.”
  • Act out a sensor.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with touch & distance.
  • One sensor at a time.
  • Use pictures.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Combine two sensors.
  • Add a condition (if/then).
  • Design a line-follower.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤖Sensor cards
  • 💻The Sensor Explorer
  • 🧭Behavior planner
  • 📓Notebooks
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

sensora device that detects something in the worldlight sensormeasures brightnesstouch sensordetects a bump or pressdistance sensormeasures how far away objects aresound sensordetects noise or clapsinputdata the robot takes inactuatora part that makes the robot move/actsense-think-actthe robot control loop
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does a distance sensor do?
Measures how far away objects are (to avoid crashing).
QUESTION 2
What are sensors to a robot?
Its senses — they turn the world into data.
QUESTION 3
What is the robot loop?
Sense → think → act.

Reflect: robots & sensors.

Have students pick a robot task and name the sensor it needs. A printable sensors worksheet is in the Computer Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 CS Robots and Sensors (Grade 7)Flip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 CS Robots and Sensors (Grade 7)Quiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ CS Robots and Sensors (Grade 7)Print
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: actuator, distance sensor, input, light sensor, sense-think-act, sensor, sound sensor, touch sensor
  1. measures brightness
  2. detects a bump or press
  3. measures how far away objects are
  4. the robot control loop
  5. data the robot takes in
  6. a part that makes the robot move/act
  7. a device that detects something in the world
  8. detects noise or claps

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does a distance sensor do?
  2. What are sensors to a robot?
  3. What is the robot loop?
Answer key — Part A: 1) light sensor · 2) touch sensor · 3) distance sensor · 4) sense-think-act · 5) input · 6) actuator · 7) sensor · 8) sound sensor
Part B: 1) Measures how far away objects are (to avoid crashing). 2) Its senses — they turn the world into data. 3) Sense → think → act.