Sphero Clipper Boat

(Designed for K12 however hobbyists can have fun playing with it too!)

Sphero Clipper Boat is a STEAM project for K12 educators to tickle the curiosity, ignite the creativity and inspire the passion of students. Sphero Clipper combines robotics technology of the Sphero SPRK, computer science with Tickle Programming, and math/engineering with 3D modeling/printing (ex: TinkerCAD/Makerbot).

The Sphero Clipper curriculum is an interwoven mesh of activities utilizing the design thinking methology from k12 lab at Stanford's d.school, maker empowerment through Agency by Design from Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education) and cognitive psychology/neuroscience principles by Dr. Kenneth Wesson.

Students strategize and design the Sphero Clipper boat to complete several challenges such as timed races, programming the Continent Challenge, performing the Search and Rescue mission, battle and joust. Educators can pick and choose which activities or extensions to plug-in for a personalized learning experience that matches their own students and curriculum needs.

A Sphero Clipper core base with attachment hooks sits on top of the Sphero SPRK robot allowing students to design attachments that become the outer hull and tools. The Sphero Clipper then becomes a creatively designed Sphero boat with unlimited possibilities..

Get ready to set sail with the Sphero Clipper!

MBMAKEATHONSF

Thanks to Dan Breyre, Caroline Solis and Poppy Lyttle from MakerBot for help with software, photography, troubleshooting and for letting us work so late at night!

This is still a work in progress. More revisions to the Agency by Design components will be expanded.

~~ TTClipper Team (Tony & Tesin)

p.s.

We understand from some feedback that educators unfamiliar with d.school's methodology and Project Zero's Agency by Design might find all these project-based learning extensions confusing. Feel free to skip those for your own needs or if interested in learning more, sign up for an educator PD workshop at Stanford d.school's k12 lab (http://www.k12lab.org/) or attend an Agency by Design (http://www.agencybydesign.org/) workshop. For educators unfamiliar with Dr. Kenneth Wesson's lectures on neuroscience, we recommend reading his articles on ScienceMaster (http://www.sciencemaster.com/) or watching one of his talks (https://vimeo.com/104564707). Have fun!

~~O~~~~~