Rover Field Test

Date: 10/6/2015
Materials:
Hexbugs
Tape
Scissors
Construction Paper
Foil
Foam Paper
Copy Paper
Craft Sticks
Pipe Cleaners
Yarn
Engineering Progression Model
Field Test Plans
Purchase Orders
Pencils
Mars Boarding Passes
Objectives:
Students will be able to design a successful Rover field test with the limited
materials provided using the engineering progression model of establishing a
problem with exploration, design, creation, testing and modifying.
Teacher Actions:
Facilitate team planning
Answer student questions/promote creative thinking
Monitor building process
Use engineering progression model to initiate student field test
Inspect final field test
Present students with Mars boarding passes
Student Actions:
Follow the engineering progression model and their previously created plans to build
mars rover field test as a pair (or team of 3) (hex bugs).
Create Purchase order and purchase materials from the store.
Gallery walk to view and evaluate other students field tests.
Hex bug Field Test:
Students will work in assigned pairs (or a team of three) to create a
hex bug (Mars rover) field test. The students will create a maze for the
hex bugs to complete. The maze must be at least 12 inches long, have
2 turns, the hex bug must make a noise or climb over something and
the hex bug cannot escape the maze. The students will have a limit
amount of supplies they can purchase from the store. The store items
include Aluminum foil (6 x 6) Copy Paper (half sheet) Construction
Paper (half sheet) Pipe cleaners (2) Craft Sticks (4) Yarn (12) and
Foam Paper (6x6) The students can only purchase 5 items (they
dont all need to be different, for example they can be 2 sets of craft

sticks and 3 half sheets of copy paper) and they are not allowed to
return anything to the store. The students are also provided 12 of
tape and scissors. Students will have about 20 minutes to successfully
complete a field test. Students will take a gallery walk to see all of the
other groups work. Students will be given a boarding pass to Mars
upon successful completion of the field test.
Assessment:
Based on successful completion of field test plan. If students have an unsuccessful
field test have discussions about what they would have changed/done differently.
Completion of Rover Field Test Lab Booklet