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A.B.8 | Cause and Effect

Created by: Modular Robotics

Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will explore cause and effect and practice noticing and specifically naming important properties of their robots. In doing so, they will use If/Then statements in order to:
  1. Look more critically at what is causing their robot to behave, and
  2. Figure out how they can modify their robot to get the effect they want.

The Basics:
Ages: 7 – 9 years (grades 1-3)
Time: 30-45 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Lesson Goal (for the educator): To have the students develop an understanding of cause and effect and how it relates to the building and testing of Cubelet robots. And, to help students write If/Then statements based on cause and effect.
Lesson Objectives (for the students): I will explore cause and effect and be able to construct If/Then statements.
Essential Questions: What is cause and effect and why is it important in scientific investigations?
21st Century Skills: Creativity and Innovation, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving, Communication and Collaboration
Concepts: Cause and effect, If/Then statements
Vocabulary: Relationship, cause, effect, outcome
Required Cubelets: Distance, 2 Drive, Battery, Brightness, Flashlight, Rotate, Passive, Inverse, Blocker, Knob – enough for each group of 2-5 students
Additional Materials: Student Robotics Journals

The Standards:
ISTE: International Society for Technology Education CCSS: Common Core Standards NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards

Prior Knowledge Necessary for the Student:
A.B.7 | Properties and Characteristics, or equivalent understanding of categorizing and naming properties and characteristics.

Prior Knowledge for the Educator:
Think of some examples where your students have discussed cause and effect when discussing a passage they have read or a math problem they have solved. Be prepared to share these with the class.

Educator Tips:
Prior to this lesson, talk about cause and effect in the stories the students are reading.

Preparation:
  • Review worksheet A.M.6.WS, which the students completed in A.B.7 | Properties and Categories.
  • Divide the class into groups of 2-5 students.
  • For each group, place the Cubelets they will need into a container.

Lesson:

Introduction:
    Time: 3-5 Minutes
  1. “In our last lesson we made Cubelet robots and noticed that, even with the same pieces, we could move the Cubelets around and those robots could have different properties and characteristics. Today as we build Cubelet robots we are going to take note of how making/changing a robot results in a new action.”
  2. “When we talk about a change in behavior we are really talking about how a cause has effected a change. We refer to this as a cause and effect relationship. The cause is the reason for the change, like when we swapped the Distance cube for the Brightness cube; and the effect is the changed behavior: Now our robot moves when it detects light. We refer to this as cause and effect.”
  3. “Asking ‘why’ and investigating the relationships between actions and results, is the basis for all scientific exploration. So let’s think about cause and effect in our everyday lives and ask ourselves ‘why’. Who can think of a cause and effect relationship between events? Perhaps something that has happened in your life today?”
  4. See if the children can come up with their own ideas, or talk about these:
    • A person tips over a glass and the liquid spills.
    • You pick up your toys and your room is clean.
    • You practice playing the piano and eventually you get better.
  5. As they come up with these ideas make a chart that looks something like this:
  6. Now show them how you can add “If” in front of the cause statements and “Then” in front of the effect statements to make an If/Then statement such as, “If someone tips over a glass then the liquid spills.”
  7. “So, for everything we do, we are causing an event to happen. In other words, there is a related explanation to everything that happens, and we call this cause and effect.”
  8. “Another way to look at this is to say that for every cause and effect we could make an If/Then statement describing it.”

Time to Explore:
    Time: 1-2 Minutes
  1. “Now, let’s build a robot with one Sense and one Action. Using the Battery, a Distance, and a Drive Cubelet (with wheels facing forward) put together a robot. Let’s predict how this robot will behave, test it, and, write a cause and effect statement.” Do this activity and write an If/Then statement with the class. For example, if my hand is close to the robot, then it drives forward.
  2. “Now, what can we do to change the effect?” Using the same Cubelets, reconfigure them to make another robot where the cause and effect statement is different (e.g. turning of the wheels). Write this new If/Then statement. For example, if my hand moves close to the robot, then it drives in a circle. Now, compare both statements.
  3. “Remember, the action is the effect and the robot only carries out the action when it gets input, or information, to the sense. So, what is the cause? The cause is what the robot is sensing.”
  4. Remind them that they can use If/Then statements when they are making predictions about what their robots will do as they are building them.
  5. “Predicting is like making a cause and effect statement ahead of time, before we see it happen.”

    6. Time: 3-5 Minutes
  6. “Now, I would like your team to build a robot with one Sense and one Action. Predict how your robot will behave, test it, and, write an If/Then statement using the worksheet provided (A.B.8.WS).” Allow the students to do this.

    7. Time: 3-5 Minutes
  7. “Now, using the same Cubelets, reconfigure them to make another robot where the outcome, or behavior, will be different. Write this new cause and effect statement using the worksheet provided.” Allow the students to do this.

Closure/Evaluation:
  1. Lead a discussion about what they learned in this lesson. You may want to ask these questions:
    • What did you discover about cause and effect?
    • What properties/characteristics are you changing when you reconfigure your robot?
    • Could we all use the same Cubelets and build robots with different behaviors? Why/how?

    2. Time: 5 Minutes
  2. Give students time to record their thoughts about their new knowledge in their Robotics Journal. Encourage them to use words and other methods of recording such as charts, sketches, flow charts, etc.

    3. Time: 2 Minutes
  3. Allow time for students to put materials away and plug in the Battery Cubelets for recharging.

End Results:
Students will know how to determine cause and effect and write If/Then statements.

Optional Quick Write For Prompt and/or Evaluation:
Sketch a robot you might build, label it, and write and If/Then statement about the behavior you would expect.

What To Go To Next:
For More Review:
  • Repeat this lesson.
    • If Objectives Are Met:
  • A.B.9 | More Cause and Effect
    • To Enhance and Extend:
  • Have students build robots with two senses and two actions, describe how they work, and how they might be used to solve a problem in the real world.

    • This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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