Students used the Hummingbird Robots to light up different places on the
map they created to tell the story of the Mexican-American War.
The students used Hummingbird Robotics Kits to make their displays
come alive with lights and movement.
DMS STUDENTS BUILD INTERACTIVE HISTORY
DISPLAY
Y
ears ago, when a teacher
told students they needed
to learn about certain time
periods in history, they
normally would open up a textbook or
encyclopedia, read, and write a paper.
Today’s technology allows students
to do so much more when learning
about historical times and events,
and provides a more engaging and
effective experience as well. Dorseyville
Middle School seventh graders recently
completed a history lesson using
technology, specifically, their district-
provided iPads and Hummingbird Duo
Robotics Kits. The kits come with
everything a student needs to make
anything into a light-up, moving robot.
A team of Dorseyville Middle
School teachers decided to use an
interdisciplinary approach to present
the unit on Westward Expansion,
Reform, and the Industrial Revolution
and used history, science, and robotics
concepts to create the assignment. The
students researched their historical
topic associated with the 1800s and
designed and created
a museum-like display.
Additionally, they learned
about the engineering
process through the
incorporation of the
robotics kits where
they studied analog
circuits and coding the
Hummingbirds with
Scratch 2.0 in order to
make the interactive
displays light up and
move.
A student put the final touches on the “Women’s Rights Movement”
interactive display. The project spun and lit up to tell the story of
women’s rights.
24 Fox Chapel Area
According to social
studies teacher David
Snyder, the process
wasn’t always easy.
“There were many days
where the students
experienced difficulty,”
he said. For example,
the students learned not
only how to compose
basic code with the kits,
but they also learned
Students demonstrated surgical techniques
of the 1800s through their display which was
similar to an Operation® game.
how to debug and revise that code. Mr.
Snyder continued, “However, without
opportunities to fail, the students aren’t
able to find ways to persevere and create
new ways to solve the problems before
them.”
Mr. Snyder knew that the
multidisciplinary approach would play
to the strengths of different students.
“The skills that they have the opportunity
to practice in a project like this one –
research, brainstorming, collaboration,
communication, fabrication, coding,
revision – are all skills that many
employers are looking for in their future
employees. If we can help strengthen
those skills while teaching the U.S.
History curriculum, even better.” He
continued, “When students are able to
see how content from one class is able
to influence the decisions they make in
another class, the overall experience is
more authentic.”