Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy Learning Catalog

Robotics Curriculum & Courses

Browse robotics courses, virtual courses, or jump directly into a standalone learning unit.

Course

Coding and Computational Thinking with LEGO SPIKE Prime (3.0)

Learn to code with a LEGO SPIKE Prime using the LEGO SPIKE Prime Programming App.
Coding and Computational Thinking with LEGO SPIKE Prime (3.0) provides a structured sequence of programming activities in real-world project-based contexts. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. This curriculum includes videos, animations, and step-by-step lessons designed to help beginners learn behavior-based programming using the LEGO SPIKE Prime hardware and the 3.0 version of the Scratch-based programming software.
Units
Getting Started with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Programming the Hub with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Robot Movement with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Wait Until & Sensors with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Loops with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Discrete Decisions with SPIKE Prime (3.0)
Course

Fundamentals of Coding with SPIKE Essential

Fundamentals of Coding with SPIKE Essential teaches coding and STEM concepts to elementary school students using the LEGO SPIKE Essential kit.
Fundamentals of Coding with SPIKE Essential teaches coding and STEM concepts to elementary school students using the LEGO SPIKE Essential kit. The curriculum will cover topics such as basic coding, creating algorithms, conditional statements, and loops. Students assemble robot designs with the SPIKE Essential kit based on real-world robots, which helps to foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and an understanding of how coding and robotics are used in the real world. Fundamentals of Coding with SPIKE Essential is designed to develop a foundation in coding that will prepare students for more advanced programming concepts in the future.
Units
Unit 1: Light Up Snackbot
Unit 2: Spinny Snackbot
Unit 3: Buggy Bugs
Unit 4: Journey on the Moon
Unit 5: Dodging Craters
Unit 6: Strawberry Spotting
Course

Coding and Computational Thinking with VIRTUAL SPIKE Prime (3.0) - PREVIEW

A free preview of the Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime (3.0) curriculum.
This badge is a free preview of the Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime (3.0) curriculum. Learn how to access the full curriculum here.

Curious about the changes between 2.0 and 3.0, check our post
here!

Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime features a programming interface and virtual robot embedded directly within the curriculum. Teachers and students can follow along with the included videos, animations, challenges, and step-by-step lessons. The projects are designed to get students thinking about the patterns and structure of not just robotics, but also programming and problem-solving more generally. The scope and sequence of this virtual curriculum are very closely aligned to our Coding and Computational Thinking with SPIKE Prime (3.0) curriculum for physical robots, allowing teachers to leverage both physical and virtual robots to suit their needs best.

Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime

The Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime curriculum is broken down into 8 units: Getting Started, Programming the Hub, Robot Movement, Wait Until & Sensors, Loops, Discrete Decisions, Capstone: Subterranean Challenge, and Continuous Decisions. Over 75 programmable virtual environments are embedded throughout, allowing students to learn big ideas in robotics, coding, computational thinking, and mathematics.
Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime

The virtual robot itself contains simulated versions of the programmable motors, sensors, and other components. A built-in sensor dashboard allows students and teachers to quickly inspect the values the robot sees, speeding up the process of developing and troubleshooting their code. 
Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime
Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime takes a just-in-time and embedded approach. As students make progress through the course (which the Learning Management System keeps track of), CS2N ensures sure that students are presented with the corresponding instructions, virtual environment, and programming interface. CS2N automatically saves student code progress with each activity so that they never lose it and teachers never have to track it down. Virtual activities can be run as many times as the student needs to foster their understanding, and their completion is automatically awarded so that students know when to move on. 
Coding and Computational Thinking with Virtual SPIKE Prime

Once they have a license, teachers and students can use the curriculum whether they’re at home, school, or anywhere else in the world as long as they have an Internet-connected Chromebook, Windows PC, and Ma
Units
Virtual SPIKE Prime Coding (3.0) - Iris Rover Challenge
Course

RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime - PREVIEW

A free preview of RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime.
This badge is a free preview of RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime. Learn how to access the full camp here.

RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime is an informal curriculum that teaches basic programming, proportional mathematics, robotics, and other STEM concepts at an introductory level. RoboCamp is designed with carefully scaffolded virtual activities appropriate for both formal and informal educational settings. All of the activities and challenges use a custom virtual SPIKE Prime build in a space-like environment. Get ready for take-off! 
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RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime is perfect for:
  • Summer Camps
  • Workshops
  • Afterschool Programs
  • Classroom Specials
  • Interdisciplinary STEM Lessons

RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime includes virtual environments so that students can follow along with all lesson content, from anywhere in the world. All lessons are self-contained, require a minimum of instructor supervision, and include built-in opportunities to self-assess progress. 
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Each section within this RoboCamp includes access to a more open-ended Lunar Level. Here, students can choose how to remix the new concepts that they've learned to explore, create messages, and even send moon rocks flying. These "unstructured play" opportunities create increased engagement even while students deepen their experience in meaningful learning outcomes. 
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The virtual robot itself contains simulated versions of the programmable motors, distance sensor, and other components. A built-in sensor dashboard allows students and teachers to quickly inspect the values the robot sees, speeding up the process of developing and troubleshooting their code. 
distance_gif.gif 2.59 MB

RoboCamp with Virtual SPIKE Prime takes a just-in-time and embedded approach. As students make progress through the course (which the CS2N Learning Management System keeps track of), CS2N ensures sure that students are presented with the corresponding instructions, virtual environment, and programming interface. CS2N automatically saves student code progress with each activity so that they never lose it and teachers never have to track it down. Virtual activities can be run as many times as the student needs to foster their understanding, and their completion is automatically awarded so that students know when to move on. Once they have a license, teachers and students can use the curriculum whether they’re at home, school, or anywhere else in the world as long as they have an Internet-connected Chromebook, Windows PC, and Mac. 
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