Black Kids Code(Girls) Edmonton - Robots That Notice

Join us for an exciting workshop designed just for girls aged 8 -17. Whether they’re brand new to coding or eager to level up their skills. Workshop Overview Continue the technology year with an exciting hands-on LEGO Robotics experience! Students will build on their coding and robotics skills using LEGO SPIKE Prime, exploring how robots use sensors, conditions, and programming logic to detect obstacles and respond to their surroundings. Beginners will discover how robots make decisions using conditions, if/else statements, loops, and distance sensors as they build and program a robot that automatically stops before hitting a wall. Advanced learners will take their Python and engineering skills further by exploring Boolean logic, comparison operators, sensor accuracy, and error handling to develop robots that respond reliably to their environment. Students will also explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist with coding and problem-solving. Rather than simply accepting AI-generated answers, they will test, review, and evaluate AI-generated rules and code to identify mistakes, improve accuracy, and determine whether their robots respond correctly. Whether returning from last month or joining the program for the first time, students will have the opportunity to code, build, sense, predict, test, debug, measure, and improve their robotic creations. Beginner Track - Conditions, Sensors and a Robot That Decides Beginner learners will move from programming robots that simply follow instructions to creating robots that can sense their environment and make decisions. Students will explore conditions, if/else statements, forever loops, and distance sensors using LEGO SPIKE Prime. They will build a robot equipped with a distance sensor, program it to stop automatically when approaching a wall, and experiment with different stopping distances. Through hands-on challenges, students will test and refine their code until their robot successfully stops before an obstacle three times in a row. Beginner Track Learning Outcomes • Understand and use conditions, if/else statements, and loops to make robots respond to their environment. • Build and program a LEGO SPIKE Prime robot equipped with a distance sensor. • Use sensor readings to detect obstacles and automatically stop the robot before hitting a wall. • Test, debug, and evaluate their own and AI-generated code to improve robot performance. Advanced Track - Boolean Logic, Sensors and Code That Does Not Break Advanced learners will take robotics further using Python programming, Boolean logic, and sensor calibration to develop reliable robotic systems. Students will explore Boolean values, comparison operators, and logical expressions using AND, OR, and NOT while learning how truth tables help verify programming decisions. They will build and calibrate a LEGO SPIKE Prime robot, measure sensor accuracy, and program it to stop at a calculated distance. Students will also troubleshoot inaccurate or missing sensor readings, evaluate AI-generated safety rules, and identify programming errors that could affect their robot's performance. Advanced Track Learning Outcomes • Understand Boolean logic and apply Python comparison operators, AND, OR, and NOT to make programming decisions. • Use truth tables to verify logical conditions and identify programming errors. • Measure and calibrate distance sensors for accuracy, reliability, and obstacle detection. • Develop, test, debug, and critically evaluate their own and AI-generated Python code, including handling missing or inaccurate sensor readings. Take-Home Assignment Students will receive a Take-Home Assignment after the workshop to reinforce the coding concepts and skills learned during the session. The assignment can be completed through a web browser and does not require a LEGO kit or robot at home. Students can complete and submit their work through their Moodle account using any computer or tablet with internet access. An offline alternative will also be available where required. Materials Provided FREE All materials required for the workshop will be provided free of charge by our organization, including: • iPads with the LEGO SPIKE app installed. • LEGO SPIKE Prime kits with hubs, motors, wheels, and distance sensors. • Tape measures and calculators for robotics experiments. • Student workbooks and coding worksheets. • Moodle accounts for submitting assignments, completing assessments, and tracking student progress. No equipment or previous robotics experience is required. Students simply need to come ready to build, code, sense, decide, measure, test, debug, and bring their robots to life! Register Now, Space Is Limited! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]