Robots and Circumference focuses on mathematics discussions and exploration. During their visit to the Newton Room, learners work together in pairs to explore different strategies to calculate the perimeter of circles and two-dimensional shapes. 

The module lasts four hours and consists of three activities that build on one another. 

Activity 1: The Circumference of a Circle. The learners work, in pairs, to calculate and test how far a robot will travel when programmed to rotate its wheels a certain number of times. Once finished, they have the opportunity to present their strategies to the other learners. The Newton Teacher emphasises the four possible approaches when reflecting on the activity. 

Activity 2: A Safe Distance. The learners identify which mathematical information they need to program their robot to come as close to a LEGO minifigure as possible. After receiving the distance provided by the Newton Teacher and a new set of wheels for their robot, the learners calculate the number of rotations needed without testing it with the robot. Each pair then has the opportunity to demonstrate their calculations to the Newton Teacher using the robot.

Activity 3: Tracing the Shape. Each pair plans and creates a shape on the floor using tape. The robot is  programmed to drive along each side of the shape and the learners calculate the shape’s perimeter. Learners have the opportunity to present their work to each other. Afterward, the Newton Teacher and the learners gather for a group discussion to summarise their findings. 

The objective of the Robots and Circumference module is to challenge the learners to explore and discuss different mathematical strategies. The role of the Newton Teacher is to encourage learners to provide reasons for their choices and to develop and test different solutions during the module. The Newton Teacher also helps the learners assess which methods and strategies are the most effective. The focus should be on the methods used, not on the correct answer. 

Additional notes: Pre-work and post-work activities are provided to the visiting class teacher and are to be conducted before and after the learners visit the Newton Room. These activities are also outlined in this guide.

It should also be noted that this module requires ample floor space for activities and a robotics table with the robot mat is needed for Activity 2. Alternatively, the robot mat can be placed directly on the floor if a robot table is not available.