In this lesson, students discover the heart of why they’re building an Auto-Bot. They learn about the CodeLine Robotics Festival, a welcoming and creative event where students bring their robots to life on a real competition track. The focus today is understanding the challenge itself, what the track looks like, how teams work together, and what success means in this festival environment. Students leave this session excited, motivated, and proud to be part of something bigger than the classroom.
Student Learning Goals
By the end of this lesson students will be able to
• Explain what the CodeLine Robotics Festival is and what happens there
• Understand how teams are formed and who can participate
• Describe what’s inside the robot kit and what they will build
• Understand how the track challenge works and how scoring is measured
• Feel confident that they can participate and succeed in the event
Materials Needed
Slides for Lesson 02
Printed track image (optional)
A sample Auto-Bot or kit parts for demonstration
Teacher Preparation Notes
This lesson is more about inspiration and clarity than technical detail. Your goal is to help students visualize the event and feel welcome in it. You don’t need to go into coding or engineering today. Instead, keep the tone upbeat and encouraging. Many students may feel unsure about competitions. Remind them that the Festival is friendly, supportive, and focused on creativity rather than winning.
Safety Notes
No tools or equipment are used today.
Focus on emotional safety and reassurance. Many students worry about not being “good enough” for events like this. Remind them that CodeLine welcomes beginners and celebrates growth.
Warm Up Activity
Ask students
What do you imagine a robot competition looks like
Let them picture noise, cheering, wires, lights, teamwork, or anything that comes to mind. Keep the tone playful.
Lesson Flow
Step One – What CodeLine Robotics Is
Introduce CodeLine as a journey
Students build a robot, learn to code, test and refine it, and then bring it to a festival where it runs on a real track.
Explain that this event celebrates creativity, persistence, and teamwork.
Step Two – Who the Program Is For
Walk students through the categories
Rider for grades four and five
Runner for grades six and seven
Sprinter for age thirteen and older
Explain that beginners are welcome and teams include three to five students with an adult mentor.
Teacher note
Students do not need experience to belong here.
Step Three – What’s Inside the Robot Kit
Hold up or describe the parts
Arduino-based rover
Motors and wheels
Sensors and resistors
Battery pack and wiring pieces
Let students know this kit is everything they need to build a working robot.
This builds confidence and curiosity.
Step Four – The Track Challenge
Show how the track works
A long printed track that twists and narrows
Robots try to follow the dark line as far as they can
Thousands of runs have happened, and no robot has ever completed the full track
Explain that this is normal. The challenge is about improving, not completing.
Step Five – Event Day Flow
Walk them through what happens
Teams bring their robot ready to run
They get three attempts
During a run, no one can touch the robot
Each run has a three minute time limit
Explain that scoring is based on distance reached, using yellow markers
Teacher note
This is a low-pressure event. It is joyful, friendly, and built for students to learn.
Step Six – Encouragement
End with the simple message from the slide
You can do this
Invite students to reflect on what they’re excited about.
Teacher Notes for Each Slide
Slide: What CodeLine Robotics Is
Explain the program as a creative engineering journey.
Slides: Who This Program Is For / Teams / Rules
Speak calmly and clearly. Many students worry about age brackets or team sizes. Keep the tone reassuring.
Slides: What’s in the Kit
Physically showing parts helps students connect to the project.
Slides: The Track
Set realistic expectations. The track is challenging on purpose.
Slides: Event Flow
Keep instructions simple. Students don’t need to memorize anything today.
Slide: You Can Do This
Say this out loud. Students need to hear it from an adult.
Independent or Group Activity
Have students form small groups and create a “Festival Plan Sheet.”
They write
One thing they think their robot will be good at
One thing they’re curious about
One thing they want to try on the track
This helps them start imagining their team roles.
Vocabulary and Concepts
Festival Challenge
A friendly event where robots follow a printed track.
Autonomous Robot
A robot that makes decisions based on sensors.
Distance Markers
Yellow points on the track used to measure how far a robot traveled.
Mentor
An adult who supports the team and keeps things safe and productive.
Wrap Up
Ask
What part of the Festival sounds exciting to you
What do you hope your robot will be able to do
Let students share freely. Their enthusiasm here will fuel the rest of Phase III.
Exit Ticket
Write one thing about the Festival that surprised you
Write one thing you feel confident about as we start building your robot