Dog Obstacle Course

• Review  the online student  material. Use a projector to share this material with your students during the lesson.
• Make sure that you've covered the relevant concepts (i.e., push and pull) in an earlier lesson.
• Consider the abilities and backgrounds of all of your students. Differentiate the lesson to make it accessible to everyone. See the Differentiation section below for suggestions.

• Watch the student video here or access it via the online  student material.

• Facilitate a quick discussion about dogs.
• Ask questions, like:
  • How do you train a dog?
  • What types of training obstacles did you see in the video?
  • How did the dogs react to them?
• Tell the students that they'll be building an obstacle course for dogs. Explain that they won't be given building instructions but should instead use the picture on page 1 in their building instructions books as guidance. Tell them that each group:
  • Can copy the models in the picture on page 1 of building instructions book "A," embellish them, or invent their own designs.
  • Should aim to make at least 3 different types of obstacles for dogs to run through, over, under, or around.
• Conclude the discussion by distributing a LEGO^® Education BricQ Motion Essential Set to each group.

• Have the students work in pairs to design and build an obstacle course for dogs.
• There aren't specific building instructions for this lesson. However, students can refer to the picture on page 2 of building instructions book "A" for inspiration. They're also welcome to design their own models.
  • Note: There aren't enough elements to build all the models in the inspiration picture at the same time.
• You can find support for building in the Tips section below.
• Once the students have finished building, encourage them to line up their obstacles and run their dogs through the course.

• Gather your students together to share what they've built.
• Ask questions, like:
  • How does the dog move through your obstacle course? (e.g., push/pull, up/down, over/under, through, across, around.)
  • Which obstacles require a push? (e.g., In the "fetch" obstacle, you pull back the spring to push and launch the ball.)
  • Which obstacles require pulling? (e.g., In the "dog sled" obstacle, where the dogs pull the sled along.)
  • Have you seen any other push and pull forces today?

• Have your students continue to invent and build more obstacles.
• If time allows, have the groups combine all of their models to create a bigger obstacle course.
• Ask the students to disassemble their models, sort the bricks back into the trays, and clean up their workstations.
• Remind the students to check the floor for dropped elements and to put them back where they belong.

• Encourage the students to explore their models' movement as they build. Ask them to explain which parts are pushing others.
• Ask guiding questions to encourage your students to “think aloud” and explain their thought processes and reasoning in the problem-solving decisions they've made when building their models.

Observation Checklist

• Measure your students’ proficiency in describing the push and pull forces that are at work in an obstacle course.
• Create a scale that matches your needs, for example: 
  1. Needs additional support
  2. Can work independently
  3. Can teach others

Self-Assessment

• Have each student choose the brick that they feel best represents their performance: 
  • Green: I think I can explain  what "push" and "pull" mean. 
  • Blue:  I  know I can  explain what "push" and "pull" mean. 
  • Purple: I can  explain what "push" and "pull" mean, and I can help a friend understand, too.

Peer-Feedback

• In their small groups, have the students discuss their experiences working as a group. 
• Encourage them to use statements like: 
  • I liked it when you…. 
  • I'd like to hear more about when you….

Model Tips

• The inspiration picture on page 2 of building instructions book "A" shows 7 agility training models and 2 decorative models.
• Show your students how to use the Brick Separator to remove stuck bricks.

Simplify this lesson by:

• Assigning each group specific obstacles to build; the seesaw and round treadmill are great models to start with because these mechanisms emphasize pushing and pulling

Increase the difficulty by:

• Challenging the students to design even more training obstacles, including parts that move, spin, tilt, or roll
• For advanced builders, pull out a random element and ask them to find a way to use it in a model

Language Arts Extension (Note: This will require additional time)
To incorporate language arts skills development, have the students write an announcer’s script narrating their dog’s run through the obstacle course.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.2

Download the Personal Learning Kit lesson plan from the hybrid learning resources.