LESSON 5
IMAGINARY CHARACTERS PART B

Robot Fun

1. Introduce or review the word robot with students. Ask students if they have ever read any books or have ever seen any movies about robots. Questions to ask might include:
   What did the robots look like?
   How did the robot act?
   Could the robot talk?
   What did the robot do in the book or movie?
   If needed, explain to students that a robot is a machine or device that operates and performs various functions either automatically or by remote control.
2. Show students the robot images included at the end of this lesson.
3. Break students up into small groups. Write robot prompts on strips of paper. Prompts may include a robot playing soccer, dancing, cooking, or playing tennis.
4. Have each group pick a prompt. Tell groups to act out the situation listed on the prompt. Re-mind them that robots generally move in a stiff or mechanical manner.
5. After a few minutes, have groups act out their prompts in front of the class. The class has to guess what action is being depicted.
6. If time permits, have groups pick new prompts and act them out again. Alternatively, have each group write a prompt. Groups can then switch prompts with another group and act out the situation.

1. After seeing robot images and acting like a robot, students will create their own robots using recycled materials. If a model robot has been made prior to teaching this lesson, show this to the students.
2. Display materials for the project on a desk or table. Have students take turns selecting materials for their recycled robot.
3. Demonstrate to students how materials can be arranged in various ways to make the body, arms, legs, and head of a robot.
4. Students can use the robot images on page 113 for ideas and inspiration.
5. Hand out a cardboard base to each student. Advise students to experiment with arranging their materials in different ways before they decide on a design they like best. Remind students that their robots should have a head, torso, arms, and legs. If needed, review parts of the body with students.
6. Ask students to think about which smaller materials they can use for details such as facial features or accessories.
7. When students decide on their robot design, they can begin gluing the parts of their robots to the cardboard base. (In some instances strong glue may be required.)
8. If students are creating a three-dimensional robot with recycled plastic and cardboard, they can use tape or glue to connect the robot parts together.
9. Have students put their recycled robots someplace safe for the glue to dry.

1. Once students have completed their recycled robots, have students fill out a character card about their robot. (A character card worksheet is provided at the end of this lesson, or you may create other character cards for students to use.) The character card will be used with the place/time cards and event cards to develop the framework of a creative story.
2. Ask students to brainstorm adjectives that describe personality traits and compile a list on the board. The list might include shy, outgoing, nervous, proud, aggressive, passive, or silly. In some cases, students may have already determined the personality of their robot by the design. For example, if a student designed his or her robot to have a mean look on its face, then the student could write mean or aggressive under the personality trait category on his character card; if a student made a funny-looking robot, the students might write silly or goofy for the personality trait.
3. When students have completed their character cards, collect them and place them in a pile.
4. Make a second pile of the place/time cards and a third pile of the event cards. (See the Teacher Preparation instructions at the beginning of this lesson plan.)
5. Demonstrate to students how to create a framework for a story. Pick one card from each pile (a character card, a place/time card, and an event card) and use them as a basic structure for telling or writing a story.
6. Have students break up into their groups. Tell groups to pick one card from each pile. Instruct the groups to then tell or write a story about something that happened in the past, using the cards they chose. For example, if a group chooses the story cards a goofy robot, at a rock con-cert, and aliens start attacking, those phrases should help organize the story and must appear in it.
7. Remind students to use the simple past or past progressive tenses.
8. Ask for volunteers from the groups to share their stories with the whole class. If desired, group members can act out the story while one group member narrates.
9. If time permits, have groups pick new cards and create a new story.

1. As a closing activity, ask students to imagine what they would have their robots do and then free-write about this. For example, students might write about having their robot do their chores, such as clean their bedroom, wash the dishes, or take out the garbage; or students might want their robot to do their homework, play tricks on their brothers or sisters, or play video games with them. Remind students that their free writing will not be graded, that it is just practice in writing creatively.

AMAZING ROBOTS!

CONVERSATION CARDS

Teacher Directions: Make copies of the cards, then cut them out and place them in an envelope for each group. Each envelope should have a set from each category.

Place/Time Cards:

Other place/time ideas: stuck in an elevator, at the zoo, in a taxi, on a date, etc.

CONVERSATION CARDS

Event Cards:

Other event ideas: A tiger escaped from the zoo. A picture came to life. Hearing laughter coming from a strange place.

CONVERSATION CARDS

Character Cards: (To be completed by students about their individual robots.)