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How To Recognize National Robotics Week in Your Classroom
Christy Walters
March 5, 2025
National Robotics Week, which starts on the first Saturday of April every year, helps inspire students to take an interest in robotics and other STEM-related fields. You can bring the same excitement to your science and ELA classrooms with engaging STEM articles, videos, and activities for students of all grade bands.
[Discover the science behind building and using robots](id-sci)
Where can we find robots doing jobs and making a difference out in the world? Students can explore the ways this technology is revolutionizing fields like manufacturing, medicine, and space exploration with the following activities:
Read about robotics in the news
New innovations in robotics make the news every day! See some of the most interesting inventions in recent years with text sets on topics like:
Your students may have heard the phrase that something is “for the birds,” but a 21st-century saying may be that jobs are “for the robots.” Show students about some of the jobs robots can do with articles on topics about robots in fields like:
Air travel
Food preparation
Surgery
See how robots help us explore Mars
Robots are also doing out-of-this-world work by helping us explore other planets that we’re unsure if humans can visit safely. Show students their capabilities and discoveries with articles on topics like:
The history of Mars rovers, their missions, and current locations.
How NASA asked the public to label parts of the terrain surrounding the Curiosity Mars rover to train its AI program.
A dog-like robot with AI sensors that can navigate subsurface caves on Mars.
Take a virtual field trip to the Toyota factory
Automaker Toyota uses robots in its assembly lines, testing, and other departments to streamline production and ensure vehicle safety. Take students on a virtual field trip to one of Toyota’s factories to see these robots in action.
Learn about Toyota’s investment in creating robots made to assist older people with everyday tasks.
See how Toyota and Panasonic created robots to assist guests at the Tokyo Olympics.
Discover how Toyota is using robotics to create a flying car.
Dive into engineering 101
Robotics is a subset of engineering focusing on solving problems and meeting challenges using technology and artificial intelligence. Give students an overview of other aspects of engineering by examining topics like:
If your students can’t get enough robot content, share even more articles on topics that might interest them, like:
Exploring if scientists could really build Baymax from “Big Hero 6.”
How a teen created a solar-powered garbage-collecting robot to clean up our planet.
What 3D-printing can do to revolutionize robotics.
[Debate the risks and benefits of robots and AI in ELA](id-ela)
Robotics, AI, and other STEM-related concepts have many benefits. But do they also pose drawbacks to people and society? Students can study these topics for themselves and decide!
Are robots the future of food?
Will robots be coming to restaurant kitchens in the near future? Or are they already there? Students can learn about the pros and cons of an issue by exploring how robot chefs compare to humans. Use resources like:
An article about how scientists are trying to create a robotic pizza chef.
An article on Flippy, the robot fry cook, that can flip 150 burgers in an hour and clean the grill.
A video that gives students reading strategies for comparing and contrasting ideas.
What is artificial intelligence?
AI and robotics often work together to create innovative products and solutions. Students can dig into this topic by exploring articles like:
An explainer of what a roboticist does for a living.
How Sophia, a human-like robot, uses artificial intelligence to function.
What IBM’s AI computer “Project Debater” can tell us about advancements in the field.
How does AI affect transportation?
How would you feel if your airplane, bus, car, or subway didn’t have a human operator? AI and robotics are working to make that a reality in some cases. Students can learn more about how AI affects transportation by reading articles on topics like:
How AI could create assistive devices to make driving easier for people with disabilities.
Why it’s difficult to establish safety guidelines for self-driving cars.
Why air travelers are reluctant to trust pilotless planes flown by AI.
Do the benefits of artificial intelligence outweigh the risks?
After reading about the pros, cons, and uses of robotics and AI in our world, ask your students to take a stance. Hold an in-class debate where they argue whether the benefits of AI and robotics outweigh the risks. For additional research and to help students establish their stance, you can share articles on topics like:
How global leaders met to establish an international agreement to limit the risks and capture the benefits of AI.
Why and how a Montreal research hub spearheaded a global AI ethics debate.
If people creating and using AI and robotics technology need to think about the ethics behind their decisions.
Like this topic but don’t want to host a debate in your classroom? Try it as an argumentative writing assignment on Newsela Writing instead!
Where can students read more about robots and other science fiction stories?
Robots are real, but they can be just as exciting in science fiction stories as they are in real life. For students who want to immerse themselves in fictional robotics and AI stories, you can recommend novels like:
It’s not too late to get ahead on planning lessons for the last few months of the school year! Newsela’s suite of subject products has various content and resources—like news articles, primary sources, literature selections, and interactive videos—to help you teach about any topic.
Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for Newsela Lite for free and start your 45-day trial. You’ll get access to our premium content and activities for everything you need to teach about National Robotics Week and beyond.
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