National Robotics Week 2025 (AKA RoboWeek) is happening April 5th-13th. This is the perfect time to introduce your students to the wonderful world of robotics!
Robots are here. We interact with them daily. But do your students understand what a robot is? How are they created? Why do we use them? How a basic understanding of robotics is important to their future?
These engaging activities will introduce your middle school students to the basics of robotics and help you celebrate National Robotics Week 2025!
Short on time? Grab a no-prep robotics activity on TPT.
1. Assign an Interactive Robotics Webquest
What is a robot? What are the parts? Why do we use robots to do jobs humans could do?
Start your lesson by having students share their initial thoughts and opinions (and probably misconceptions, too!) about robots.
Then, send them off to do their own research and answer a list of provided robotics-themed questions.
If you have time, create a class “Myth vs. Reality” chart to track how students’ understanding evolves throughout the week.
This foundational activity sets the stage for deeper learning about robotics.
2. Research Real-World Robots
Did you know there are pizza-making robots that work in restaurants, rescue robots that help during natural disasters, and bee robots that assist with pollination?
Turn these fun facts into a deep-learning opportunity. Explore all the amazing robots that exist in the real world and discover the role robots play in our society today with a research project.
After your students research a robot of their choice, they can create presentations to share with the class. Consider hosting a “Robotics Career Fair” where students present as robotics engineers from different fields– it’s a fantastic way to connect robotics to future careers!
3. Celebrate with Robot-Themed Movies
There are lots of great movies and documentaries about robotics and real-world robots. Here are some that are perfect for middle school!
- AlphaGo (2017): This award-winning documentary will teach students about artificial intelligence. They will learn about the game of Go, why games are often used to develop AI systems, and the impacts of AI on humanity.
- Good Night Oppy (2022): In this amazing documentary, students will learn the story of a Mars rover named Opportunity and meet the engineers and scientists involved in Oppy’s journey. They will discover some of the many marvels of space exploration and real-world STEM applications.
- PBS NOVA “Rise of the Robots” (2016): This engaging documentary will teach students about robots in the real world and their impacts on society. They will follow contestants in the US Department of Defense’s DARPA Challenge as they build rescue robots and experience highs and lows throughout the competition.
- Spare Parts (2015): This fantastic film is based on the true story of an unlikely high school robotics team that competes and wins big at MIT’s annual underwater robotics competition. Your students will love rooting for the underdogs and thinking about the importance of teamwork and perseverance.
4. Learn to Code!
Hardware is an essential part of robotics, but programming is equally important. An introductory coding activity can introduce your students to this 21st-century skill and be a lot of fun.
Code.org offers a wide range of hour-long activities for all ages and skill levels. For additional options, try block-based programming with Scratch or explore simple Python commands using free online robotics simulators.
Remember: No prior coding experience needed – just curiosity and creativity!
5. Teach about Robots with a Choice Board
Use a robotics choice board and let your students choose how they want to learn about robots this week. Do they want to play a game? Complete a research project? Make a poster?
Giving your students a choice in how they learn will increase engagement and result in an incredible week of learning!
Ready to Make National Robotics Week 2025 Unforgettable?
Check out these ready-to-go lesson plans for a fantastic RoboWeek! You’ll find robotics-themed Webquests, research projects, movie guides, choice boards, and more.
Your students will learn new skills, explore the pros and cons of integrating robots into our society, and be inspired to learn more about real-world robots.
