The basic materials needed for the workshop include recycled surplus 24-volt DC motors, foam and gaiter board, wooden dowels, hot glue, wire, paint, and found objects the children bring in. The total materials fee per child is approximately $40 US, and covers their work over four to six 3-hour sessions.

The workshop includes the following activities:

• Discussion of "robots", their functions, and various forms of mechanized and human movement
• Drawing and sketching to visually realize their ideas and expectations
• Development of characters and personalities for their creations
• Creation of robots using recycled and lightweight materials
• Culmination in a robotic performance, written and created by the children for their friends, family, and community.

Workshop Script

The workshop is designed to take place over 4 to 6 days, with sessions of about three hours per day. Sessions can take place in the morning and/or afternoon.

Hands-on education in draftmanship or robotic mechanisms rarely occurs until much later in standard educational curricula, if it is offered at all. However, children of the age targeted by this workshop are prepared, and interested in learning basic robotics. These workshops have resulted in exciting outpourings of creativity and ingenuity, and provide the highly unusual opportunity for children ages 8-14 to use basic physical and robotic principles to express themselves both in the act of building, and in public performance. ARW is excited to be able to offer this opportunity to the communities we visit.

First stage: Introducing Robots
The first three hours are devoted to show and tell about robots, what they are and what they can do, etc. Chico will present a line of machines that ARW has developed to show examples of the types of robots that could be made with the materials provided.

Second stage: Creating Robot Ideas
The second three hours are devoted to brainstorming ideas for robots, making drawings of those ideas, and figuring out how they might be built.

Third Stage: Construction and Documentation
The third stage of the workshop is committed to realizing the kids’ ideas in robotic form. The children will locate the appropriate materials to convey the actions and personalities they wish to design into their robots. Basic construction processes and the importance of documentation will be practiced.

Fourth Stage: Performance
During the documentation process, time will also be spent preparing a script for the final public performance. Both the process of the machines’ construction and the final performance will be video taped. The participants’ families and the community-at-large will be invited to attend the final performance.

• narrative
• curriculum