Robotics Movie Guides and No Prep Activities for Middle School Sub Plans

Are you looking for no-prep, independent middle school robotics activities?  How about easy robotics sub plans? Or the perfect robotics movie for a STEM class incentive? Keep your students engaged and extend their STEM learning with these middle school robotics movie guides!

All of the STEM in the Middle movie guides include before, during, and after activities to keep your students engaged and learning throughout the entire "movie day." This means you are free to catch up on grades, hold conferences, hang out with your students, or take a much-needed sick day.

What’s included in the middle school robotics movie guides?

• Can We Build a Brain? (2018)

This class period length feature will teach students about artificial intelligence. They will explore current applications and limitations of the technology and its impact on society. Your students will be amazed by the many things computers can do and deepen their understanding of the AI technology they likely use every day. (Note: This video is currently streaming for free on the PBS website here.)

• 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 the real-world STEM applications.

• More Than Robots (2022)

This documentary follows a set of diverse high school students participating in a FIRST robotics competition. Your students will learn about FIRST and what makes it “more than robots.” As they become emotionally invested in the trials of the contestants, your students will also be inspired to pursue their own STEM dreams! (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

• Rise of the Robots (2016)

In this engaging documentary, students learn 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. (Note: This video has been taken down from the PBS website. It can be accessed on Youtube here.)

• Spare Parts (2015)

This awesome 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. (Note: You will need to ensure you have access to this video through a streaming platform or rent or buy the film before using the resource with your class.)

Each middle school robotics movie guide also has:

• Printable, Google, and Easel versions of the student activities and worksheets
• Discussion questions to set the tone for learning and uncover student misconceptions
• 15-20 comprehension questions to keep students focused on STEM concepts throughout the film
• Activities for further learning and exploration of robotics concepts after the movie 
• An answer key

Materials needed:

• Digital or printed copies of the student activities
• Various streaming platforms to access the films

What are other teachers saying?

★★★★★

"This review was perfect for my computer science class! We watched "Spare Parts" which is an incredible movie and these worksheets were perfect! No prep/no hassle!"

★★★★★

"Let's just say this worked so well for all my grade levels 5-8. They really enjoyed watching and learning. The product is also very well organized. Thank you!"

★★★★★

“These movie guides are amazing! The pre and post-questions and activities were great and my students were very engaged.”

How can the robotics movie guides be used in your classroom?

• Extend your students' learning on particular STEM topics
• Keep your students on task while you catch up on grades or other tasks
• Leave for a low-prep and engaging robotics sub plan
• Plan a STEM movie day incentive
• Allow your students to work independently while you hold conferences
• Assign a movie guide for extension, homework, or extra credit activities
• Use the resources for fun virtual learning lessons

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