sphero Indi Educational Robot Student Kit User Guide
- June 4, 2024
- sphero
Table of Contents
Summer Camp Guide
User Guide
Indi Educational Robot Student Kit
Get ready for a summer of fun, hands-on learning with indi!
Introduce your youngest campers to the fundamentals of computer science and computational thinking with Sphero’s newest robot, indi! indi will challenge your students to flex their critical thinking, creative confidence, and teamwork all in an entirely screen-free environment. India is easy for camp counselors to implement and fun for students to use, making it the ideal robot for your summer camp.
What’s in this Guide?
The indi Summer Camp Guide includes resources, activities, and ideas to make it easy for you to integrate indi into any camp experience, whether its focus is on computer science, STEM, or just plain old fun. We know that every camp and every camper is different, so dive into the resources below to prep and customize how you’ll use indi this summer:
- Camp Materials
- Curriculum Overview
- Tips and Troubleshooting
- Resources
Camp Materials
This summer camp guide was designed for indi, the indi Student Kit, and the indi class pack. indi—Sphero’s latest robot—is designed to introduce young campers, ages 4-8, to the fundamentals of computer science, computational thinking, and STEM in an entirely screen-free environment. Students place and adjust color tiles to control indi’s movement and engage in open-ended, imaginative play-based learning.
indi Student Kit
The indi Student Kit is ideal for one to three campers at a time and includes:
- 1 Sphero indi robot
- 20 durable, latex-free rubber color tiles
- 15 Self-Guided Challenge Cards
- Decorative stickers
- Carrying case
Sphero Edu Jr App
Level up your programming with indi by reconfiguring the color tile commands
in the app designed specifically for pre-readers.
- App Store (iOS)
- Google Play (Android and Chrome OS)
- Fire OS (Kindle)
indi Class Pack
The indi Class Pack can accommodate a the entire group of campers and
includes:
- 8 indi robots
- 8 individual carrying cases
- Charging case
- Color tiles
- A standards-aligned educator guide
- 15 Self-Guided Challenge Cards
Curriculum Overview
Your indi summer camp curriculum is divided into three sections:
- indi Essentials
- Interdisciplinary indi
- Going Further with indi
Pick and choose the activities below to customize your own summer camp with indi. The majority of the lessons come from the indi Educator Guide. Reference the guide if you are looking for more fun and engaging activities for your campers.
indi Essentials
Get your students started with indi by learning how the robot works through open-ended explorations and challenges.
| Meet Sphero
indi
• Like most robots, indi has different parts and pieces that help it do all
the amazing things it can do. Learn about the different parts that help indi
see, move, and light up!
---|---
| Stops and Celebrations
• indi loves its new class and enjoys all it is learning. Help indi learn more
about moving around the classroom by teaching it how and when to stop.
| Left or Right (Part
1)
• indi is finding it a little difficult to make its way around the room by
only driving in a single direction. Can you learn which color tiles will help
indi turn (change directions)
left or right so it can enjoy more of the classroom?
| Left or Right (Part
2)
• More turns mean more possibilities. Help indi learn two more new colors,
teal and orange.
Interdisciplinary indi
| Identifying Patterns (Math)
• There are patterns all around us. Patterns add balance and beauty to our
world.
Sometimes we make the patterns ourselves and sometimes nature makes them for
us. What patterns can you see? What patterns can you make for indi?
---|---
| Looping Patterns (Math)
• Sometimes the patterns we see repeat and don’t ever stop. Have you ever
noticed that? Things like day and night, days of the week, seasons in a year,
and so on. Can you think of anymore looping patterns that we can teach indi?
| Simple Distances
(Math)
• Understanding the various distances indi can travel is helpful when creating
puzzles and paths for indi to follow. Flip over some color tiles and use them
to help measure the distance indi travels before it comes to a stop.
| Storytelling with Colors (Language
Arts)
• An indi path can tell a story. Lay out color tiles to tell a story then
share it with your class as indi travels by!
| Storytelling Path (Language
Arts)
• Storytelling is a way that we share ideas, share our culture, and share
experiences with others. What is your favorite story to listen to or to tell?
Share a favorite story with indi through a well-thought-out path of color
tiles and creative scenery.
| Mini City (Social
Studies)
• indi loves school but would really love to learn more about your world
outside of school.
Create a map for indi to drive around and get to know places outside of
school.
| Sequences in Nature (Science)
• Sequences in nature that repeat themselves are called cycles. All living
things, the weather, and other natural events are parts of different cycles.
Teach indi about one of these cycles using the color tiles and your
creativity.
Going Further with indi
| Meet the Sphero Edu Jr
App
• It is time to take learning with indi to the next level. Sphero Edu Jr app
is an all-new block programming app that teaches some of the basics of code
and computer science principles. In this activity, students will learn how to
navigate the Sphero Edu Jr app and begin programming indi.
---|---
| Sing to Me
• Did you know that indi loves music? Using the color tiles and Sphero Edu Jr
app, indi can sing you a classic melody or a song of your own creation. In
this lesson, students will experiment with color tiles spacing to learn about
tempo and timing.
| Beginner’s Programming Challenge
Cards
• Work your way through the Challenge Cards from the easiest to the most
challenging. The print Challenge Cards are also in your indi Student Kits and
Class Pack. Once campers have solved them all, they can make their own
challenges to share with their friends using our Google Slide template.
Facilitation Options
Camp organizers and counselors have multiple options for integrating indi into their camp schedules. Pick and choose wich option or options will work best for your situation.
Whole Group
Use the activities with a large group (up to 30 campers) at a time. Introduce
the activity, then send campers back to their work areas to learn, explore,
and have fun. Whole group
learning is also ideal for summarizing key points and sharing paths during
circle time with all students watching and discussing indi’s movement.
Small Group
Consider more focused instruction on indi with a higher counselor-to-camper
ratio. This will ensure campers get started on the right foot. This mode of
facilitation can be ideal
when students need a little more support like with the math or language arts
activities.
Stations
indi can also make an ideal topic for exploration during station or free
choice time. Allow campers who are particularly excited by indi to spend some
more time with the robot. The self-guided Beginner’s Programming Challenge
Cards are an excellent structure to use with stations.
Tips & Troubleshooting
Understanding the Color Sensor
- Each color tile is pre-programmed to instruct indi how to move and operate.
- Some classroom floors may have colorful patterns that could interact with indi’s color sensor. If you notice this happening, place the color tiles edge to edge to avoid any interference from other colors.
Charging
Individual indi
-
Plug the included Micro-USB cable into indi and the other end into a USB port or wall adapter.
-
Make sure that you are using the USB cable provided with indi or a USB cable that provides power (rather than a cable that only transports data).
-
Make sure the USB port is providing enough power to properly charge indi. If you plug the USB cable into your laptop, please ensure your laptop is plugged in to provide enough power. Use a USB wall charger when possible.
indi Class Pack -
Plug the end of the power cord into the class pack charging case. Then plug the other end of the power into an outlet.
-
Make sure each indi is seated properly in the charging case.
-
Be sure to check that the charging leads on the bottom of indi are clean and free of any debris.
-
Unplug the charging case for long-term storage.
Supplemental Resources
Sphero Self-Service Resources
Access more resources to support your camp with indi on our self-service
resource page.
Inspiring the Creators of Tomorrow
Sphero is empowering the future creators of tomorrow and setting them up for
success.
We couldn’t be more excited about the future of education and the part we’re
playing. For more information about Sphero and to get involved in our
community you can find links to additional resources below.
- Sphero Blog: https://sphero.com/blogs/news
- Support: https://support.sphero.com
- Community Forum: https://community.sphero.com
- Contact Us: https://sphero.com/pages/contact-us
- Brand Assets: https://brandfolder.com/spheroedu
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoSphero
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/spheroedu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sphero