Erin Radway from Lowell Elementary will use $2,084.39 for her proposal, “AdaptoBots: Unleashing Creativity in Animal Adaptations.”

With the funds, Erin plans to purchase 12 ozobots. In the application, she wrote, “This project will integrate ozobots (line-following robots that can sense four colors) into concepts students are learning in third grade science. Students will begin by learning about animal adaptations through their Amplify science lessons. Then in library, students will apply what they learned by researching an animal of their choice, specifically looking for actions that this animal takes to survive. With the information they researched, students will create a code for the ozobot to mimic that animal. For example, if a student researches the monarch butterfly, which migrates to stay alive during colder times in the Northern Hemisphere, they could code the ozobot to slow down if it encounters rain or needs to stop for nectar, or they could code it to spin around if it encounters a strong windstorm. Students will use critical thinking skills to combine their research knowledge of their animal with applicable codes to make their animal come to life through the movements of the ozobot. The ozobot is a screen-free robot. This allows students to get off their Chromebooks and truly create while still working with technology! Furthermore, there is a tangible connection to enhance the students’ understanding of sometimes abstract scientific concepts, making them more concrete by putting an action to what they have learned.”