Maze Craze: Pick the Healthy Path!

Robotics engineers design, build, program, and test robots that perform specific tasks. They combine principles from mechanical, electrical, computer, and software engineering to develop robotic systems. Robotics engineers also test their designs, troubleshoot problems, and modify hardware or code to improve how a robot performs.

After this activity, students should be able to:

• Identify problems and design solutions.
• Make observations and test.
• Analyze data and find sources of error.
• Use a mathematical process to solve problems.

Before the activity, students should have:

• A basic understanding of measurement, data collection and organization, addition, subtraction, and directions.
• Experience recording information and observations during an investigation.
• Basic communication and collaboration skills for working effectively with a partner.
• Basic computer skills, including experience with drag-and-drop activities or programs.

We have a problem, and I need your help solving it.

Diabetes is a condition that affects how our bodies handle glucose, also known as blood sugar. Type 2 diabetes can develop at different points in a person's life. Fortunately, there are healthy lifestyle choices people can make that can help reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Think for a moment about some of the choices you make every day. What do you eat? How much do you move or exercise? What do you do in your free time? Our health is influenced by patterns of choices we make over time.

Today, you're going to think like a robotics or biomedical engineer. These engineers use science, math, technology, and engineering to solve problems that can improve people's lives. They may design and code technologies such as robots that deliver medicine, medical devices that monitor the body, or other technologies that help people make healthier choices.

Your engineering challenge will be to design a maze that represents different lifestyle choices and then develop a sequence of commands that successfully guides a robot through that maze. As you work, you'll need to think carefully about both the health problem your maze represents and the engineering and coding problem you need to solve.

Here's something important to remember about your robot: It can't guess what you want it to do. A robot follows the instructions you give it in the order you give them. If your directions aren't clear or your code isn't quite right, your robot might turn too soon, travel too far, or go in the wrong direction. And that's part of the challenge!

Engineers don't expect every design to work perfectly the first time. They create, test, observe what happens, identify problems, and make improvements. Programmers do something similar when they debug their code. You'll have opportunities to test your solution, figure out what isn't working, make changes, and try again.

But before engineers start designing solutions, they need to understand the problem. Right now, there are probably some things we don't know that we'll need to understand before we can successfully complete this challenge.

What questions do we need to answer before we start?

Take the next 2–3 minutes to write down questions you think we need to answer before we can complete this challenge. Don't worry about answering them yet. Right now, I want you to think like an engineer and identify what we need to know.

(Give students 2–3 minutes to write independently. If students need prompting, ask:

• What is diabetes?
• What can people do to help reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes?
• How do food and physical activity affect our bodies?
• What are some healthier choices people can make?)

Now, share your questions with your partner. As we investigate these questions, we'll gather the information we need to begin designing our solution.

That's how engineers begin: They ask questions, learn about the problem, and then use what they learn to design a solution. Let’s get started!

Background

Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body does not use insulin effectively. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that helps glucose move from the bloodstream into cells, where it is used for energy. When the body becomes resistant to insulin, the pancreas initially produces more insulin to help maintain normal blood glucose levels. Over time, however, the pancreas may not be able to produce enough insulin to meet the body’s needs, causing blood glucose levels to rise. If not properly managed, persistently high blood glucose can contribute to serious health complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, and vision loss.

A variety of factors can influence a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Healthy lifestyle behaviors, including regular physical activity and balanced nutrition, can support overall health and help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. When discussing healthy and unhealthy choices with students, focus on overall patterns of behavior rather than labeling individual foods as simply “good” or “bad.”

Coding and Computational Thinking

A computer or robot follows instructions in the sequence they are programmed. It does not automatically know what the programmer intended. Therefore, students must develop clear, precise commands to successfully guide their robot through the maze.

Students will use sequencing to arrange commands in the correct order and debugging to identify and correct errors in their code. For example, if a robot turns too early or travels too far, students must determine which command may have caused the problem, modify it, and test the program again. Encourage students to change one command at a time when possible so they can observe how that change affects the robot's behavior.

The unplugged version models the same computational thinking process without a programmable robot. One student acts as the programmer while another acts as the robot and follows the written commands exactly as stated. This helps demonstrate the importance of precise instructions and provides students with an opportunity to identify and debug errors in a sequence of commands.

Measurement and Robot Motion

Students use measurement and spatial reasoning to determine how far the robot or student acting as the robot needs to move through the maze. Grid spaces and rulers can help students estimate and measure distances and determine where turns should occur. Note that a programmed distance may not always result in exactly the same physical movement because robot motion can be affected by factors such as the surface, wheel movement, starting position, and battery level. These variations provide opportunities for students to test their solutions and make evidence-based adjustments.

Before the Activity

• Obtain enough programmable robots for students to work in pairs.
• • If needed, investigate school/district resources, robot loan programs, or technology grants.
  • If you are borrowing Finch robots, review the Finch Robot Loan Program https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/loan-program requirements and plan accordingly (e.g., at least 5 students must be reached per robot borrowed).
• Become familiar with the programmable robot and coding platform students will use. Practice creating sequences of commands and troubleshooting common coding issues.
• Verify that the selected robot's programming platform works on student computers and that all computers and robots are functioning properly.
• Obtain or print grid paper for the prototype and final maze designs (half-inch graph paper or 5-mm graph paper).
• Gather paper, pencils, rulers, and coloring supplies.
• Review and prepare the introductory resources about type 2 diabetes and healthy lifestyle choices (of your choice), including the story/article in the PowerPoint and videos.
• Make copies of the Maze Craze Workbook (PDF) (1 per student).
• Prepare the Maze Craze Presentation (PPTX).
• Organize students into pairs and arrange the classroom to provide sufficient space for collaborative maze design, coding, and robot testing.

During the Activity

Day 1: Ask, Research, and Imagine (50 minutes)

1. Organize students into pairs and have students sit with their partners.
2. Distribute one Maze Craze Workbook (PDF) to each student.
3. Ask: Introduce the problem. (Slide 4)
4. Give students 3 minutes to complete the Introduction Questions in their workbook. (Slide 5) (See Maze Craze Workbook - Sample Answers (PDF) for potential student answers.)
5. Have students share their written questions with their partner.
6. Take 5 minutes to have each pair share with the class what they wrote down.
7. Write an anchor chart list of common or important questions that need to be answered.

An example of a question anchor chart.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

8. Give students 5 minutes to complete the Pre-Assessment section in their workbook. (Slide 6)
9. Research:

• • Instruct students to be prepared to write questions, notes, and/or answers to big questions in their workbook while watching the upcoming videos.
  • Show students the You Have a Super Power video (5:24 minutes). (Slide 7)
  • Show students the video: What is Diabetes? (3:25 minutes). (Slide 8)

10. After watching both videos, have students share their questions, notes, and/or answers and answer the questions on the anchor chart.
11. Read Share the Good News. (Slide 9)
12. Imagine:

• • Choices and Behaviors That Support Health
  • • Give students 3 minutes to individually brainstorm healthy choices in their workbook and have students put their pencils down when done.
    • Have students share and create ideas with their partner.
    • Have student pairs share ideas with the whole class.
    • Write student-shared ideas on an anchor chart (encourage students to copy in their notebooks or printed workbook as it is being created).

Examples: Being physically active, playing outside, playing tag, participating in sports, swimming, dancing, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, eating balanced meals, preparing meals at home, taking regular movement breaks during screen time, getting enough sleep.

• • Choices and Behaviors That May Not Support Health
  • • Give students 3 minutes to individually brainstorm unhealthy choices in their workbook and have students put their pencils down when done.
    • Have students share and create ideas with their partner.
    • Have student pairs share ideas with the whole class.
    • Write student shared ideas on an anchor chart (encourage students to copy in their notebooks or printed workbook as it is being created.

Unhealthy Choices Examples: Spending long periods of time sitting or using screens without movement breaks, regularly eating meals that lack variety or balance, frequently choosing foods high in added sugars or saturated fats, not getting enough sleep.

An example of a choices anchor chart.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

13. Revisit the questions anchor chart. Ask students which questions they can now answer based on what they learned and which questions still need to be investigated. Discuss and answer remaining questions when possible.

Day 2: Imagine and Plan (50 minutes)

1. Present the engineering design challenge: How can you design a maze that communicates healthy lifestyle choices and program a robot to successfully navigate it? (Slide 10)
2. Discuss the engineering challenge requirements, criteria, and constraints. (Slide 10)

• • Show students the teacher example of a prototype maze drawn in pencil. If using grid paper, a 5 × 5 grid is suggested.
  • Have students follow along with the Checklist/Expectations found in their workbook.
  • Optional: Explain that students do not need to draw detailed pictures at this stage but may sketch or list ideas for the images they plan to include.

3. Show students an example of the completed maze. If using the suggested grid paper, show how the prototype can be scaled to a 7 × 7 grid for the final maze. (Slide 11)
4. Show students an example of code they will need to create. (Note: This would be a good opportunity to show them the website you are using, based on your robot or no-robot choice.) (Slide 12)
5. Plan: Have students work with their partners to plan their maze prototype. (Slide 13)

• • Distribute prototype grid paper.
  • Display the prototype criteria and constraints for students to reference. Remind students that these are also provided as a checklist in their workbooks.
  • Have each partner independently sketch a possible maze design. Encourage students to develop different solutions to the engineering challenge.
  • Have partners compare their two designs using the challenge criteria and constraints. Ask students to identify the strengths of each design and determine which features are most likely to result in a successful solution.
  • Have partners select one design or combine features from both designs to create their team’s final prototype plan. Ask them to explain why their selected design is likely to best meet the criteria and constraints.
  • Encourage students to refer to the anchor charts from Day 1 as they select the lifestyle choices and behaviors they will represent in their maze.
  • Encourage partners to discuss their ideas and make design decisions together.
  • Circulate among groups and ask students to explain how their designs meet the challenge criteria and constraints.

Robot lost in a maze, with a large number of questions.CopyrightCopyright Image created with Microsoft 365 stock images using the terms robot, maze, and question.

Day 3: Create and Code (50 minutes)

1. Introduce the day's activities. (Slide 14)
2. Create Prototype Maze: (Slide 15)

• • Review the expectations for the Prototype Maze.
  • Review the expectations for the Final Maze.
  • Give students 10 minutes to create their prototype maze with their partner. Remind students that they will not receive additional time to prototype, so they should stay on task and work collaboratively.
  • Review and approve each team's prototype maze before students begin their final maze.

3. Create Final Maze: (Slide 15)

• • Once a team's prototype has been approved, give the team 20 minutes to create its final maze.
  • Provide each team with one 11 × 17-inch piece of grid paper for the final maze.
  • Remind students that they must incorporate mistakes into their design by problem solving, adapting, and revising, rather than starting over.

Student example of prototype maze.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

4. Code: Choose one of the following options: (Slide 16; 10 minutes or until the end of class)
5. 1. Option 1: Plugged In

• • • Have students develop a test sequence of commands to guide their robot through the maze.
    • Provide the coding checklist and troubleshooting guidance from the workbook.
    • Encourage students to use rulers or the grid to determine distances and plan their robot's movements.
    •  Before programming, have students write or describe the sequence of directions they expect the robot to follow (e.g., forward 2 grid spaces, turn left, forward 8 grid spaces, turn right). Note: Students who need additional support may use speech-to-text or type their directions before entering them into the coding platform.
    • Have students enter their sequence of commands into the robot's coding platform.
    • Encourage students to use rulers or the grid to determine distances and plan their robot's movements.

B. Option 2: Unplugged

• • • Have students develop a sequence of commands to guide their partner through the maze, with one student acting as the “programmer” and the other acting as the “robot.”
    • Have the programmer write a precise sequence of directions using commands such as ‘forward 2 grid spaces, turn left, forward 8 grid spaces, turn right’.
    • Encourage students to use rulers or the grid to determine distances and plan their partner’s movements.
    • Explain that during the next session, the student acting as the robot will follow the commands exactly as written, without interpreting or correcting the directions. Students will then identify errors and revise their commands as needed.

Student example of final copy maze.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

Day 4: Test, Evaluate, and Improve (50 minutes)

1. Introduce the day's activities. (Slide 17)
2. Test: Have students test the sequence of commands they developed during the previous session using the same Plugged In or Unplugged option they used on Day 3.

A. Option 1: Plugged In

• • • Have students run their code and observe how their robot moves through the maze.
    • Have students record where the robot follows the intended path and where it goes off course.
    • Ask students to identify changes they may need to make to their code.

B. Option 2: Unplugged

• • • Have one student act as the “programmer” and the other as the “robot.”
    • Have the student acting as the robot follow the written commands exactly as stated, without interpreting or correcting the directions.
    • Have students record where the directions successfully guide the “robot” through the maze and where the “robot” goes off course.
    • Have students identify changes they may need to make to their sequence of commands.

3. Evaluate: After testing their solution, have partners evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of their maze design and code.

• • Have students identify at least one aspect of their solution that worked well and explain why it was successful.
  • Have students identify at least one aspect of their solution that did not work as expected or could be improved.
  • Ask students to use evidence from their testing to explain the strengths and weaknesses they identified.
  • Have students determine what changes they could make to improve their solution.

4. Improve: (Slide 18; approximately 30 minutes)

A. Option 1: Plugged In

• • • Have students troubleshoot their code, improve, and retest their robot.
    • Encourage students to change one command at a time and observe how the change affects the robot's movement.
    • Have students continue the test, identify the problem, revise, and retest cycle until the robot successfully navigates the maze.
    •  Have students record the changes they make throughout the testing process.

B. Option 2: Unplugged

• • • Have students revise their written directions based on the problems they identified during testing.
    • Have the student acting as the “robot” follow the revised directions exactly as written.
    •  Have students continue the test, identify the problem, revise, and retest cycle until their directions successfully guide the “robot” through the maze.
    •  Have partners switch roles so both students have an opportunity to test and improve a sequence of commands.

Student working on coding the robot to match their maze.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

5. For early finishers:

• • Have students experiment with additional coding commands to explore other capabilities of their robot.
  • Challenge students to develop code or directions to successfully navigate another team's maze.

6. Final Demonstration

• • Have teams demonstrate their final solution by showing their robot (or student acting as the robot) successfully navigating the maze.
  • Have each team briefly explain how its maze represents lifestyle choices that can support health and help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Students testing their maze.CopyrightCopyright 2025 Emily Harris

7. Have students complete the Post-Assessment section in their workbook. (Slide 19)
8. As a class, review and discuss what students learned during the activity. (Slide 20)

Pre-Activity Assessment

Pre-Assessment Questions: Students complete the Pre-Assessment page found in the Maze Craze Workbook (PDF).

Activity Embedded (Formative) Assessment

Design, Code, Test, and Improve Questions: As students design, code, test, and improve their mazes, circulate around the classroom and ask questions such as:

• Does your maze have healthy choices and unhealthy choices?
• What are your healthy choices?
• What are your unhealthy choices?
• Do you need to make any adjustments to have 3 of each choice in your maze?
• Are your maze paths big enough for the robot?
• How far does your robot move if your code says that?
• Did your robot go through all the healthy “good” choices?
• Where did your robot go off the path?
• What do you need to change to get your robot back on the path?
• How will you change that?
• Are you having problems with your robot or code?
• Do you need to know anything to solve that problem?
• How could you solve that problem?

Post-Activity (Summative) Assessment

Post Assessment Questions: Students complete the Post Assessment page found in the Maze Craze Workbook (PDF).

• Have students operate robots on the floor or another stable surface where the robot cannot fall from a desk or table.
• Students should handle robots and electronic equipment carefully and follow all manufacturer instructions for operation, charging, and battery use.
• Do not use robots or electronic equipment near water or other liquids.
• Supervise robot testing and immediately discontinue use of any robot, battery, charger, or electrical component that appears damaged or unusually hot.

• Before the activity, become familiar with the robot and coding platform. Review the manufacturer’s tutorials and practice creating, running, and troubleshooting a simple program.
• If using block-based coding, make sure command blocks are connected in the correct sequence and that the program includes the appropriate start or event block (such as when clicked, when started, or when played).
• If using Schoology or another learning management system and the robot does not connect, open the programming environment in a new browser window or tab.
• If the robot does not respond, check that it is connected to the computer or device and that the correct robot is selected in the programming platform.
• Have students check that their commands are in the intended order and that the correct distances, directions, and turns have been entered.
• Encourage students to use the grid or a ruler to determine distances and turns, and begin each test with the robot in the same starting position and orientation.
• If the robot goes off course, have students identify the first point where its actual movement differs from the intended movement and determine which command may have caused the error.
• Encourage students to change one command at a time, retest, and observe how the change affects the robot’s movement. If needed, make small adjustments rather than rewriting the entire program.
• Remind students that robot movement may vary due to factors such as the surface, wheel movement, starting position, or battery level. If students become stuck, have them compare what they expected the robot to do with what it did to identify possible sources of error.
• Unplugged option: Remind the student acting as the robot to follow the programmer’s directions exactly as written, without making assumptions or correcting unclear directions. Emphasize precise instructions and clear communication so students can identify and correct errors.

“Blood Glucose | Blood Sugar | Diabetes.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, https://medlineplus.gov/bloodglucose.html. Accessed 10 July 2025.

“Data.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/data. Accessed 10 July 2025.

Diabetes websites

Chang, Victor, et al. "Pima Indians Diabetes Mellitus Classification Based on Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms." Neural Computing & Applications, 2022, p. 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-022-07049-z. Accessed 10 July 2025.

"program." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Jul. 2025 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>. "program." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. Encyclopedia.com. Accessed 10 July 2025. https://www.encyclopedia.com.

“Research Guides: Algorithm Bias: Home.” Home - Algorithm Bias - Research Guides at The Florida State University, https://guides.lib.fsu.edu/algorithm. Accessed 10 July 2025.

"Type 2." diabetes.org. American Diabetes Association. n.d. Web. 10 July 2025.

Robot Links

Finch robots - https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/finch-start-teaching/

Spherobot - https://edu.sphero.com/edurobots?_gl=1*jfpp7k*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3NTEwNDMzNzQuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JaWZudW9JaVNqZ01WMzZCYUJSMlNWZ05oRUFBWUFTQUFFZ0pFTGZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*Nzk2ODU3NTI2LjE3NTEwNDMyMTI

 Robot Coding Without the Device

OZOBOT games (no devices) - https://games.ozoblockly.com/shapetracer-basic?fbclid=IwAR3LDXrg3kAPNSSG2wkCcjRezkxuwVU0ilkpzhT4BiAJXoMtMCZZ7MyZaFI

Bee-Bot coding (no devices) - https://beebot.terrapinlogo.com/

You can also code for free with Marty the Robot - https://codemarty.com/