The National Defense Education Program's Virginia Demonstration Project (VDP) created a problem-based learning approach to teach math and science, linking academics to STEM careers. Through this project, STEM professionals are partnered with participating middle school teachers to co-teach the R2 lessons. The R2: Relevant Robotics Curriculum was developed by the College of William and Mary and is protected under Creative Commons Licensing.
R2: Relevant Robotics: There are currently two units available and more are in development. The curriculum developed is correlated to national standards in math and science.
• In the Crisis at a Coral Reef module, students are faced with a situation in which a ship has run aground on a tropical coral reef and is leaking oil. This oil leak threatens the reef’s organisms, its ecosystem, and the livelihoods of local residents. Robots are used to rescue animals, deliver environmental containment and cleaning supplies, and to provide humanitarian relief to villagers.
• In the Landmines module, a minefield at sea has been disrupted by a tsunami that has swept mines onto shore. Some mines are visible, and others are hidden under sand and debris. Robots help mitigate the disaster by locating landmines and delivering humanitarian aid.
About the Robots: The NDEP Virginia Demonstration Project (VDP) created the R2 Curriculum to be used with LEGO NXT Mindstorm Robots, but other types of robots can be used with the curriculum.
