Sixth Grade STEAM: Let's talk Robotics!

"Students absolutely love the idea of building something that has the ability to move and perform tasks," says Teresa Young, Lovett’s Middle School Academic Technologist. "But what's truly magical about robotics is the real world application of science, engineering, and design skills that provides a tangible connection between things they learn about and things they do."

That magic echoes the vision of Lovett's founder, Eva Lovett, who believed that hands-on experiences like "modeling, painting, drawing, shop work, writing, trips and continual dramatizations” were the magic “sesames” that "open the door to a rich, adult life for the learning child." Were she alive today, she would no doubt add coding and engineering to that list.

Today, that same philosophy is coming to life in a big way as sixth graders dive into Lovett's redesigned STEAM program. Students rotate through four dynamic areas over the semester: robotics, visual art, artificial intelligence, and drama—giving them a chance to discover sparks that could shape their entire Middle and Upper School journey.
 

Building More Than Robots

In the robotics rotation, students don't just build—they become designers, engineers, programmers, and scientists all rolled into one. Working in pairs with VEX robotics platforms, teams construct Basebots while mastering everything from gear train design to center of mass. Every modification, every test run, and every tweak is building toward one epic showdown—a Tug of War competition where robots battle it out.

Authentic, meaningful learning happens in those moments of trial and error. Teams record their design decisions, analyze test results, and collaborate to find solutions based on hard data. They're not just playing with robots; they're experiencing firsthand how balanced and unbalanced forces work, discovering mechanical advantages, and seeing abstract science concepts come to life in their hands.

One sixth grader reports, "Robotics taught us that if you put your mind to something and work hard, you can do anything!"

The Bigger Picture

This hands-on approach perfectly captures Lovett's vision of learning through doing, creating, and reflecting to develop creative problem solvers. And it's just the beginning—this stronger foundation is setting students up for advanced robotics challenges in seventh and eighth grade computer science and engineering courses.

With these skills in their toolkit, the next generation of Lovett students will be ready to imagine, create, and build robots that could change our world.