Lesson Plan
Course Title: Concepts of Engineering and Technology
Session Title: Gripper Challenge
Performance Objective:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to design and construct a Robot Hand Gripper
that picks up objects, critically think through what type of gripper is best for specific objects, and
test and document their results on the Robot Hand Gripper Test Report.
Specific Objectives:
 Define problem solving.
 Identify and apply four steps in the problem solving process: 1) understanding the
problem; 2) devising a plan; 3) carrying out the plan; and 4) looking back, to create a
gripper that picks up objects.
 Design and construct their own hand gripper that works effectively to pick up objects.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes/alterations to the
activities may result in the elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
Concepts of Engineering and Technology:

130.362 (c)(6)(A)(C)(E)
...identify and describe the fundamental processes needed for a project, including design
and prototype development;
...use problem-solving techniques to develop technological solutions;
...assess risks and benefits of a design solution.
Interdisciplinary Correlations:
English:

110.44 (b)(6)(A)(B)
…expand vocabulary through wide reading, listening and discussing;
…rely on context to determine meanings of words and phrases such as figurative
language, connotation and denotation of words, analogies, idioms, and technical
vocabulary.

110.44 (b)(7)(H)
…use study strategies such as note taking, outlining, and using study-guide questions to
better understand texts;
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
1
Mathematical Models with Applications:

111.36 (c)(M.1)(A)(B)(C)
...compare and analyze various methods for solving a real-life problem;
...select a method to solve a problem, defend the method, and justify the
reasonableness of the results.
Physics:

112.39 (c)(2)(B)(C)(D)(E)
...know that scientific hypotheses are tentative and testable statements that must
be capable of being supported or not supported by observational evidence. Hypotheses
of durable explanatory power which have been tested over a wide variety of conditions
are incorporated into theories;
...know that scientific theories are based on natural and physical phenomena and are
capable of being tested by multiple independent researchers. Unlike hypotheses,
scientific theories are well-established and highly-reliable explanations, but may be
subject to change as new areas of science and new technologies are developed;
...distinguish between scientific hypotheses and scientific theories;
...design and implement investigative procedures, including making observations, asking
well-defined questions, formulating testable hypotheses, identifying variables, selecting
appropriate equipment and technology, and evaluating numerical answers for
reasonableness;

112.39 (c)(3)(A)
...in all fields of science, analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using
empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing,
including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as
to encourage critical thinking by the student;
Teacher Preparation:
Understand that students need to be creative with this lesson. Allow them to think critically and
develop their own devices. Then be able to show them how to construct a human hand gripper.
This project relates design, drafting, and physics since students will be considering basic
physic’s principles when they are critically thinking about what type of gripper to make.
References:
Vogt & Shearer. (1999) "Robot Hand." Reading. Flower Mound High School.
Instructional Aids:
1. Gripper Challenge PowerPoint presentation
2. Robot Hand Gripper Test Report for each student
Materials Needed:
1. Cardboard or hardboard
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
2
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Pencil
P
Rubber
R
bands
String
S
Straw(s)
S
Glue
G
Tape
T
Ruler
R
PVC
P
pipe - op
ptional
ent Needed:
Equipme
1. Computer
C
2. Overhead
O
pro
ojector
Learner Preparation
n: None required.
Inttroduction
Introduc
ction (LSI Quadrant I):
SAY: To
oday we are going to dis
scuss how to
o best pick u
up certain typ
pes of objeccts using variious
devices.
ASK: Do
oes anyone know what a gripper is?
?
SAY: It is simply a device
d
that can
c pick up objects
o
with ease.
ASK: Ca
an anyone th
hink of comm
mon designs
s for gripperss?
SHOW: Let’s look at a few exam
mples. (Slide
e 12 and 13))
SAY: We
W are now going to go th
hrough a Po
owerPoint pre
esentation. W
We will stop
p twice so tha
at
you will be
b able to crreate your ow
wn grippers.
SAY: “Th
he Gripper Challenge…”
C
”
SHOW: Show
S
the Po
owerPoint prresentation up
u to the Ma
arble Challen
nge and then stop and le
et
the stude
ents develop
p their own grippers.
g
Afte
er they have
e completed one device, continue wiith
rest of Po
owerPoint allowing students to follow
w steps in p resentation to create a rrobot hand
ASK: Wh
hich gripper was best for which devices? Explai n?
Outline
Outline (LSI
(
Quadra
ant II):
Instructors can use the PowerPo
oint presenta
ation, slides, handouts, a
and note pag
ges in
conjunctiion with the following ou
utline.
MI
Notes to Instruc
ctor
Outliine
I. Grripper defined
A. A grip
pper simply means a de
evice used to
o
“grip”” objects in order
o
to pickk them up.
er will begin
Teache
Gripper Challenge
PowerP
Point
presen
ntation and
define a gripper.
II. Prroblem solving process for
f a gripperr
Teache
er will discusss
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 20012. All rights rreserved.
3
A.
B.
C.
D.
.
Unde
erstanding th
he problem
Devis
sing a plan
Carry
ying out the plan
Ques
stion studentts about whyy they chose
e
certain materials
the steps to the
m solving
problem
process as it relate
es to
a creatting a grippe
er.
Slide 2
2-3:
Teache
er will stop a
at the
Marble
e Challenge in
presen
ntation and w
will
have th
he students
begin ttheir gripper
designs for the Ma
arble
Challen
nge.
E
off Challenge 1
III. Evaluation
A. Which
h devices wo
orked and w
why?
B. What could be do
one to make each device
e
better?
C. How would
w
you do
d this differe
ently if you
d materials?
were allowed to use
u unlimited
?
Slide 4
4:
As the students are
e
working
g, the teache
er
remind
ds them to th
hink
of thing
gs that relate
e to
them in
n their everyyday
life thatt could be
problem
ms.
Ask stu
udents questions
once th
hey have
finished
d their devicces.
R
Hand
IV. Robot
A. Simply follow the procedure liisted in the
PowerPoint.
Slide 5
5-7 (Robot Hand)
Teache
er will guide
students through ro
obot
procedure.
hand p
V. Allow studentts to construct the hand
A. Have students try different ch allenges witth
differe
ent grippers..
B. Which
h device is best
b
for certa
ain tasks?
Slide 5
5-7 (Robot Hand)
Slide 8 (Challenge 1)
Slide 9 (Challenge 2)
Slide 10 ( Challeng
ge 3)
Slide 11 (Conclusio
on)
Teache
er continuess to
ask questions
regardiing their
designs.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 20012. All rights rreserved.
4
S
4 of pro
oblem solving
g process - llooking backk
VI. Step
A. Evalu
uate all desig
gns
B. Vote which griper was best fo
or certain
tasks
s
Verbal
c
Linguistic
Logical
Mathematica
al
Visual
Spatial
Musical
Rhythmic
Bodily
Kinesthetic
Intrapersonal
Finish PowerPoint
presen
ntation.
Inte
erperrsonal
Naturralist
Existen
ntialist
Application
A
Guided Practice
P
(LS
SI Quadrantt III):
Througho
out PowerPo
oint presenta
ation, studen
nts will be ta
aught how to
o make a rob
bot hand grip
pper
and how to critically think
t
of how
w to design a gripper.
ce (LSI Qua
adrant III):
Independent Practic
s will be requ
uired to be creative and think critical ly and make
e their own g
gripper devicce.
Students
Summary
Review (LSI
(
Quadra
ants I and IV
V):
Question
n: Which gripper was be
est for pickin
ng up the ma
arbles?
Answer: (It depends
s on grippers
s created.) The
T best ansswer will mosst likely be a kind of
“scooperr” type grippe
er.
Question
n: Which gripper could best
b
pick up blocks and stack them?
?
Answer: A hanging gripper
g
that has somewh
hat sticky orr rough edge
es in order to
o hold blockss in
place unttil the blocks
s reach the desired
d
locattion.
Question
n: Which de
evice/gripperr worked bes
st for combin
nations and multiple taskks?
Answer: Robot Hand
d.
Evaluation
E
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 20012. All rights rreserved.
5
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
The teacher will observe the students as they are working on creating and testing their grippers.
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
The students will create grippers for different tasks and should be evaluated by efficiency of
grippers and design. Students will complete the Robot Hand Gripper Test Report to test and
document their findings.
Extension
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):
For more enrichment, students should construct a hand that can be operated electronically.
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
6
Name: __________________________
Robot Hand Gripper Test Report
Challenge 1: Record how many marbles you can pick up in one minute with your first Robot
Hand Gripper and then how many you can pick up with your hand.
1. How many marbles can you
pick up with your first gripper?
2. How many marbles can you
pick up with your hand?
# of Marbles:
Which one was more efficient?
#_________
1. First gripper? _____
# _________
2. Your hand? _____
Challenge 2: Using your newly constructed Robot Hand Gripper, pull on the strings in order
to contract the fingers to make a fist. Select three objects of your choice to pick up and place in
the bowl. Try picking up the marbles and objects and placing them into a bowl (Figure 4 and 5).
1. How many marbles were
you able to pick up and place
in the bowl?
List three objects to test:
#__________
1. _________________________________
2. How many of Object #1
were you able to pick up and
place in the bowl?
#__________
3. How many of Object #2
were you able to pick up and
place in the bowl?
#__________
4. How many of Object #3
were you able to pick up and
place in the bowl?
#__________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
Challenge 3: Using your Robot Hand Gripper, try stacking up some blocks as seen in
the
slide presentation (Figure 6).
How many blocks were you
able to stack?
#__________
Does it work effectively?
Yes ________
No ________
If not, construct a type of
gripper that will work
effectively.
How many blocks were you
able to stack with your newly
constructed gripper?
#__________
Does your newly constructed gripper work
effectively?
Yes ________
No ________
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
7