Robots

Overview

The materials in this task aim to get students to think critically, to make decisions, and to give reasons. Focusing on robots, students are asked to compare the advantages and disadvantages of robots, and to think about what robots can and cannot do.

Teacher notes

  1. The teacher uses ‘Hangman’ to elicit robot.

  2. Students look at handout 1 and answer the questions about the pictures. They then answer the follow-up questions and compare their answers with their friends.

  3. Students then read the passage in handout 2 and identify the advantages and disadvantages. This reading passage can also be used as a jigsaw reading, with some students receiving the information from Michael Smith and others receiving the information from John Brown. They can read the information separately, and identify advantages/disadvantages (as appropriate). They can also try to think of the opposites (as appropriate). Students can compare their answers with those of other students.

  4. In groups, students decide whether robots should be used in the factory based on the advantages and disadvantages they have identified (see handout 3).

  5. Their decisions and reasons can be compared between groups.

  6. In groups, students discuss whether a robot can replace a teacher, a mother or a friend. They can discuss their ideas with other students.

  7. In groups, students discuss what they would like a robot to be able to do. For homework, students write up a paragraph about their own robot individually.

  8. The written work can be marked by the teacher or swapped for peers to give comments.

Student handout 1

Look at the pictures and answer the questions

 

Try to answer the following questions.

Compare your answers with your friends.

Student handout 2: Reading

In a car factory, the manager is thinking of using robots in place of human workers. In the committee meeting, John Brown and Michael Smith express their ideas about using robots.

  1. Michael Smith’s opinion on robots.

    2. “Robots differ from other automatic machines in that they can be programmed to carry out a variety of jobs instead of repeating the same movement forever. This is because each robot has a computer” brain”.

    “In my opinion, I think that robots are of great value nowadays. Most of the world’s robots work in factories. They do very routine jobs like assembling parts, spray painting and welding. Unlike humans, robots don’t need protection from poisonous chemicals, noise or high temperatures and they never get bored or need to sleep.

    “I believe that with good management, robots could make enough wealth for us to do more interesting jobs or have more leisure time.”

  2. John Brown’s opinion on robots.

“ In my opinion, I think that robots are more limited in the work they can do than human workers. They cannot move around easily. We have to reorganize the work to make things easy for the robot.

“A robot has to be taught each job by a human worker who takes the robot through every movement, step by step, until the task is completed.

“Moreover, since robots can be used in place of human workers in certain jobs, it is likely that robots will make unemployment worse. This may lead to several social and economic problems.

“I hope that in the future, robots will be smaller and more mobile. They should be able to obey simple spoken instructions and do wider range of jobs.”

From the passage, what are the advantages and disadvantages of robots?

Advantages

Disadvantages
   
   
   
   

 

Student handout 3

1. In groups of 4, discuss whether robots should be used in the car factory or not. Write down your decision and reasons.

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2. Choose one of the following. In groups, discuss whether a robot can replace:

Find another group who chose the same topic and share your ideas.

3. Imagine you have got a robot. What would you want him to be able to do?

Discuss this with your friends, and then, individually, write a paragraph about your robot.