Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Activity Three: Navigate Your Zone 

Educator Notes 

Learning Objectives 

Students will 

• Use block programming to navigate a spherical programmable robot through a maze. 

Challenge Overview Suggested Pacing 

Students will learn about the basics of programming, controlling unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), 

and some of the many challenges NASA engineers face with the National Airspace System (NAS) 

as the students attempt to move a robotic ball from one side of a maze representing the NAS to the 

other without hitting any obstacles. 

120 to 180 minutes 

National STEM Standards 

Science and Engineering (NGSS) 

Disciplinary Core Ideas 

• MS-ETS1-1: Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision 

to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and 

potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. 

– ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems: The more precisely a design 

task’s criteria and constraints can be defined, the more likely it is that the designed 

solution will be successful. Specification of constraints includes consideration of 

scientific principles and other relevant knowledge that are likely to limit possible 

solutions. 

• MS-ETS1-2: Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine 

how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem. 

Disciplinary Core Ideas (continued) 

– ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions: There are systematic processes for evaluating 

solutions with respect to how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem. 

Crosscutting Concepts 

• Influence of Science, Engineering, and Technology on Society and the Natural World 

– All human activity draws on natural resources and has both short- and long-term 

consequences, positive as well as negative, for the health of people and the natural 

environment. 

– The uses of technologies and limitations on their use are driven by individual or societal 

needs, desires, and values; by the findings of scientific research; and by differences in 

such factors as climate, natural resources, and economic conditions. 

Technology (ISTE) 

Standards for Students 

Knowledge Constructor: 

• 3d: Students build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, 

developing ideas and theories, and pursuing answers and solutions. 

Innovative Designer: 

• 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing 

theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems. 

• 4d: Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance, and the capacity to work 

with open-ended problems. 

Standards for Students (continued) 

Computational Thinker: 

• 5a: Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as 

data analysis, abstract models, and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions. 

• 5b: Students collect data or identify relevant data sets, use digital tools to analyze them, 

and represent data in various ways to facilitate problem-solving and decision making. 

Global Collaborator: 

• 7b: Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or 

community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. 

Mathematics (CCSS) 

Mathematical Practices Content Standards 

• MP.2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively. • 7.EE.B.3: Solve multistep real-life and mathematical problems posed with positive and negative 

rational numbers in any form, using tools strategically. Apply properties of operations to 

calculate with numbers in any form; convert between forms as appropriate; and assess the 

reasonableness of answers using mental computation and estimation strategies. 

Challenge Preparation 

Note: Make sure to plan time to find tutorials and learn more about block programming. Prior to this lesson, students should have 

knowledge of basic block programming. Example links: https://edu.Sphero.com/cwists/preview/21499x and https://code.org/ 

• Read the introduction and background information, Educator Notes, and Student Handout information to become familiar with 

the activity. 

• Become familiar with the Disasters website from the Applied Sciences Program of NASA’s Earth Science Division: 

https://disasters.nasa.gov/ 

• As needed, review concepts with students prior to the challenge (e.g., Newton’s laws and calculating average or mean). 

• Divide students into teams for the duration of the challenge. 

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

• Make copies of all student worksheets for each team. 

• Determine if students will use block programming or JavaScript (Oracle America, Inc.) to 

program. 

• Prepare the NAS (challenge course) prior to the start of the lesson by doing the following: 

– Start with a large, empty space. 

– Create a NAS maze using painter’s tape, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe, or any 

available supplies. 

– Add challenges for students to complete (e.g., a circle within the NAS where vehicles 

pause for 10 seconds to replicate a battery recharge). 

– Add obstacles for students to avoid (e.g., a building created out of blocks within the 

NAS). 

Materials (per team unless noted) 

 Spherical programmable robot such as a Sphero® (Sphero, Inc.) robotic ball (any size) 

Note: A spherical robot best simulates the movement of a UAV due to its 360° capability. 

 Tablet with a spherical robot application such as Sphero Edu® (Sphero, Inc.) 

 Tape or pool noodles for NAS maze walls (per whole group) 

Note: A more permanent maze can be created with PVC pipe or similar material. 

 Optional: Assorted items for obstacles and goals (per whole group) 

Introduce the Challenge 

Use the following challenge storyline for students, or create a storyline based on local 

community challenges. 

Sometime in the future... A mudslide on the base of a mountain has blocked off the only 

access point between a small town and the hospital 50 miles away. Due to the road 

blockage, the medical supplies that are shipped every Tuesday to the small-town doctor 

cannot be delivered. However, the hospital has just received a medical transport UAV and 

has offered to fly critical supplies to the doctor until first responders can clear the mudslide. 

Your challenge is to program and navigate the UAV through the National Airspace System 

(NAS) while avoiding obstacles to deliver the much-needed medical supplies. You must 

plan your route through the NAS prior to takeoff to ensure a successful delivery. 

• Provide context for the challenge using the introduction and background information 

provided in the guide. Discuss the different types of UAS and the work NASA is doing to 

make UAS flight safer within the NAS. 

• Show one or more of these introductory videos as time permits: 

– Making Skies Safe for Unmanned Aircraft. https://youtu.be/kDS-MoGVF1M 

– Videos showing UAVs in disaster areas: 

 High Tide Flooding. https://youtu.be/G-ZodfZ-mdU 

 Mississippi Flooding 2011. https://youtu.be/5ju1boh5bq8 

 NASA Surveys Hurricane Damage to Puerto Rico’s Forests. 

https://youtu.be/HJAbGZsIjJo 

• Assign no more than four students per team; two students per team is ideal if enough 

materials and resources are available. Inform students they will be working in the same 

teams throughout the challenge as they design a solution to the problem. 

• Explain the details of the challenge, including the criteria and constraints. 

Share With Students 

Brain Booster 

For over 40 years, unmanned 

aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been 

a part of NASA’s fleet. These 

UAVs range from full-scale solarpowered versions to those using 

electric motors or propellers. 

Uses have included remote 

sensing for Earth sciences 

studies, hyperspectral imaging 

for agriculture monitoring, 

tracking of severe storms, and 

serving as telecommunications 

relay platforms. 

Learn more: 

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ar 

mstrong/images/UAV/index.html 

On Location 

The Air Traffic Operations 

Laboratory at NASA’s Langley 

Research Center provides air 

traffic management concept and 

procedure simulation capability. 

The system allows researchers to 

simulate a variety of airspace and 

air traffic situations to evaluate 

new concepts in high density 

traffic scenarios. 

Learn more: 

https://researchdirectorate.larc.na 

sa.gov/air-traffic-operations-labatol/ 

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Criteria Constraints 

Teams must use the provided robotic ball and tablet to complete the 

challenge. 

Teams must not touch any NAS maze wall with their robotic ball. 

Teams must use block programming or JavaScript to write their program 

solution. 

Teams must not touch their robotic ball after it has left the takeoff point. 

Teams must use their own written programs from start to finish to solve the 

challenge. 

Teams must not hit any obstacles in the NAS maze with their robotic ball. 

Teams must complete all course challenges. 

• Explain any additional challenges and obstacles that have been created to make the course more difficult (optional). 

Additional course challenges Additional course obstacles 

Facilitate the Challenge 

Ask 

• Answer any questions teams have about the challenge or their responsibilities. 

Imagine 

• Allow students to view the course and brainstorm ways that NASA engineers solve similar problems in the NAS. 

• Ask students to brainstorm ways that their robotic ball functions like a UAV. 

• Ask students to brainstorm ways a UAS might solve a problem in their daily lives. 

Plan 

• Have teams create a plan for how they will complete the challenge. 

– What do teams need their codes to complete? 

– In what order do their codes need to be constructed? 

– What are some potential pitfalls teams may run into during coding? 

• Demonstrate for students how to find the distance traveled per rotation. This measurement will be important for planning how to 

navigate the course. 

Create 

• Teams will begin writing their codes to navigate their robotic ball through the NAS maze while meeting all criteria and constraints. 

Test 

• Teams may beta test their program on the NAS maze throughout the allotted time as often as time allows. 

• After all allotted time has passed, teams should test their final programs on the NAS maze during their final test. Their results 

should be recorded in the Final Test Table in the Student Handout. 

Improve 

• Teams should improve and modify their program after each practice test. Remind students to record all program improvements 

and modifications in their plan. Encourage teams to race against themselves for time. 

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Share 

• Engage students with the following discussion questions: 

– Where can you imagine UAS being helpful in your community? 

– What in your community is programmed to run autonomously (without human intervention)? (Example: traffic lights) 

– What was the biggest challenge your team faced while programming your robotic ball? 

– If you could modify your program and retest, what would you change? 

• When sharing out with the whole group, teams can generate a creative way to present their solutions (e.g., news report, podcast, 

exhibit hall, share-out day, or allowing other teams to use their detailed coding solution to see if it works for the other teams’ 

robots). 

Extensions 

• The NASA website on natural disasters can help students make real-world and community connections. https://disasters.nasa.gov/ 

• Challenge teams to create their own unique NAS maze for other teams to explore. 

Example Courses 

Next Gen STEM  29 

Example of a simple maze. Example of a complex maze. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Activity Three: Navigate Your Zone 

Student Handout 

Your Challenge 

Program your spherical robot to navigate through the National Airspace System (NAS) (maze) 

without hitting any obstacles. 

Criteria Constraints 

Teams must use the provided robotic ball and tablet 

to complete the challenge. 

Teams must not touch any NAS maze wall with 

their robotic ball. 

Teams must use block programming or JavaScript to 

write their program solution. 

Teams must not touch their robotic ball after it has 

left the takeoff point. 

Teams must use their own written programs from 

start to finish to solve the challenge. 

Teams must not hit any obstacles in the NAS maze 

with their robotic ball. 

Teams must complete all course challenges. 

Additional challenges and obstacles (if any are provided by your teacher): 

Additional course challenges Additional course obstacles 

Ask 

Your challenge is to program and navigate an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) through the 

National Airspace System (NAS) while avoiding any and all obstacles to deliver much-needed 

supplies. You must plan your route through the NAS prior to takeoff to ensure a successful 

delivery. 

Imagine 

• How does a robotic ball function like a real-world UAV? 

• How is your challenge to navigate the NAS maze similar to a problem NASA engineers 

might solve in the real world? 

• How might using a UAS solve a problem in your daily life? 

Plan 

• Make a plan for how you will program your robotic ball to navigate the NAS maze. 

– In what order will you need to program your robotic ball to complete the challenges? 

– How will you ensure your robotic ball avoids obstacles? 

• Determine the distance traveled by your robotic ball during one rotation. This 

measurement will be important for planning how to navigate the course. 

• Use a table like the one that follows here to map out your plan for navigating the NAS 

maze. 

Fun Fact 

The National Airspace System 

(NAS) is like the highway 

transportation system. Instead of 

roadways, vehicles, and roadway 

users, the NAS includes all U.S. 

airspace, navigation facilities, 

aircraft, and airports along with all 

of the services, rules, regulations, 

policies, procedures, personnel, 

and equipment. In the NAS, more 

than 45,000 flights take off and 

land safely each day, totaling 

more than 16 million flights per 

year. 

Learn more: 

https://youtu.be/gK2jDwPrDTA 

Career Corner 

Katharine Lee is the deputy 

division chief of the Aviation 

Systems Division at NASA’s Ames 

Research Center. She first worked 

at Ames as a student intern. 

Learn more about her journey to 

NASA: 

https://aviationsystems.arc.nasa.g 

ov/about/bios/lee_katharine.shtml 

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Final Test Table

Course challenges completed (+1)

Course obstacles avoided (+1) 

Number of NAS maze walls struck (–1) 

Did your robotic ball complete the course? Yes 

(+1) 

No 

(0) 

Time (tiebreaker) 

Final score 

 

 

 

 

 

Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Step Description Plan 

1 Straight path 3 ft long Use 1 movement block – Roll 0° at “50” speed for 10 s 

Create 

• Following your plan, write your code to program your robotic ball to navigate through the NAS maze. Keep in mind all criteria, 

constraints, challenges, and obstacles. 

Test 

• Throughout the programming process, make sure to beta test your program on the NAS maze. 

• After all allotted time has passed, test your program on the NAS maze for the final test. Record your results in the Final Test 

Table. 

Improve 

As your team improves your code after each beta test, remember to record all program modifications in your plan. 

Share 

Share your team’s results with the group and answer the following discussion questions. 

• Where can you imagine UAS being helpful in your community? 

• What in your community is programmed to run autonomously (without human intervention)? 

• What was the biggest challenge your team faced while programming your robotic ball? 

• If you could modify your program and retest, what would you change? 

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Unmanned Aircraft Systems 

Appendix A.—Rubrics 

A.1 Engineering Design Process (EDP) 

EDP Step Novice 

(0) 

Apprentice

(1) 

Journeyperson

(2) 

Expert

(3) 

Level of 

student 

knowledge 

(Score) 

Identify the problem 

(Ask) 

Student does not 

identify the problem 

Student incorrectly 

identifies the problem 

Student identifies part 

of the problem 

Student fully and 

correctly identifies the 

problem 

Brainstorm a 

solution (Imagine) 

Student does not 

brainstorm 

Student generates one 

possible solution 

Student provides two 

solutions 

Student provides three 

or more possible 

solutions 

Develop a solution 

(Plan) 

Student does not 

select or present a 

solution or the solution 

is off task 

Student presents a 

solution that is 

incomplete or lacking 

details 

Student selects a 

solution but does not 

consider all criteria and 

constraints 

Student selects a 

solution that considers 

all criteria and 

constraints 

Create a prototype 

(Create) 

Student does not 

directly contribute to 

the creation of a 

prototype 

Student creates a 

prototype that does not 

meet problem criteria 

and constraints 

Student’s prototype 

meets most problem 

criteria and constraints 

Student creates a 

prototype that meets 

all problem criteria and 

constraints 

Test a prototype 

(Test) 

Student does not 

contribute to the testing 

of the prototype 

Student conducts tests 

that are irrelevant to 

the problem or do not 

accurately assess 

strengths and 

weaknesses of the 

prototype 

Student conducts 

carefully performed 

tests that consider one 

to two strengths and 

weaknesses of the 

prototype 

Student conducts 

relevant and carefully 

performed tests that 

consider three or more 

strengths and 

weaknesses of the 

prototype 

Redesign based on 

data and testing 

(Improve) 

Student does not 

contribute to the 

redesign 

Student does not 

improve the design or 

address concerns 

Student addresses one 

concern to improve the 

design 

Student addresses two 

or more test-based 

concerns to improve 

the design 

Communicate 

results from testing 

(Share) 

Student does not 

communicate results 

Student shares random 

results 

Student shares 

organized results but 

results are incomplete 

Student shares 

detailed, organized 

results with group 

Total 

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