STEM Agility Course

STEM Agility Course

Materials Needed

Recycled items including paper, cardboard, toilet paper tubes, straws
Tape or glue
Optional : pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks
Optional: robotic toy bug, one per student
Computer and projector to display video of dog completing agility course https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/sports/how-to-watch-an-agility-competition-101-prepare-to-get-hooked-on-the-sport/
Planning sheet

Teacher Modeling/Explicit Instruction

Training for dog agility is a great way to bond with your dog. In agility courses, dogs go through pre-determined obstacles within a certain time limit.
In order to train their dogs, many trainers choose to build their own course with PVC pipes and plywood.
Course regulations can be found at https://images.akc.org/pdf/rulebooks/REAGIL.pdf
Obstacles include the following (not a complete list):

A frame: the dog must go up one side and down the other.
Dog walk: like a balance beam for a dog.
Seesaw: the dog must go up one side of the seesaw, change its balance, and go down the other side.
Open Tunnel: the dog goes in one end and out the other.
Weave Poles: the dog weaves in and out from one end of the line of poles to the other.
Bar Jumps: the dog jumps over a bar at various heights in the course.
Panel Jump: this jump looks like jumping over a solid wall
Double Bar Jump: the dog jumps over two parallel bars.
Triple Bar Jump: the dog jumps over a series of three ascending bars.
The dog jumps through a tire or circular object.

Explain to students that they will be designing, creating, and decorating their own agility course using repurposed materials.
Pass out planning sheet and go over the instructions with students.

Resources