Robots. It’s a concept that has fascinated children and adults alike. My son went through a huge robot phase. He danced like a robot, watched robot movies, and even had a robot-themed 4th birthday party. Now that he is in upper elementary school, I thought it would be a great time to read this exciting book. Boy, did we love it! We were able to also complete some exciting and fun activities for this novel. With this, we wanted to share those 5 activities for The Wild Robot with you, plus some bonus projects we created for the classroom.
We live in such an exciting and interesting time as robotic technology, or AI, has become a norm for us. From Siri on our phones to Alexa in our homes, from ChapGPT to robot vacuums, we are living on the precipice of a robot revolution. Scary or exciting? Are we on the verge of living like The Jetsons or living under their rule like in I, Robot with Will Smith?
Peter Brown explores this concept of robots in our world in his novel, The Wild Robot. The first of three books for upper elementary to middle school students, Peter Brown tells a story about a futuristic world in which robots are in every home. Robots are a huge billion-dollar industry and are manufactured like candy in factories. Servant robots are commonplace just like a pet in many homes. When a shipment of robots crashes onto an island, readers see first-hand how a robot might be able to survive in the wild.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Can a robot survive in the wilderness? When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants. As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her. From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.
We highly recommend The Wild Robot by Peter Brown. It explores the concept of robotics and how it contrasts so vividly with nature. It also shows friendship and transformation, adoption, and protection. The Wild Robot explores so many interesting ideas that are prevalent in our world today. We have five activities (and some bonus ones) you can complete with The Wild Robot.
#1 Create a Robot Classroom Activity
The features of Roz, the robotic main character are super interesting. She can adapt to her surroundings, take in situations around her, and then adjust her hardware to match. Roz watches the animals on the island. She observes their patterns and languages and can easily mimic their way of life to communicate and survive. She learns how to improve her performance based on her experiences. This allows her to show kindness, compassion, strength, survival skills, and perseverance. As I was reading this with my fourth-grade son, (as a former teacher, I now homeschool) he immediately started talking about if he had a robot and what features that robot would have. Once students read this book, they’ll be chomping at the bit to create their own robots.
My son’s robot, The Money Maker.
Task your class to draw a colored sketch of their robot. Have them describe their robot in writing, and have them answer the following questions.
- *What is your robot’s name?
- *What does your robot do that is special?
- *What does your robot look like?
- *How can your robot adapt and change?
- *How is your robot helpful?
STEM Activity
Then, have students create a robot using whatever materials they would like. Perhaps your classroom has a Maker Space and they can create their robot at school. Maybe, students would like to go home and build a robot out of Lego pieces, wood, or even actual robotic pieces from a kit. This would become a STEM activity fairly quickly if robotic technology was incorporated.
Allow your students the flexibility to create their robot in any way they want. My son ended up using wood and coins to create his robot, the Money Maker. He said this was one of his favorite activities all school year long.
In our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit, students brainstorm, research, plan, implement, and build a robot project just like described above. With various graphic organizers, reflective questions, descriptive writing pages, and a rubric, you’ll have everything you need to implement this project.
#2 Explore Conflicts
It is important to explore all the differing types of conflicts when reading. The main types of conflict are Character vs Character, Character vs Self, Character vs Society, Character vs Nature, and Character vs Technology. In The Wild Robot, all of these conflicts are explored heavily, making this the perfect novel to teach this standard.
When Roz is faced with animals thinking she is a literal monster, we have Character vs Character and even Character vs Nature. When Roz realizes she accidentally kills a family of geese, she faces feelings of a need to redeem the situation as she’s intent on adopting the surviving gosling, Brightbill, and raising him. The concept of Character vs Self is explored more as Roz develops and transforms into a mother.
Character vs Society
Character vs Society is explored as Roz must befriend whole groupings of animals in the society of the island. For instance, she wins over a family of beavers who end up helping her build a shelter for her and her newly adopted son.
Character vs Nature
Character vs Nature is displayed when Roz must face the winter as all the animals do. She must survive bears who want to eat her and initially, she survived a hurricane when her cargo ship crashed on the island.
Character vs Technology
Character vs Technology is the most heavily explored theme as the animals must face the idea of Roz and how her technology could improve their way of life. Roz, herself, faces technology as RECOS, rifle-wielding robots come after Roz to take her back to her manufacturer.
Check out our FREE The Wild Robot CONFLICT graphic organizer below.
#3 Roz’s Transformation Classroom Activity
When we first meet Roz, she is accidentally powered on by some curious otters. We learn that she is a robot that expects someone to assign tasks to her, but since no one is there to be her owner, she explores the island freely. Her sole objective, at first, is to remain purposeful and protect herself from harm so she can be a functional robot.
As the story progresses, so does Roz. She learns the behaviors and languages of the various animals. She develops a type of robotic empathy and mothering instinct for the gosling she adopts as she learns how to be a caretaker from a goose mother. Roz learns to alter her voice to make it sound like she has feelings so other animals will respond to her better. She learns to show kindness as she takes in animals during the winter and builds them warm fires. The Wild Robot explores character development as Roz adapts and morphs and becomes a part of the island she inhabits.
Roz’s Character Development Project
Students can create a before, middle, and after of Roz as her character develops. This is a no-prep activity that works with any novel. Students divide a piece of paper into three parts. At the top, write Roz’s Transformation and at the top of the three sections, write Beginning, Middle, & End.
In each of the three parts, students draw Roz as she appears at the beginning, middle, and end of the book. There are noticeable physical differences such as Roz having a wooden trunk as a foot near the end of the book. In each section, students write the various character traits of Roz.
Noticeable differences start to take shape as the story progresses. If you are doing this task with middle schoolers, then have them write a quote or two for each section plus the character traits to show text-based evidence. Students can easily see how the main character transforms throughout the book.
Grab our The Wild Robot Project Based Learning Unit where students can use a graphic organizer to do this exact assignment and also write a descriptive piece about what causes Roz’s changes.
#4 Explore the Dangers of Robotic Technology
Now is a wonderful time to read The Wild Robot. If you peruse the current news, there’s always some sort of daily announcement about new robotic technology or AI. Yet, is this robotic technology safe? Is this something we should be exploring? Invite your students to this discussion, and they can explore their opinions and thoughts in various writing prompts as you read a variety of articles on this topic.
FREE Robotic News Articles
Sign up for free to view robotic news articles for students: https://online.kidsdiscover.com/
This website has articles on how robotics is in our everyday lives already to the science behind self-driving cars. There is also an article on how nature inspires robots, which is a fitting complementary read to The Wild Robot.
Here are more kid-friendly articles about robots:
Could a Robot Become President?
Older students can explore the ethics of robotic technology, aka, AI. Should they be able to use Chat GPT to help them do their homework? Is using an Alexa to answer questions helpful? When does technology cross the line from helpful to harmful or from helpful to cheating? How was Roz harmful at times? How was she helpful?
Should mankind use robots in warfare, like the RECOS rifle-wielding robots in the novel? What about autonomous robots like the RECOS, should they be allowed to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield? Should robots be allowed to take care of children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities? Discuss the ethical challenges of robot-human relationships. One such relationship could be human’s emotional attachment to robots or the potential for robots to manipulate. We do see how Roz develops relationships and forms a pseudo-human attachment to the animals she befriends.
In our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit, students can write a newspaper editorial in which they detail their opinion on robotic technology. Students choose from a variety of topics surrounding artificial intelligence, complete research, and then write their own opinion article about the topic. Complete with a rubric for grading, this project will get students thinking and wondering about real-life technology issues.
#5 Explore Animal Characters
The Wild Robot is filled with interesting animal characters with strong personalities and differing behaviors. Each animal character plays a role in Roz’s adventure on the island. Not only does the reader get to know these fascinating characters’ quirky personalities, but they also get to learn about animal behavior and the scientific characteristics of each type of animal. From bears to geese, from beavers to deer, there is a wide variety of characters to explore.
Students can do just this through our Animal Character Graphic Organizer. As students read the novel, they list each animal they encounter, its name, and inner and outer character traits. It’s a great way to keep track of all the animals that play an important role in the novel. Find it in our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit.
Bonus Activity! #6 Explore Nature and Science
Even though a huge theme of The Wild Robot is technology, another theme explored is animals and nature. While reading, students encounter so many different types of animals on the island. There are otters to goslings, from fish to foxes, and from beavers to deer. Students learn about their behavior patterns, what they eat, and what they instinctually do such as geese traveling south for the winter, beavers building dams, or predators hunting certain prey. The contrasting theme of robots against the backdrop of nature is fascinating as students can learn about animals and science as well.
As I read this novel with my son, we kept a list of each animal we encountered, their names, their character traits, and their animal traits just like described above. Then, I had my son choose an animal to research from the list. He completed a research report on the animal of his choice to learn even more about it.
Grab our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit where students can complete a poster research report all about an animal from the novel. Students will dive into the animal’s behavior, adaptations, habitat, and more! This project contains detailed research sheets, checklists, and a rubric.
Bonus Activity! #7 Setting Exploration/Diorama
Peter Brown leaves the setting a true mystery as he never mentions where the specific island and setting are found. Is it a made up island? As the reader, we learn all about this island and its habitats. Containing mountains and evergreen trees with a wide variety of forest animals, this island is quite fascinating. Students can learn geography, research islands around the world, and piece together information from the novel to investigate and make an official hypothesis as to where Roz’s island could be.
In The Wild Robot Project Based Learning Unit, students gather evidence from the novel, the internet, and other sources. Next, they record their findings on various graphic organizers. Then, students piece together their evidence to form an official hypothesis as to the island Peter Brown based his novel on. Students create a presentation to show their official hypothesis and information all about this real-life island. Complete with a rubric, our unit contains this very project and all you need to implement it.
If you’re looking for students to create and synthesize information about the setting of The Wild Robot, assign a diorama project. Using a shoebox or small box, students use craft materials to create a replica of the setting, except they’re challenged to go a bit further. They must recreate Roz’s home and incorporate science by recreating some of the animal characters’ habitats as well. Grab this full project in our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit too.
Bonus Activity! #8 Disguise Roz Project
Roz disguises herself at the very beginning of the novel as she tries to observe animal behavior inconspicuously. Realizing the animals would not react well to an unusual robot, Roz utilizes the landscape to camouflage herself. She hangs vines and leaves on herself to blend into the island.
Challenge students to think of and create a disguise for Roz, using the island’s landscape, or using other materials entirely. Students may disguise Roz as a large frog if she puts greenery all over herself. However, she could be a mountain covered with snow. Students get to think outside of the box and have some fun as they camouflage Roz. Then, they can write a descriptive piece all about their creation.
This entire activity is also included in our The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit.
Bonus Activity! #9 STEM Creations
The Wild Robot is full of science. I just love it when books can become cross-curricular adventures!
With the help of the beaver, Roz creates a winter lodge for herself and her adopted gosling, Brightbill. Roz uses her intelligence and strength to create a winter home that none of the animal friends have seen before. Throughout the novel, readers learn about the various habitats of other animals.
Take students on a walk to gather outdoor materials with the challenge of creating a replica of Roz’s lodge from inside to out! Students can use craft materials and grass, straw, pebbles, leaves, and mud to create the fascinating winter lodge. You can even go a step further and have students design their own winter lodging. By using the components of STEM, students will be fully engaged in this project.
The Wild Robot STEM Challenges are included in our Project-Based Learning Unit. Each challenge includes reflection questions as well as a place to sketch each of their creations.
Bonus Activity! #10 Migration & Animal Imprinting
In the novel, Brightbill, Roz’s adopted gosling, eventually gets old enough to go on his first migration. The readers learn all about migration and the instinctual need for certain animals to do this during the winter. This natural instinct ensures survival. Dive into the science of migration by reading more about it and connecting it to the novel.
Next, learn more about the topic of animal imprinting after reading about how Roz adopted Brightbill, an orphaned gosling. We see how Brightbill imprints on Roz and forms an attachment to her as his mother. We also learn how imprinting can ensure the survival of animals or sometimes cause negative effects like in the novel.
Students can read articles on Migration and Animal Imprinting and answer questions connecting this scientific information to the novel. Both articles and questions are included in The Wild Robot Project-Based Learning Unit.
The Wild Robot Movie is Coming Out in 2024!
We were so very happy to see that Peter Brown announced that Dreamworks Animation is releasing the movie, The Wild Robot, September, 2024!
I know what we will be doing that weekend! Now you can show your students the movie after reading this novel. I love it when books are made into movies. It gives chances for students to visualize the story further and to compare and contrast the book to the movie. Make sure to mark your calendars for it!
Conclusion
The Wild Robot has so many opportunities for activities and discussion surrounding robotics, nature, character conflicts, and transformations, as well as the creation of a robot. If you teach upper elementary to middle school, place The Wild Robot on your must-read and must-teach list. It is a wild ride of adventure and a riveting read.
