Axle Robot Kit
Grades 6-8A reusable kit your students build with the tools we pack in every box.
- Students
- 2 to 3 per kit
- Battery
- 2 to 3 hours
- Sensors
- Ultrasonic, light
- Driving
- Game controller
Introduction to Robotics with Axle
Introduction to Robotics with Axle brings hands-on robotics to every 6th, 7th, and 8th grader. Your students build the $650 Axle Robot Kit with real tools, then code it through our 45-lesson unit full of math and science. At the end, every kit comes apart for your next class.
Hands-on building
Your students build every robot
Axle arrives in pieces, because building it is where the learning starts. In groups of two or three, your students put the robot together with real-world tools like a screwdriver, a wrench, and a ruler, then spend the rest of the unit coding the robot they built. At the end they take it apart, so every kit is ready for your next class.
Computer science
Coding comes next
Your students program Axle in True Robotics Playground, our drag-and-drop coding software. They learn sequences, loops, and conditionals, then program Axle's ultrasonic sensor, its light sensor, and the game controller we include with every kit. Programs upload over Bluetooth, and no student needs a login.
Our middle school robotics curriculum
Our grab-and-go curriculum gives your teachers everything they need for 45 lessons of hands-on STEM. We wrote a version for each of grades 6, 7, and 8, plus a General version for mixed-grade groups. Every lesson comes with a detailed lesson plan, a ready-made presentation with how-to videos, and an entrance ticket and reflection, with the printables in both PDF and Word.
Standards alignment
A curriculum for every grade, aligned to Common Core, NGSS, CSTA, ISTE, and your state's standards.
See how Axle lines up with standardsAxle at a glance
| Grades | 6 to 8 |
|---|---|
| Curriculum versions | Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8, and a General version |
| Unit length | 45 lessons |
| Lesson length | 45 to 60 minutes, with flexibility |
| Add-on | FlexForge, with its own Axle curriculum |
| Your school provides | One device per group to code on:
|
45 lessons
18 programming lessons
11 science lessons
8 math lessons
5 robotics and engineering lessons
3 building lessons
After the unit
FlexForge adds five missions
When your students are ready for more, FlexForge adds build pieces, extra motors, and gears to their Axle. In each of its five units, your students explore a real-world mission, build a robot for it, and test their design.
- Wildfire Response Bot
- Food Delivery Bot
- Prosthetic Arm
- Ski Bot
- Rescue Bot
One classroom set
One set for every grade
Every class can have its own robots, but one set can also serve your whole middle school. We recommend staggering the unit: sixth grade builds and codes Axle in the fall, then seventh grade in the winter, and eighth grade in the spring. Or one grade builds the robots, and every class uploads its own programs to them.
In the box
How Axle runs at your school
Getting started is simple, and our team is with you from your quote to your first lesson. We pack every kit in its own labeled box with the tools, a battery and charger, spare screws, and a game controller, so the only thing your school provides is a device for each group to code on.
Ask for a quote
Tell us your grades and class sizes, and we build your quote.
Your kits arrive
Every kit arrives in pieces, in its own labeled box.
A 30-minute intro session
We meet every teacher virtually to set up a login and tour our Learning Portal.
Build, teach, take apart
Your teachers build first, students build early in the unit, and the kits come apart at the end.
Teacher training
Training for your Axle teachers
We want every teacher to feel confident from day one, even if they have never taught robotics before. We recommend building one kit yourself before your students do, and our Learning Portal walks you through every step on video.
What you get, when it happens, and what it covers
| What you get | When | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Learning Portal | Open 24/7 | Chapters, videos, and short quizzes, with the Axle build step by step. |
| A 30-minute intro session | Your first step | We meet virtually to set up your login and tour our Learning Portal. |
| A dedicated contact | Any time | A dedicated person from our team, for your school and your teachers. |
| One-on-one training | One to two hours | We meet virtually and can build your first robot with you. |
| In-person sessions | At your school | Our team in the room, which we recommend for a full-school rollout. |
What Axle costs
$650per robot
We price curriculum licensing and professional development separately and bundle them into Classroom Packages at a discount. Prices subject to change.
Robots for a class of 24
We recommend one Axle Robot Kit for every two to three students, so a class of 24 needs 8 to 12 kits, and the same set can serve every class in your school.
In the first year, your school gets the robots, our curriculum, our Learning Portal, and one-on-one training for your teachers. From year two on, the only thing to plan for is the yearly license renewal, because your robots are reusable and your teachers are already trained.
Title funds and grants
We work with Title I, Title II, and Title IV funds all the time, and a purchase can be split across whichever of those pools your school has money left in. For a grant, a dedicated person from our team helps you find one and put the application and the budget table together.
Before middle school, your 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders can build our Pilot Robot Kit in Taking Off with Pilot. After middle school, your students can go on to Medical Robotics for grades 8 to 12, where students who took Axle wire and program faster.
Questions about Axle
Axle is a 45-lesson unit. What if we don't have time for all of it?
Our team builds a custom scope and sequence with your teachers that fits Introduction to Robotics with Axle to the days you actually have. We start with two questions: how many days can you give the unit, and is your goal raising math and science scores or a hands-on introduction to robotics? Then we recommend which of the 45 lessons matter most, keeping the math and science lessons or moving sooner into more complex coding. Taking Off with Pilot gets the same help.
What is the General curriculum?
Our General curriculum is a version of the True Robotics Pilot and Axle curricula that needs no grade-level prior knowledge, so any group of students can jump in. Our grade versions build on grade-level skills, so fifth grade Pilot expects a good grasp of upper elementary math and science. The General version looks at robotics and coding as a whole, a great fit for an after-school club that mixes grades. We wrote Paving the Way with Treads grade by grade, so it has no General version.
How many robots does a class of 24 need?
A class of 24 needs 12 True Robotics Treads Robots, or 8 to 12 Pilot Robot Kits or Axle Robot Kits. We recommend two students per Treads Robot and two to three students per Pilot or Axle kit. For any class size, divide your students by those group sizes. During the build, keep the same students on the same kit for the couple of days it takes. After that, one set of our robots can serve many classes across your school.
Does FlexForge have to come after the regular Pilot or Axle curriculum?
No. We can weave FlexForge right into a True Robotics Pilot or Axle unit, and we plan that mix with your school. For an eighth grade engineering course with about 20 instructional days, our curriculum team wrote a custom scope using Axle with FlexForge. Students spent a couple of days on the build and basic programming. Then they alternated engineering design challenges with sensor programming, because the course's priority was the engineering design process.
Can we run an after-school robotics club?
Yes. Your school can run a True Robotics after-school club with the same robots your classes already use. A class uses the built robots in the morning, and in the afternoon your most interested students can use our FlexForge pieces to go deeper into engineering design. Our General curriculum is a great fit for clubs that mix grades, because it needs no grade-level prior knowledge. Clubs also pair well with staggered units: a grade finishes its unit, then joins the club later in the year.
Is there a robotics class in middle school?
Yes. At True Robotics, our middle school robotics program is Introduction to Robotics with Axle, with a curriculum written for each of grades 6, 7, and 8. Your students build the Axle Robot Kit, more than 250 pieces, then code it through 45 lessons of 45 to 60 minutes. Along the way, they apply grade-level math and science, from fractions to Newton's Third Law. Your school can run it as a science, math, or engineering class, an after-school club, or a summer camp.
What is robotics in 6th grade?
In 6th grade, robotics with True Robotics means Introduction to Robotics with Axle, where your students build the Axle Robot Kit, code it, and use it to learn grade-level math and science. Our 6th grade curriculum has 45 lessons of 45 to 60 minutes, and the kit has more than 250 pieces. Your students multiply and divide fractions, find the area and perimeter of squares, and explore waves and digital and analog signals. They also program the game controller and the ultrasonic and light sensors.
What is robotics in 8th grade?
In 8th grade, robotics with True Robotics means Introduction to Robotics with Axle, where your students build the Axle Robot Kit, code it, and use it to apply grade-level math and science. Our 8th grade curriculum has 45 lessons of 45 to 60 minutes, and the kit has more than 250 pieces. Your students solve systems of equations, use the Pythagorean Theorem, and explore Newton's Third Law through collisions. They also program the game controller and apply the ultrasonic and light sensors.
Bring Axle to your middle school
Tell us how many days you have and what your goals are, and our team will build a plan around them. Interested in bringing Axle to your students? Get in touch with our team!
