What Students Learn

Students learn how drones support real‑world tasks in delivery, logistics, and environmental science. They explore how unexpected conditions affect flight planning and how clear communication and teamwork support safe operations. In the Galápagos simulation, they learn how coded search patterns, obstacle avoidance, and camera‑based data collection mirror real conservation work. Across both missions, they deepen their understanding of coding efficiency, iterative testing, and how drones gather and interpret information.

What Students Do

Students begin with a lighthearted animal‑themed icebreaker before acting as drone delivery pilots in the Great Cookie Drop. They fly Hopper through a town, deliver “orders,” and adapt to surprise flight events determined by dice rolls. They track earnings and compete to complete the most successful deliveries. In the Galápagos activity, students code Hopper to fly a systematic search pattern, avoid a volcano hazard, and use the camera to count tortoise markers placed around the study area. They repeat flights to simulate multiple years of population monitoring, graph their data, and reflect on trends and coding improvements.