Underwater ROV in Enriching Natural Science Learning Activities in Elementary School First-Hand Experience

In this paper, we present our experiences in enriching elementary school students’ curriculum through the use of educational underwater drones. As a part of the project "Citizen Science: Measurements and Observations of the Sea", the Eugen Kvaternik Elementary school from Velika Gorica in Croatia received one Gladius Mini underwater ROV and a robotic arm, which they used to explore the nearby lake and learn about flora, fauna, climate, and temperature change in the lake throughout a year, but also the importance of ecology and preservation of the aquatic environment. Although the students involved in the project had some previous experience with educational robots, they had never encountered marine robots before, so it was a completely new experience for them. Students were impressed with the ROV and the opportunity to dive under the surface and peek into the depths of the lake, explore its’ bottom, and study plants and animals in it. They unanimously agreed that the ROV was "a lot of fun", didn’t find it complicated to operate, and especially liked the fact that the data they collected could be of use to meteorologists, marine biologists, environmental and other scientists in their scientific research.