April is the perfect time to connect STEM with the natural world. In this challenge, students program their CoDrone EDU to act like pollinators, traveling from flower to flower before returning to the hive.

Along the way, they build route-planning skills, practice efficient coding, and explore how real-world systems rely on movement, patterns, and energy use.

This month's activity is especially special because it's inspired by the work of our community, specifically Robolink Ambassador, Ludyvina Gomez! She did a similar activity with her students for Earth Day in 2025.

For more ways to bring CoDrone EDU into your classroom, explore our free curriculum at learn.robolink.com and check out additional themed lessons on the blog.

Implement this lesson, share photos or videos on social media, and you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a new CoDrone EDU for your classroom fleet. The winning class will be announced on May 1, 2026. Tag us @robolinkinc on all social media platforms.

Classroom Set Up

Materials

• 1 CoDrone EDU per group

• “Flowers” (colored paper or mats placed around the room)

• “Hive” (launch/landing pad)

• Optional: tape or cones to define boundaries

Layout

• Place 3 to 6 “flowers” around the room

• Use different colors to represent different flower types

• Designate one central location as the Hive (Home Base)

Tip: Spread flowers at varying distances to naturally encourage strategy and efficiency.

Quick tip: Short on time? Start with Challenge 1 using piloting only, then move to Challenge 2 with simple Blockly sequences.

Challenge 1: First Pollination Flight

Start simple by focusing on one flower.

Students will take off from the hive, fly to a single flower, hover or land for 2 to 3 seconds, and return safely to home base. This initial activity helps students build confidence with controlled movement and positioning.

This lesson can be executed by piloting the drone or programming the drone using Blockly or Python. 

Robolink Ambassador Ludyvina Gomez of Albuquerque Public Schools brought this concept to life by adding pom poms to each flower. As drones approached, the propellers created airflow that moved the pom poms, simulating real-world pollination in action.

Challenge 2: Multi-Flower Route

Now students expand their flight path to include multiple flowers.

Have students to visit 2 to 3 flowers in a single flight, hovering briefly at each before returning to the hive. At this stage, the focus shifts to planning and executing a multi-step route while maintaining orientation and control throughout the flight.

Encourage students to map out their path before flying to reinforce sequencing and intentional movement.

Challenge 3: Energy-Constrained Challenge

Introduce real-world constraints by limiting available “energy.” This challenge can be done two different ways, use the method that would challenge your students without stumping them:

Limited Moves

In this step, students must complete the full challenge by visiting all flowers using a limited number of moves or commands. Each movement counts toward their total, encouraging students to think critically about efficiency and eliminate unnecessary steps. 

If piloting, have one student act as a “counter” for each of the movements so that the pilot can focus!

For example, limit students to 10 to 15 movements or commands or introduce a time constraint.

Limited Energy

This activity can be done in the Pollinator Activity in our Blockly course!

For this activity, students will continue to act as pollinators, flying to flowers and collecting pollen. Now, however, each flower will be worth a certain amount of energy points. Their goal is to collect as many energy points as they can in 30 seconds. However, the total energy used during their flight cannot exceed the energy they collect.

Teachers, for this set up, you will need to assign flowers specific numbers of points. The farther the flower, the more points it should be.

Students will need to first determine how much power/energy is used to fly between flowers and at specific speeds. Students can create a program that reports the battery before and after flight. This will help them make an informed decision about their flight path when they’re earning their points.

Real-World Connection

Pollinators like bees play a critical role in ecosystems and food production. They move efficiently between flowers to collect and distribute pollen, helping plants reproduce and thrive.

In this activity, students model that behavior by planning efficient routes, conserving energy, and repeating patterns in movement.

This mirrors real-world challenges across multiple fields. In robotics and automation, systems must follow efficient, repeatable paths to complete tasks accurately. In delivery systems and logistics, routes are carefully planned to minimize time and conserve resources. In environmental science and sustainability, understanding systems like pollination helps us design solutions that are both efficient and responsible.

In Summary

This challenge strengthens core drone skills that students will carry into more advanced flight and programming challenges. As they plan and execute their pollination routes, they build confidence with spatial awareness, orientation, and controlled movement. They begin to see how small adjustments in pitch, roll, and throttle impact accuracy, and how structured code translates directly to real-world flight behavior.

Whether students are piloting or programming, this activity brings together creativity, strategy, and purpose in a way that keeps them engaged from takeoff to landing.

Ready to bring this into your classroom? Explore free, classroom-ready lessons on Robolink Learn and start building confidence with drones from day one.

And as a reminder, sharing this lesson on social media will enter you into a drawing to win a drone to add to your fleet!