October is the perfect time to mix seasonal fun with hands-on, real-world tech skills. With CoDrone EDU, students can explore coding, teamwork, and creative storytelling, all while enjoying the thrills of spooky season. We’re especially excited about this month’s activity: Spooky Storytelling with Drones. We included some ideas at the end of the blog if you’re not ready for these deadly drone activities to end, so be sure to read until the end.

Looking for more? Explore our free, standards-aligned CoDrone EDU curriculum at learn.robolink.com.

Spooky Storytelling with Drones

Grade Range: Upper Elementary – Middle School
Time: 60–75 minutes
Materials Needed:

• CoDrone EDU (1 per team)

• Computer with access to codrone.robolink.com
  

Objectives

Students will:

• Write and perform their own Halloween-themed drone stories.

• Translate story elements into sequenced drone code.

• Use loops, timing commands, and debugging.

• Collaborate to test, improve, and showcase a “drone performance.”
  
  

Standards Connection

• ELA: Narrative writing, sequencing, descriptive language

• CS/STEAM: Coding fundamentals, computational thinking

• Collaboration: Teamwork, communication, peer feedback

Lesson Flow

1. Hook (5 min)
Kick things off with a spooky vibe. Play eerie sound effects or Halloween-themed music while students brainstorm how drones might act as story characters: bats, ghosts, zombies, or witches in flight.

2. Movement Mini-Lesson (10 min)
Build a class “drone movement dictionary.” Connect flight actions to Halloween visuals. Examples:

• Drone zooms upward = bat escaping a cave

• Drone hovers = ghost floating midair

• Drone color sensors = picking the right candy

• Drone darts left/right = monster chase

App smash idea: use Wakelet to capture definitions, videos, and illustrations for your class “drone movement dictionary”!

3. Group Story Writing (10–15 min)
In small teams, students write short Halloween stories featuring at least three drone actions. Encourage simple storyboarding (post-its, Figjam board, or Google Slides) to break narratives into segments, making the coding step easier.

Story prompt examples:

• “On Halloween night, a ghost left the old mansion…”

• “The witch’s black cat darted through the forest…”

4. Coding the Story (20–25 min)
Students turn story moments into coded drone actions using codrone.robolink.com.
Example: “The bat swooped down” → take off → fly down 2 seconds → curve forward.

Advanced option: add sound effects, randomized movements, or loops for tension and suspense.

5. Performances (10–15 min)
Each team presents their drone tale by reading their story aloud while running their drone code. Add flair by recording performances with WeVideo or layering spooky backdrops designed in art class.

Optional twist: host a competition with categories: Scariest Flight, Best Coding Match, Funniest Story.

6. Reflection & Wrap-Up (5 min)
Students share their biggest coding win, one challenge they overcame, and new spooky drone actions they’d like to try. This can be a quick write-up or a class discussion.

Bonus October Activities

Haunted House Maze
Create a taped “haunted house” maze on the floor. Students program drones to turn, follow paths, and escape without touching “walls.” It’s a logic and debugging challenge with a haunted twist.

Witch’s Broomstick Races
Set up a “sky track” using tape markers. Students program their drones to fly it fast, then remix by coding variable speeds like brooms that zoom, hover, or wobble dramatically.

Take the Next Step

This October, let drones take your classroom into spooky season STEM adventures. With CoDrone EDU, students aren’t just coding—they’re bringing seasonal stories to life through flight.

Want to keep the magic going year-round? At learn.robolink.com you’ll find ready-to-teach lessons, interactive coding challenges, and tons of classroom project ideas.