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A Folding Robot Can Crawl and Jump

Magnetic forces help a small robot move in different ways.

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Technology news editorial illustration for Folding Robot Crawls, Jumps and Grips With Magnetic Control

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Source: Huang and colleagues / Nature Communications; adapted under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), 2026-11-06.

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Try 2 questions about this story, then explain one idea in your own words. Check the text whenever you need to.

In this lesson: Identify how the robot moves and how its body changes.

Print a worksheet · Teacher guide & answers

Read and understand · 1/2What can make the robot crawl, turn, jump and roll?

Read the answer and explanation

Magnetic forces. The reading names magnetic forces as the way to make these movements happen.

Clue: Researchers have made a small robot with a folded body. Magnetic forces can make it crawl, turn, jump and roll. It can also catch objects.

Read and understand · 2/2What can a strong magnetic push do to the body?

Read the answer and explanation

Switch it between two shapes. The body can stay in two shapes, and a strong push can move it from one to the other.

Clue: The body can stay in two different shapes. A strong magnetic push can switch it from one shape to the other.

Grammar in this story: Can followed by a base verb

It can also catch objects.

Can describes an ability demonstrated by the robot. Catch is the base form after can; it does not take an -s ending.

Your turn

Name two ways the robot can move and one other thing it can do.

See one possible answer

The robot can crawl and jump. It can also catch objects.

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0 of 2 questions checked.

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