Nixon Elementary School
Date: May 22, 2014
Time: 12:40 - 3:00 P.M.
# of Members: 5
Whitney High School Robotics was glad to be re-invited to demonstrate at Nixon Elementary to expose teachers and students to the benefits and fun of robotics in applied learning and raise interest in robotics competitions.
Organizing a plan a few weeks before our settled date, May 22, we had decided on using our standard shift system, where each sixth grade class of about thirty would have a good fifteen minutes to be introduced to three different flavors of robotics. Our three prepared shift activities were a FIRST Lego League station introducing lego robotics, a VEX Robotics Challenge remote-controlled robot freeze-tag station, and finally, a FIRST Tech Challenge Game demonstration with our international level robot, Windsor. With representatives from each team and a checklist of materials, we were ready to provide a fun experience for the younger students.
On the day of demonstration, we arrived at Nixon about 1 in the afternoon to set up in the lunch area. Our demonstration began at 1:45 P.M. with an introduction from FTC team member about our club and what the students could expect to see. Teachers then divided about a hundred students into their three respective classes to lead them to each station.
At the LEGO Robotics station, we had set up the FLL Nature’s Fury game challenge field with remote control LEGO robots to let students view robotics through a familiar medium, LEGO. In addition we also presented a LEGO writing robot that we built. Introducing FLL while showing students about the field, we then let them examine and interact with the various LEGO robots. A few lucky students were able to go home with a drawing made by our robotic club mascot, a Schmoe.
Similarly, at our VEX Robotics station, we set up a mini-field and put our remote controlled freeze-tag robots into play for the group of students. Students had a lot of fun both cooperating and competing with each other in several games of freeze-tag. One class enjoyed it so much that they cheered for their teacher to try playing with the students as well. It was amazing to see that the students were so eager to share the fun.
Our final station, the FTC station, had a field where we demonstrated the abilities of Windsor, our FTC competition robot from the previous ‘12-’13 competition season. We first answered the students’ questions about the program. We then informed them of the upcoming Summer RoboCamp, which would provide hands-on experience to develop upon what they had just seen at the demonstration.
Once all student groups had been rotated through all three locations we concluded our demonstration, thanked the students and teachers for their time, and began packing up to leave. Overall, we thought the students were excited and responsive and enjoyed our demonstration.
We felt that we had instilled in them an interest in robotics, competitions, and had provided means for developing their learning. One student was so enthusiastic about robotics that he returned while we were packing up to ask questions about where he could acquire LEGO sets for robots of his own. In regards to potential improvements, we intend to build hardier freeze-tag robots so that they can better withstand impacts and to organize wires more efficiently.
Time: 12:40 - 3:00 P.M.
# of Members: 5
Whitney High School Robotics was glad to be re-invited to demonstrate at Nixon Elementary to expose teachers and students to the benefits and fun of robotics in applied learning and raise interest in robotics competitions.
Organizing a plan a few weeks before our settled date, May 22, we had decided on using our standard shift system, where each sixth grade class of about thirty would have a good fifteen minutes to be introduced to three different flavors of robotics. Our three prepared shift activities were a FIRST Lego League station introducing lego robotics, a VEX Robotics Challenge remote-controlled robot freeze-tag station, and finally, a FIRST Tech Challenge Game demonstration with our international level robot, Windsor. With representatives from each team and a checklist of materials, we were ready to provide a fun experience for the younger students.
On the day of demonstration, we arrived at Nixon about 1 in the afternoon to set up in the lunch area. Our demonstration began at 1:45 P.M. with an introduction from FTC team member about our club and what the students could expect to see. Teachers then divided about a hundred students into their three respective classes to lead them to each station.
At the LEGO Robotics station, we had set up the FLL Nature’s Fury game challenge field with remote control LEGO robots to let students view robotics through a familiar medium, LEGO. In addition we also presented a LEGO writing robot that we built. Introducing FLL while showing students about the field, we then let them examine and interact with the various LEGO robots. A few lucky students were able to go home with a drawing made by our robotic club mascot, a Schmoe.
Similarly, at our VEX Robotics station, we set up a mini-field and put our remote controlled freeze-tag robots into play for the group of students. Students had a lot of fun both cooperating and competing with each other in several games of freeze-tag. One class enjoyed it so much that they cheered for their teacher to try playing with the students as well. It was amazing to see that the students were so eager to share the fun.
Our final station, the FTC station, had a field where we demonstrated the abilities of Windsor, our FTC competition robot from the previous ‘12-’13 competition season. We first answered the students’ questions about the program. We then informed them of the upcoming Summer RoboCamp, which would provide hands-on experience to develop upon what they had just seen at the demonstration.
Once all student groups had been rotated through all three locations we concluded our demonstration, thanked the students and teachers for their time, and began packing up to leave. Overall, we thought the students were excited and responsive and enjoyed our demonstration.
We felt that we had instilled in them an interest in robotics, competitions, and had provided means for developing their learning. One student was so enthusiastic about robotics that he returned while we were packing up to ask questions about where he could acquire LEGO sets for robots of his own. In regards to potential improvements, we intend to build hardier freeze-tag robots so that they can better withstand impacts and to organize wires more efficiently.