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Summary

Materials Needed

The following is a list of all the materials and teaching resources that are needed to complete the VEX 123 Lab. First listed are the materials needed for the entire Lab, including the 123 Robot. In certain Labs, links to teaching resources in a slideshow format have been included. Not all Labs will include a slideshow. These slides can help provide context and inspiration for your students. All slides are editable, and can be projected for students or used as a teacher resource.

Materials Purpose Recommendation

123 Robot

To act as the Mars Rover and carry out projects.

 1 per group

123 Field

To use as a testing surface for projects.

 1 Field per 2 groups

Tablet or Computer

To access VEXcode 123.

 1 per group

VEXcode 123

To build projects for the 123 Robot.

 1 per group

Lab 1 Image Slideshow

Google Doc / .pptx / .pdf

For visual aids while teaching.

 1 for the class to view

Small classroom items (i.e. erasers, pom poms)

To use as samples in the challenge.

 1-3 per group

123 Art Ring

To use to attach “rover” elements to customize the 123 Robot.

 1 per group

Classroom art supplies (ie. paper, markers, pipe cleaners)

To use to create the “rover” elements to add to the Art Ring.

 1 set for the whole class to access

Dry erase markers

To mark the sample location and the starting point on the 123 Field.

 2 markers of different colors

Environment Setup

  • Think about how your students will access VEXcode 123. Ensure that the computers or tablets that students will use have access to VEXcode 123. For more information about setting up VEXcode 123, see this VEX Library article.
  • Gather the materials each group needs before class. For this Lab, each group of two students will need a 123 Robot, a computer or tablet to access VEXcode 123, a small classroom item to act as a sample, an Art Ring, access to classroom art supplies, and access to a 123 Field for testing.

    • Set up your 123 Fields ahead of time, as shown in the image below, to serve as a testing space for the 123 Robots. Mark the start and sample locations, as shown, using a dry erase marker, or classroom items. Have these spread out around the classroom to allow students ample space to test their projects. Both Labs in this Unit will use the same Field setup, so you can leave your fields together from Lab 1 to Lab 2.

      Top down view of a 123 field that consists of a 2 by 2 square of 123 Field Tiles. Two symbols are marking a start position and the sample's position. The starting position is 2 to the right from the bottom left corner, and the sample is 2 to the right and 4 up from the bottom left corner.
      123 Field Setup
    • You may want to keep the “sample” items with each Field, so they are ready for students during the Play section.
  • Review the Facilitation Strategies in the Engage section for turn-taking ideas to help students share responsibilities during the Lab. For groups larger than the recommended two students, provide students with more granular roles. Examples of responsibilities for students in this Lab include:
    • Decorating the 123 Robot as a “rover.”
    • Turning on the 123 Robot and connecting it to the computer or tablet.
    • Placing the 123 Robot on the Field in the starting location, and starting the project.
    • Building the project in VEXcode 123 in Play Part 1.
    • Editing the project in VEXcode 123 in Play Part 1.
    • Building the project in VEXcode 123 in Play Part 2.
    • Editing the project in VEXcode 123 in Play Part 2.

Engage

Begin the lab by engaging with the students.

  1. Hook

    Students will discuss what they know about Mars and how scientists learn more about the Red Planet.

  2. Demonstrate

    Students will use classroom art supplies and the 123 Art Ring to turn their 123 Robots into 123 Robot rovers.

  3. Leading Question

    We are going to pretend our 123 Robots are rovers on Mars! How do you think we could code them to pretend to collect samples like the real rovers do?

Play

Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.

Part 1

Students will build a project in VEXcode 123 to drive the 123 Robot to the location of a sample and wait for three seconds so the sample can be collected. After collecting the sample, the 123 Robot will play the doorbell sound to symbolize that the sample was collected!

Mid-Play Break

Students discuss how they can add to their projects to have the 123 Robot bring the sample back to the base. How will they turn the 123 Robot around? What VEXcode 123 blocks will they need?

Part 2

Students will add VEXcode 123 blocks to their projects to turn the 123 Robot around and drive back to the base with the sample. As students test their projects, they will place a small object, like an eraser, on top of the 123 Robot to represent the sample when the robot pauses to collect.

Alternate Coding Methods

While this Lab is written for use with VEXcode 123, it can also be completed using the Coder or touch buttons on the 123 Robot. Instead of giving each group a tablet or computer, distribute a Coder and Coder cards for students to build the projects to collect and deliver a sample. For more information about the Coder, see the Using the VEX Coder VEX Library article.

If using the touch buttons to code, have students sequence button presses to create a project that has the 123 Robot move on their 123 Field to collect and deliver a sample. For more information about coding using the Touch buttons on the 123 Robot, see the Coding with the Touch Buttons on the 123 Robot VEX Library article.

Share

Allow students to discuss and display their learning.

Active Share

Students will act out the projects using gestures to show how the 123 Robot moved.

Discussion Prompts

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