Lesson 1: Kit Introduction

The goal of this mission is for students to explore the VEX AIR Drone Kit, so they can become familiar with its contents and how the components of the kit function when used with the drone. This activity is presented in the form of a choice board to offer students voice and choice in their exploration, so they can learn about the kit in an engaging way. 

Before beginning, ensure all students can access the Overview of the VEX AIR Drone Kit VEX Library article. You may also want to hang the VEX AIR Parts Poster in your space for students to reference as they work through the mission. (Posters can be found at posters.vex.com.)

When facilitating choice board activities keep the following in mind: 

• Set a time limit - Make sure students know how long they have to complete the mission. The time frame should be the same no matter what activity is chosen, so that all students can engage similarly. 
• Encourage collaboration - Students can work in partners or small groups to complete the mission. As students work together, encourage them to discuss what they are seeing and reading, so they can complete the activity in a way that works for all group members. 
• Share your work - Come back together as a whole class and have students share how they completed the mission. Ask questions and prompt discussion between students about how their own creations were similar or different, and why. 

If students finish early, encourage them to add additional detail or have two groups work together to discuss how they described different components and make sure they are on the same page.

By the end of the activity, students should have a shared vocabulary around kit components that they can use throughout the course.

Even though students will be flying in a virtual environment in this course, connecting lessons to real-world drone use can help them see purpose and possibility. When students connect how professionals use the same concepts they are learning, their course work can feel more relevant and engaging.

These connections also help students see themselves in real roles. Whether supporting a search-and-rescue team, surveying land, or capturing aerial footage, linking simulator skills to real-world applications shows the value and potential of what they’re learning.

Use the examples to prompt discussions and/or reflections. Ask questions like:

• Which of these drone uses seems most important to you? Why?
• What skills do you think are shared between simulator training and real missions?
• How might drones be used in your community or future careers?

To extend this section, have students research and present additional real-world uses of drones that spark their curiosity and interest. 

These questions are here to use as formative assessment to check student understanding before moving on with the unit. The answer key for the questions in this lesson can be found here (Google Doc / .docx / .pdf). 

Students can use these questions to determine how well they understand the essential concepts of the lesson, and you can use their answers to be sure students have grasped the material fully before moving on. As the lessons in this unit are sequential, be sure to reteach any concepts or knowledge gaps prior to having students continue to progress through the lessons.