Materials Needed
The following is a list of all the materials that are needed to complete the VEX GO Lab. These materials include student facing materials as well as teacher facilitation materials. It is recommended that you assign two students to each VEX GO Kit.
In some Labs, links to teaching resources in a slideshow format have been included. These slides can help provide context and inspiration for your students. Teachers will be guided in how to implement the slides with suggestions throughout the lab. All slides are editable, and can be projected for students or used as a teacher resource. To edit the Google Slides, make a copy into your personal Drive and edit as needed.
Other editable documents have been included to assist in implementing the Labs in a small group format. Print the worksheets as is or copy and edit those documents to suit the needs of your classroom. Example Data Collection sheet setups have been included for certain experiments as well as the original blank copy. While they offer suggestions for setup, these documents are all editable to best suit your classroom and the needs of your students.
| Materials | Purpose | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
|
VEX GO Kit |
For students to build the Code Base - LED Bumper Top. |
1 per group |
|
VEX GO Tiles and Walls (or other classroom materials) |
To build a field to drive the Code Base on for the LED Bumper Pressed project. |
4 Tiles and 8 Walls per 2x2 Field |
|
Code Base Build Instructions (PDF) or Code Base Build Instructions (3D) |
For students to build the Code Base, if they haven’t already done so. |
1 per group |
|
For students to add the LED Bumper to the Code Base. |
1 per group | |
|
For students to use VEXcode GO. |
1 per group | |
|
For students to code the Code Base. |
1 per group | |
|
For teachers and students to reference throughout the Lab. |
1 for teacher facilitation | |
|
To help remove pins or pry beams apart. |
1 per group | |
|
Editable Google Doc for organizing group work and best practices for using the VEX GO Kit. |
1 per group | |
|
Pencils |
For students to fill out the Robotics Roles & Routines Checklist. |
1 per group |
|
Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF Book (optional) |
To read with students to introduce them to VEX GO through a story and introductory build. | 1 for demonstration purposes |
|
Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! Teacher's Guide (optional) Google / .pptx / .pdf |
For additional prompts when introducing students to VEX GO with the PDF Book. | 1 for teacher use |
Engage
Begin the lab by engaging with the students.
-
Hook
What is a sensor? What kinds of data do sensors collect? In VEX GO, there are different kinds of sensors. Today, we are going to talk about the LED Bumper. It can do two things, what do you think they are? The LED Bumper can change color and report data about whether it is pressed or not.
Note: If students are new to VEX GO, use the Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF book and Teacher’s Guide (Google / .pptx / .pdf) to introduce them to learning and building with VEX GO. Add an additional 10-15 minutes to your lesson time to accommodate this additional activity.
-
Leading Question
How can we add the LED Bumper to the Code Base to learn more about how it works?
-
Build
Code Base - LED Bumper Top
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
In Play Part 1, students will explore the color changing function using the 'Using the LED Bumper' example project. Students will start the project and observe the LED Bumper display red, then green, then turn the display off. They will then remix the project and make it their own to change the pattern of the display colors by changing the parameters and adding/removing blocks.
Mid-Play Break
What action was the LED Bumper performing in the 'Using the LED Bumper' example project? How else can the LED Bumper can be used? Students will need to think back to the introduction to the LED Bumper in the Engage section.
Part 2
Students will use the 'Wait until Push' example project to make the Code Base move when the LED Bumper is pressed. After testing the example project, students will add blocks to the project to cause the Code Base to perform different actions in response to the LED Bumper press.
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- What caused the Code Base to start driving forward in the Play Part 2 project?
- What are the two functions of the LED Bumper? How might you use those together in a project?
- What other uses for the LED Bumper can you think of?