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 - Eye Down. | 1 per group |
Lab 3 Image Slideshow |
For visual aids while teaching. | 1 for the class to view |
Robotics Roles & Routines (Google Doc / .docx / .pdf) |
For organizing group work and best practices for using the VEX GO Kit. | 1 per group |
Bridge Inspection Report (Google Doc / .docx / .pdf ) |
For students to record data during the Play section. Note: Students will complete the last two pages of the report in this Lab. They should have completed the previous pages in Lab 2. |
1 per group |
Pencils and colored pencils |
For students to record data and complete the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet and the Bridge Inspection Report. |
1 per student |
Code Base Build Instructions (3D) or Code Base Build Instructions (PDF) |
For Students to build the Code Base. | 1 per group |
Code Base - Eye Down Build Instructions (3D) or Code Base - Eye Down Build Instructions (PDF) |
To add the Eye Sensor to the Code Base Build. | 1 per group |
Engage
Begin the lab by engaging with the students.
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Hook
Remind students about the claim that there is a crack in a bridge, making it dangerous for the citizens of Vexville. Ask them to review what they learned from the hue value data in the last Lab, and direct their attention to the bridge safety criteria. Guide them to understand that although the data they have looked at so far suggests that the claim is true, the presence and location of the crack are not the only factors needed to determine if a bridge is unsafe.
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Leading Question
What other data do we need to study to determine if the claim about the bridge being unsafe is true? How do you think we might use the distance data we collected to find out the approximate size of the crack on the bridge?
- Build Code Base - Eye Down
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
Students will use the data collected in Lab 2 to calculate the approximate size of the crack in the bridge. They will record the results of their calculation on their Bridge Safety Report.
Mid-Play Break
Students will review all that they have discovered from the data they have collected in preparation for comparing it with the bridge safety criteria to make the determination if the claim that the bridge is unsafe is true.
Part 2
Students will complete the Bridge Inspection Summary page in the Bridge Inspection Report. They will answer questions using the data they collected and analyzed to determine the overall safety rating of the bridge, supporting or refuting the claim that the bridge is unsafe.
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- How did you use your distance values to calculate the approximate size of the crack on the bridge?
- Once you calculated the size of the crack on the bridge, what safety category did it fall into?
- How did you use the data to make your final determination about whether the bridge was safe, at-risk or dangerous?
- If you were presenting your Bridge Inspection Report to the mayor of Vexville, how would you use it to explain what you learned about the claim?
- Does having a visual display of data, like a table or a bar graph, make it easier to communicate your findings? Why or why not?