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Connection to VEX GO

Applying VEX GO

The Data Detectives: Bridge Challenge STEM Lab provides students with a hands-on experience that teaches students about what data is, how VEX GO Eye Sensor data can be collected and interpreted, how to solve an authentic problem using data by making a claim, and collecting and analyzing the data to support or refute that claim. In this Lab, students assume the role of bridge inspectors, and work through a series of activities in which they collect, organize, analyze and interpret data about the safety of bridges in a city.

In Lab 1, students learn how the Eye Sensor collects data by moving the GO Code Base over the surface of a bridge to see what data it reports as it passes over different colored VEX GO Beams (representing cracks in a bridge). They do this first with the eye light off, and record the data reported by the sensor, including the position on the bridge, the status of the eye light, the hue value reported by the sensor, and its corresponding color as determined using the hue chart. They make a prediction about if turning on the eye light will affect the data reported by the sensor, and move the robot over the surface of the bridge again, making sure to position and guide the robot so that the sensor is able to accurately collect the data. Students then analyze their data to see if adding the eye light changes the hue value reported by the sensor.

In Lab 2, they build on what they have learned to collect data to support or disprove the claim that there is an unsafe bridge in their city. They learn the city's bridge safety criteria, and run a VEXcode GO project to collect data about the bottom of the bridge. They take this data and represent it both in a table as well as a graph so they can begin to determine patterns and see if there is a crack on the bridge, and where the crack is located. In Lab 3, students take that collected data and analyze it to determine the size of the crack in the bridge. They compare their data from this Lab, as well as Lab 2, to the bridge safety criteria to either support or refute the claim that the bridge is unsafe.

In Lab 4, students are ready to make their own claims, as they apply data to solve an authentic problem. They first learn about factors that affect the surface of bridges and can cause cracks, such as climate, bridge span, and the amount of bridge traffic. They are given a data set about the condition of various bridges in the city, which they analyze in their groups in order to make a claim about which bridge is the most unsafe, and in need of inspection. In Lab 5, they test their claim by running the VEXcode GO project to scan the bottom of their chosen bridge, collecting data about the size and location of any cracks present. They will use the data to determine if their claim is supported or refuted, and then present their data in a bridge inspection report.

As students work their way through the activities of each Lab, they are using the collected data to describe spatial relationships, as they collect data on the location and size of the bridge cracks. They also use spatial talk in a variety of ways, including as they build the Code Base using build instructions in Lab 1, as they guide the Code Base with the Eye Sensor facing down across the cracks in the bridge, and as they are visualizing where the cracks may be located in Labs 2 and 5, when collecting data from the underside of the bridge. 

Teaching Coding

Throughout this Unit, students will be engaged with different coding concepts such as decomposition and sequencing. The Labs within this unit will follow a similar format:

  • Engage:
    • Teachers will help students make a personal connection to the concepts that will be taught in the Lab.
    • Students will complete the build.
  • Play:
    • Instruct: Teachers will introduce the coding challenge. Ensure that the students understand the goal of the challenge.
    • Model: Teachers will introduce commands that will be used in the creation of their project to complete the challenge. Model the commands by projecting VEXcode (GO/123) or by showing physical (representations of the blocks/Coder cards). For Labs that include pseudocode, model for students how to plan and outline the intention for their projects.
    • Facilitate: Teachers will be given prompts to engage students in a discussion about what the goals of their project are, the spatial reasoning involved in the challenge, and how to troubleshoot unexpected outcomes of their projects. This discussion will also verify that the students understand the purpose of the challenge and how to properly use the commands.
    • Remind: Teachers will remind students that the first attempt of their solution will not be correct or run properly the first time. Encourage multiple iterations and remind students that trial and error is a part of learning.
    • Ask: Teachers will engage students in a discussion that will connect the Lab concepts to real-world applications. Some examples could include, “have you ever wanted to be an engineer?” or “where have you seen robots in your life?”
  • Share: Students have an opportunity to communicate their learning in multiple ways. Using the Choice Board, students will be given a “voice and choice” for how they best display their learning.