Summary
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 Day/Night build. | 1 per group |
| For teacher and student context and inspiration during the Lab. | 1 for teacher demonstration | |
|
Day/Night with Switch VEX GO Build Instructions or a completed Day/Night with Switch build |
As a base for groups to build the Code Day/Night build. | 1 per group |
|
Code Day/Night Build Instructions (3D) or Code Day/Night Build Instructions (PDF) |
For students to add the Brain and Eye Sensor to the Code Day/Night build. | 1 per group |
|
Approximately 3 inch (about 7.5 cm) diameter balls |
To model the Earth on the Code Day/Night build. | 1 per group |
|
Sticker or marker |
For marking the location of the students on the model Earth. | 1 per group |
| For students to use VEXcode GO | 1 per group | |
| For students to build projects for the Code Day/Night. | 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 |
| To help remove pins or pry beams apart. | 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
Ask the students to imagine their days. When they leave for school in the morning, where is the sun in the sky? What about during recess? Right before bed?
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
Why do you think it looks like the Sun is moving across the sky, even though we know it is the Earth spinning?
-
Build
Students will build the Code Day/Night build.
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
Students will use VEXcode GO and their Code Day/Night build to model day and night. They will use the light in the Eye Sensor to act as the Sun and shine on the Earth. They will code the Earth to spin to different locations so they can see how the Sun creates day and night while the Earth rotates.
Mid-Play Break
Students will discuss the VEXcode GO projects they made and how the Earth spins and the Sun is not moving around the Earth.
Part 2
Students will modify their VEXcode GO projects to create a project to better model how while the Earth rotates, it appears the Sun is moving across the sky. They will make a project that incrementally rotates the Earth one hour at a time.
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- Why does it appear that the Sun moves across the sky throughout the day?
- What do you think causes sunrises and sunsets?
- What do you think would happen if the Earth started rotating much quicker or much slower? How would this change our days and nights?
- How would you need to change your VEXcode GO project to show the rotation of the Earth for an entire day?