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Engage

Launch the Engage Section

ACTS is what the teacher will do and ASKS is how the teacher will facilitate.

ACTS ASKS
  1. Make a list of previous builds on a whiteboard or poster paper.
  2. Stand at the front of the class and explain the next build. Write down student answers for common features that a car or buggy should have.
  3. Present wheels and axles to the class from the VEX GO Kit. Explain how the two work together to allow the wheels to turn.
  4. Connect the wheels and axles in a simple build.
    • Image Slideshow: see Simple Wheel and Axle Build
  5. Show the students that the wheel is able to move freely from the beams/plates used in the construction.
  6. Identify the different parts in the demo buggy build from the Lab 5 Image Slideshow.
  7. Show students the Astronaut so they can have an idea of how large the Buggy needs to be to seat it.
  1. Ask the students what they have built previously with the kits. A launchpad, spaceship, flagpole. 
  2. What will the Astronaut travel in once they reach Mars? The Astronaut needs a buggy to ride around Mars. Ask the students to list some features that a car/buggy needs to have. 
  3. How do you think wheels move? 
  4. How do the wheel and axle work together to allow the wheel to move?

  5. How can we use the pieces in the kit to create a buggy for our Astronaut? How can we use a wheel and axle to build a buggy to allow the Astronaut to move around Mars?

  6. What do you notice about the different parts of this build? Is the wheel the same as a beam? 
  7. How big will your Buggy have to be to fit the Astronaut?

Getting the Students Ready to Build

Now that we have seen how the wheels connect to the axles to move freely, your task is to build a Buggy that can drive our Astronaut across Mars.

Diagram of the Simple Wheel Axle Build that uses a wheel in between two long beams to show how it can spin freely on an axle using drive shafts and bearings.
Simple Wheel Axle Build

Facilitate the Build

  1. InstructInstruct students to join their group, and have them complete the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet.

    Use the Suggested Role Responsibilities slide in the Lab 5 Image Slideshow as a guide for students to complete this sheet. Students will now prepare to build their buggy.

  2. DistributeDistribute sheets of paper or the Data Collection Sheet to each group for designing and testing their builds. Journalists should sketch and label the designs for the group.
    Blank Data Collection Sheet, with a data table with 4 columns at the top of the sheet and a space for notes at the bottom of the sheet.
  3. FacilitateFacilitate preparing for the build by encouraging a discussion by asking the following questions:

    • What pieces do you think you will need to build your buggy?

    • How can you ensure that your buggy will move?

  4. OfferOffer design ideas and suggest certain pieces of the kit that students can use to build their buggy.

Teacher Troubleshooting

Facilitation Strategies

  • Because this is a free-build Lab, encourage students to use trial and error. No test will be successful in the first round.
  • To ensure the safety of the Astronaut, hold all Astronauts in your possession until a group presents you with a functional Buggy. Ask them where the Astronaut will be in the Buggy and check that their wheels are moving without interference.
  • If groups finish their designs early, ask them to incorporate extra elements for the Buggy
    • Seating
    • A storage space
    • Satellites
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