Skip to main content
Teacher Portal

Applying VEX GO

Connection to VEX GO

Applying VEX GO

In the Intro to Building Unit, you and your students will become familiar with the VEX GO Kit, and complete six builds that guide the student through an introduction of important hardware components. Students will experiment with VEX GO hardware and explore how pieces function in a STEM build.

Builds allow students to create hands-on, 3-D representations of the concepts they are learning. Students practice and build spatial reasoning skills by decomposing the mental image they have for a particular build. They are asked to communicate that image via sketches and build something that meets the criteria outlined in each Lab. As students progress through the Unit, they will be asked to describe the pieces used to build their design and how pieces fit together or interact with one another. These descriptions should include spatial language relating the position of one piece to another (above, below, across) as well as the size of one piece to another (large, small, short, big). Students’ ability to verbalize their mental representation and manipulation of the pieces supports their understanding of the VEX GO Kit pieces and the spatial relationships between them.

Students can use provided worksheets to document design sketches with the VEX GO pieces. These worksheets can also be used to reinforce the design process with students. The Engineering Design Process (EDP) is introduced to the students as they plan and build stable structures. They use the three steps of the EDP (Define the Problem, Develop Solutions, Optimize) to ensure their builds meet the stated criteria. Ask students as they work through the Labs which step of the EDP they are currently using.

By completing the Intro to Building GO STEM Lab Unit, students gain real and authentic learning experiences in engineering by working through interactive builds using the VEX GO Kits and accompanying activities. They will learn to use the pieces from the VEX GO Kits as they create builds to meet the various needs for a mission to Mars. Students will explain the positional relationships between pieces and how they distinguish between two pieces. Through these Labs, students practice planning and building structures that demonstrate balance, stability, and mobility.