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 Hero Robot. | 1 per group |
|
VEX GO Competition Kit |
To create Stage 1 of the Mars Math Expedition Field | 1 per class |
| To build Stage 1 of the competition field before beginning the Lab activities | 1 per class | |
|
Competition Base 2.0 Build Instructions (PDF) or Competition Base 2.0 Build Instructions (3D) |
For students to build the Competition Base Hero Robot. | 1 per group |
|
Competition Advanced 2.0 Build Instructions (PDF) or Competition Advanced 2.0 Build Instructions (3D) |
For students to add onto the Competition Base to build the Competition Advanced Hero Robot. | 1 per group |
| For students to use VEXcode GO. | 1 per group | |
| For students to drive the Hero Robot using the Drive Tab | 1 per group | |
|
Lab 1 Image Slideshow Google Doc / .pptx / .pdf |
For teachers and students to reference throughout the Lab. | 1 for teacher facilitation |
| To use to introduce the Competition to your students | 1 for classroom use | |
|
Robotics Roles & Routines Google Doc / .docx / .pdf |
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 sheet. | 1 per group |
| To help remove pins or pry beams apart. | 1 per group | |
|
Blueprint Worksheet (optional) Google Doc / .docx / .pdf
Data Collection Sheet (optional) Google Doc / .docx / .pdf |
For students to document their learning throughout the Lab. | 1 per group |
|
Match Order Sheet Template (optional) Google Doc / .docx / .pdf |
To show students the order they will compete during the classroom competition. | 1 per class |
|
VEX GO Leaderboard (optional) |
To keep track of teams' scoring during the competition. | 1 per class |
Engage
Begin the lab by engaging with the students.
-
Hook
Connect students to the idea of a robotics competition. Using what you know of other competitions, what might a VEX GO competition look like? How do you think you would compete with your robot? What would make a good teammate in a robotics competition?
-
Leading Question
What kinds of things do you think a competition robot does?
-
Build
Competition Advanced 2.0 Hero Robot
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
Introduce the game objects and the goal of the Crater Collection competition. Then model how to connect a Brain to VEXcode GO, and use the Drive tab in VEXcode GO to remote control drive the Hero Robot on the Field. Students will take turns driving the Hero Robot to move game objects (samples and the rover) out of the craters on the Field.
Mid-Play Break
Students will be introduced to the Crater Collection competition, and the goal of the competition. They will discuss how they can apply what they have learned through their driving practice in Play Part 1, to help them successfully participate in the competition.
Part 2
Students will apply what they practiced in Play Part 1 to participate in the Crater Collection competition! Each team will try to score as many points as they can in a one minute match, by moving game objects out of the craters on the Field with the Hero Robot.
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- What went well for your team in the competition? What would you do differently next time?
- What is one thing that you did that made you a good teammate in the competition? What is one thing your teammate did that was helpful to you in the competition?
- What have you learned about driving the Hero Robot to move objects on the Field that might be useful in future competitions?