Pacing Guide

This unit should be implemented to supplement student learning on the concepts of using sensors in a VEXcode GO project to solve a challenge, like sorting objects by color.

STEM Labs can be adapted in various ways to fit into any classroom or learning environment. Each STEM Lab includes the following 3 sections: Engage, Play, and Share (optional).

Each STEM Lab in this unit can be completed in as little as 40 minutes

Section Summary

The Engage and Play sections, which contain the primary learning activities, can be completed within 40 minutes. The Share section, which enables students to express their learning is optional, but estimated at around 3-5 minutes per group.

Click on the tabs below to view descriptions of the Engage, Play, and Share sections of the STEM Lab.

The Pacing Guide

The pacing guide for each Lab provides step-by-step instructions on What, How, and When to teach. The STEM Lab Pacing Guide previews the concepts that are taught in each section (Engage, Play, and Share (optional)), explains how the section is delivered, and identifies all the materials that are needed.

Making This Unit Fit Your Unique Classroom Needs

Not every classroom is the same, and teachers face a variety of implementation challenges throughout the year. While each VEX GO STEM Lab follows a predictable format, there are things that you can do in this Unit to help make it easier to meet those challenges when they arise.

• Implementing in less time:
  • To shorten the time with a coding focus, combine the Play sections in Labs 1 or 2, and teach them all as guided instruction.
  • To complete Lab 3 in less time, have students sort only 2 of the disks, instead of all 3.
  • To focus on the concepts of conditionals with the Eye Sensor and Electromagnet, skip Lab 4, to shorten the Unit while still maintaining a coding focus. 
  • For students who are experienced coders, condense Labs 1 and 2 to a guided demonstration resulting in the project at the end of Play Part 2. Then focus on the more advanced coding concepts in Labs 3 and 4.
• Reteaching Strategies: If students are struggling to build a successful project in Lab 1, show them the Sequencing tutorial video to reiterate the importance of sequence in building a project that works as intended; or the Driving Your Robot tutorial video to review basic movements using the [Drive for] and [Turn for] blocks.
  • If students need additional practice with using the Electromagnet and Eye Sensor together to sort objects by color, have them open and test the Using the Electromagnet example project. As the project runs, students can follow the highlight feature to see the project flow. Step through the project to slow it down and make the project flow more visible.
  • If students need more support to understand the project flow of My Blocks, have them open and test the Organizing Code example project. As it runs, call their attention to the highlight feature, to see when the project moves to and from the My Blocks in the project. Step through the project to slow it down and make this even more visible. 
  • If students need more help with the idea of using Comments in a project, have them watch the Pseudocode tutorial video.
     
• Extending this Unit: To give students more practice with the collecting and sorting concepts in this Unit, have them complete the Mars Rover Search and Collect GO Activity (Google Doc / .docx / .pdf).
  • To extend the Unit and explore the color sensing aspect of the Eye Sensor, use the Mars Rover Sample Analysis GO Activity (Google Doc / .docx / .pdf) with your students, to introduce the idea of hue, and how colors can be reported as a hue value by the Eye Sensor.
  • Use the Choice Board activities to extend the Unit, while allowing students to express their voice and choice in what activities they want to complete.
• If students get done building at different times, there are a number of meaningful learning activities early finishers can participate in as the rest of the group finishes building. View this article for several suggestions about how to plan for engaging students who finish building earlier than others. From establishing classroom helper routines to completing short activities, there are many ways to keep all students engaged throughout class building time.

The following VEXcode GO resources support the coding concepts that are taught in this STEM Lab Unit. Above are some ways to use these resources to support your implementation needs, from catching up for missed class time, to remote learning and differentiation. Below is more information about these resources, so you can be confident and prepared for the suggested implementations, or when using these resources to be suit your own unique teaching environment.

VEXcode GO Resources

Using VEXcode GO Help

In this Unit, the VEXcode GO projects are provided for the student either in the form of example projects or images of projects to recreate. You can use the Help feature together with your students as an extension tool to explain how specific blocks are functioning in one of the projects.

After reading the description for, or with your student, you can ask students to describe how the block functions in the project they are working on. If students want more practice with a specific block, have them look at the example provided and ask them what the robot will do in the project shown, then you can help them make connections to how that is similar or different to the project they are working on in the Unit.

Blocks in this Unit include:

• [Drive for]
• [Turn for]
• [Energize electromagnet]
• [If then]
• <Detects color>
• [My Blocks]
• [Comment]