Vocabulary
- Mars
- The fourth planet from the Sun, often referred to as the "Red Planet".
- Electromagnet
- A type of magnet where a magnetic field is produced by an electric current.
- Eye Sensor
- A type of sensor that detects if there is an object present, the color of the object, and the brightness of light.
- VEXcode GO
- A programming language used with VEX GO robots.
- {When started} block
- Begins running the attached stack of blocks when the project is started.
- [If then] block
- A 'C' block that runs the blocks inside of it if the condition is reported to be True.
- [Energize electromagnet] block
- Sets the VEX GO Electromagnet to two different modes: boost or drop.
- <Detects color> block
- Reports if the Eye Sensor detects the specified color of an object.
Encouraging Vocabulary Usage
The following are additional ways to facilitate vocabulary usage as students are engaged in the activities throughout this Unit.
Students should be encouraged to use the vocabulary terms:
- Throughout all of the activities
- As they are working in groups
- As they are reflecting
- As they are sharing their knowledge and experience
Tips for Encouraging Vocabulary Usage
- Vocabulary Charades - Play a game where vocabulary words are written on paper circles to represent the Disks, and have students act as the electromagnet to pick up a paper disk. They have to work with their group to act out the vocabulary word for the class. If they get it right, great! If they get it wrong, a different group needs to try it before you move on to the next disk.
- Encourage students to be descriptive in discussions - As students are building their projects and describing things like intended behaviors and project flow, encourage them to use the block names and vocabulary to be more descriptive in their conversations. Rather than saying something like “the robot saw red”, help them develop the habit of describing actions with more clarity and specificity - like “the Eye Sensor detected that the Disk was red.” That specificity will help them to think about projects on a more granular level, which can help them when they are building projects in the future.