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 |
---|---|---|
Pre-Built Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward |
For demonstration purposes. | 1 for demonstration |
VEX GO Kit |
For students to build the Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward robot. | 1 per group |
Code Base 2.0 Build Instructions (3D) or Code Base 2.0 Build Instructions (PDF) |
For students to follow to build the Code Base 2.0. | 1 per group |
Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward Build Instructions (3D) or Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward Build Instructions (PDF) |
To add the Eye Sensor to the Code Base 2.0 Build. | 1 per group |
For students to use VEXcode GO. | 1 per group | |
Lab 1 Image Slideshow Google Doc / .pptx / .pdf |
For visual aids while teaching. | 1 for class to view |
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 Checklist. | 1 per group |
Scrap white or light-colored paper |
To ball up and use as obstacles on the Field. | 1-2 per group |
VEX GO Field Tiles and Walls |
To use as a testing area for the Code Base. | 4 Tiles and 8 Walls per Field for testing |
To help remove pins or pry beams apart. | 1 per group | |
For students to build projects for the Code Base. | 1 per group | |
Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF Book (optional) |
To read with students to introduce them to VEX GO through a story and introductory build. | 1 for demonstration purposes |
Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! Teacher's Guide (optional) Google Doc / .pptx / .pdf |
For additional prompts when introducing students to VEX GO with the PDF Book. | 1 for teacher use |
Engage
Begin the lab by engaging with the students.
-
Hook
What senses do you have? How do you use your senses? The Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward robot has an Eye Sensor on the front that will detect when an object is near.
Note: If students are new to VEX GO, use the Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF book and Teacher’s Guide (Google Doc/.pptx /.pdf)
to introduce them to learning and building with VEX GO. Add an additional 10-15 minutes to your lesson time to accommodate this additional activity. -
Leading Question
How can we use the Eye Sensor on the Code Base - Eye Forward robot to detect an obstacle in the Mars landing area?
- Build Code Base 2.0 - Eye Forward
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
Students will pretend the Code Base is a Mars rover that is tasked with detecting and clearing obstacles from the Mars landing area (GO Field). They will build a project in VEXcode GO together with their teacher, to drive the Code Base until an obstacle is detected on the Mars landing area.
Mid-Play Break
Students will observe how the green highlight feature moves as their VEXcode GO project is started. They will compare the movement with the highlight to the behaviors of the Code Base.
Part 2
Students will add a LED Bumper Sensor to the top of their Code Base. Then, they will add a [Wait] and two [Set bumper color] blocks to their project to make the LED Bumper on the Code Base glow after an object is detected by the Eye Sensor.
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- If someone came to our class, who did not know about the Eye Sensor on the Code Base, how would you explain what it does to them?
- How did you work together to build and test your project?
- What else do you think the Eye Sensor could detect in our classroom? How could you test your theory?