Implementing VEX GO STEM Labs

STEM Labs are designed to be the online teacher’s manual for VEX GO. Like a printed teacher’s manual, the teacher-facing content of the STEM Labs provides all of the resources, materials, and information needed to be able to plan, teach, and assess with VEX GO. The Lab Image Slideshows are the student-facing companion to this material. For more detailed information about how to implement a STEM Lab in your classroom, see the Implementing VEX GO STEM Labs article.

Goals and Standards

Goals

Students will apply

The engineering design process to design and test out their float construction.

Students will make meaning of

The iterative nature as part of the engineering design process.

Students will be skilled at

Using the design process.
Testing and solving an authentic problem through trial and error.

Students will know

How to make a design using the engineering design process.
How to persevere and fail without giving up.

Objective(s)

Objective

Students will decompose the coding process for navigating the Code Base robot, with materials attached, through a particular course.
Students will use problem solving strategies in design challenges.
Students will design a parade float by adding materials to their Code Base robot that adheres to certain constraints on materials and time.

Activity

During Mid-Play Break, students will break down the process for attaching the float to the Code Base robot to analyze how these materials will affect the robot’s movement. In Play Part 2, students will decompose the route that the Code Base robot will travel with the parade float attached using pseudocode.
During Engage, students will problem solve to create the tallest tower with one sheet of paper in 5 minutes. Students will be faced to overcome failure and frustration. In the Play sections, they will have to problem solve and iterate to design and build a parade float that attaches to the Code Base.
During Engage, students will design their parade float using a Blueprint Worksheet in a collaborative manner. Students will adhere to constraints on time and materials by using “tokens” to limit the amount of materials they can “buy.”

Assessment

In Play Part 2, students will convert their pseudocode to [Comment] blocks and use this as a foundation for creating a VEXcode GO project that successfully drives the Code Base through a sample parade route.
During Mid-Play Break, students will brainstorm ways to solve problems that arose in Play Part 1 when attaching the parade float to the Code Base robot.
Students will attach their parade floats to the Code Base and drive the Code Base through a sample parade route.

Connections to Standards

Showcase Standards

Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA)

CSTA 1B-AP-11: Decompose (break down) problems into smaller, manageable subproblems to facilitate the program development process.

How Standard is Achieved: In Play Part 2, groups will create a pseudocode (step-by-step outline) to plan their project for their float to move around the parade route. In Play Part 2, groups will start their project and troubleshoot for mistakes and errors while working together to come up with solutions to have their parade float go through the parade route successfully.

Showcase Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1: Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

How Standard is Achieved: During Play Part 1, students will design and attach their parade float to the Code Base robot. Students will use spatial language during the building and attachment process. Students may use language such as, “I am attaching this to the top of the float” or “I added this to the left side so I also need to attach it to the right side.” Students will also use spatial language when describing the parade route.

Showcase Standards

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

ISTE - (3) Knowledge Constructor - 3d: Build knowledge by actively exploring real-world issues and problems, developing ideas and theories and pursuing answers and solutions.

How Standard is Achieved: In Play Part 1, students will work in groups to use typical classroom materials to create a unique float based off of their initial planned designs. Students experience a real-world design process as they work to create their parade float out of classroom materials.

Additional Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1: Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

How Standard is Achieved: In Play Part 1, groups are given tokens (common classroom items) to “purchase” materials to build and design their parade float. This experience allows students to work through constraints (such as the materials available in the classroom to use and the amount of tokens they need to “buy” materials) while still successfully building the parade float.

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