Engage
Launch the Engage Section
ACTS is what the teacher will do and ASKS is how the teacher will facilitate.
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Getting the Students Ready to Build
The Super Car uses the rubber band to move. We will now build the same car, but with a motor. How will adding a motor to our Super Car affect its speed?
Facilitate the Build
- Instruct Instruct students to join their team, and have them complete the role sign up on the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet. Use the Suggested Role Responsibilities slide in the Lab Image Slideshow as a guide for students to complete this sheet.
- Distribute Distribute build instructions to each team. Journalists should gather the materials on the checklist.
- Facilitate Facilitate building process.
- Builders can begin building. If there are multiple builders, they should alternate steps to complete the build.
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Journalists should assist with build instructions as needed and document all lab results.
VEX GO Motorized Super Car
- Offer Offer suggestions and note positive team building and problem solving strategies as teams build together.

Teacher Troubleshooting
- If students are having trouble with the pins, offer the Pin Tool as support.
- Ensure the Motor, Switch, and Battery are connected properly. View the Using the VEX GO Switch VEX Library article for more information about how to properly connect the components.
- Ensure all batteries are charged before starting the build.
Facilitation Strategies
- Student “Help Desk” - if groups are having trouble with the build, they can ask other groups for support. If one group finds a trick or a helpful hint - encourage them to share it with the class.
- Offer “in the moment” observations as teams work well, and invite them to share teamwork strategies with the class.
- For more information on how the VEX GO Gears function in the Super Car build, see the Gears section of the Using VEX GO Wheels, Gears, and Pulleys VEX Library article.
- Use the Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF Book and Teacher’s Guide - If students are new to VEX GO, read the PDF book and use the prompts in the Teacher’s Guide to facilitate an introduction to building and using VEX GO before beginning the Lab activities. Students can join their groups and gather their VEX GO Kits, and follow along with the building activity within the book as you read.
- Use the Teacher’s Guide to facilitate student engagement. To focus on VEX GO connections in a more concrete or tangible way, use the Share, Show, or Find prompts on each page to give students an opportunity to get to know their kits in more depth.
- To focus on the habits of mind that support building and learning with VEX GO, like persistence, patience, and teamwork, use the Think prompts on each page to engage students in conversations about mindset and strategies to support successful group work and creative thinking.
- To learn more about using the PDF book and accompanying Teacher’s Guide as a teaching tool any time you are using VEX GO in your classroom, see this VEX Library article.