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

How data can be gathered, read, and compared.
How to use spatial language to conduct the VEX GO build and in class discussions.

Students will make meaning of

How to predict an object’s continued motion, change in motion, or stability.
How we can use the same data in both a predictive and reflective way.
How to use data to understand how things work.

Students will be skilled at

Recording data accurately.
Measuring the distance the Unpowered Car travels in a test trial.

Students will know

How to use the gathered data to compare movements of the car in various conditions.
How to measure distances traveled by the car.

Objective(s)

Objective

Record data accurately.
Predict car performance based on data from previous tests.
Identify and apply spatial concepts when conducting the Unpowered Super Car build, during experiment trials, and in class discussions.

Activity

Students will measure and record distances the Unpowered Super Car travels in two scenarios. They will use a Data Collection Sheet to record their trial results.
Using data from previous tests in Play Part 1, students will predict how their car will perform when run down a ramp of different heights in the Play Part 2 section of the Lab.
Groups will collaborate to build the Unpowered Super Car and conduct several experiments.

Assessment

Students complete the Data Collection Sheet with distance measurements, and share results in class discussions.
Students will make reasonable predictions based on past trials, and record their predictions on the Data Collection Sheet.
Students will demonstrate their understanding by using spatial language when communicating build instructions and experiment results.

Connections to Standards

Showcase Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

NGSS 3-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

How Standard is Achieved: Students will conduct an investigation during Play Part 1 and 2 to measure and record the distances that their Unpowered Super Car travels when force is applied to it. The students will take turns manually pushing the car to experience it moving from different amounts of force in Play Part 1. In Play Part 2, students will observe and measure the distance the car traveled after going down different ramp angles under the force of gravity.

Showcase Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

NGSS 3-PS2-2: Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

How Standard is Achieved: After the students have observed the car’s motion in Play Part 1, the students will discuss their predictions for how the car will move depending on the amount of force during the Mid-Play Break.

Additional Standards

International Society for Technical Education (ISTE)

ISTE - (5) Computational Thinker - 5c: Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.

How Standard is Achieved: Throughout the entire lab, students will be analyzing and breaking down the concept of, “what is a balanced and unbalanced force, and how does force affect the Unpowered Super Car’s movement?” Students will be building two different types of models to better understand unbalanced forces. The first model is in Play Part 1 with the manual push force and the second is in Play Part 2 with the model of the ramp. Both models will be documented with measurements and data.

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