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 |
|---|---|---|
|
VEX GO Kit |
For students to build the Spring Car for activities in Play Part 1 and 2. |
1 per group |
|
For teacher and student context and inspiration during the Lab. |
1 for teacher demonstration | |
|
Pre-built Spring Car |
For demonstration in the Engage section. |
1 per group |
|
Editable Google Doc for organizing group work and best practices for using the VEX GO Kit. |
1 per group | |
|
Editable Google Doc for organizing group work and best practices for using the VEX GO Kit. |
1 per group | |
|
Data Collection Sheet (Google / .docx / .pdf) or Lab 3 Data Collection Sheet Example (Google / .docx / .pdf) |
Editable Google Doc for recording distance traveled and predictions for the test trials in Play Part 1 and 2. |
1 per group |
|
Ruler/ Measuring Tape |
For students to measure how far the car travels in Play Part 1 and 2 investigations. |
1 per group |
|
Pencils |
For students to fill out the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet and the Data Collection. |
1 per group |
|
To help remove pins or pry beams apart. |
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 / .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
Ask students, “Who has ever ridden a bike? What makes the bike move? What happens if it gets a flat tire?” Guide students to identify how wheels help us move objects, and show how the axle is what holds the wheel in place, allowing it to rotate freely.
Introduce the Spring Car and show how it works. Point out that the wheel and axle allow the car to move farther with less force. Work becomes easier when less force is needed to complete a task.
Note: If students are new to VEX GO, use the Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF book and Teacher’s Guide (Google / .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
What would happen if we removed the wheel and axle? How would the car move without this simple machine?
-
Build
Students will use build instructions to build the Spring Car without the wheel and axle.
Play
Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.
Part 1
Groups will test their builds without the wheels and axle in three test trials. They will mark the starting point, test the car by pulling and releasing the slider, and measure the distance traveled. Students will record measurements on their Data Collection worksheet.
Mid-Play Break
Discuss the results of the first part of the investigation. Groups will predict how adding the wheel and axle will affect the distance traveled by the Spring Car, and why.
Part 2
Groups will run three tests and record the distances traveled by the Spring Car with the wheels and axle. Students will then draw conclusions based on their compiled data in guided discussions. The teacher will circulate and prompt these discussions, “How did the wheels affect the movement of the car? Why?”
Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.
Discussion Prompts
- What was the purpose of the investigation?
- How does a wheel and axle make work easier?
- How was the motion of the object observed and recorded?