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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 Super Car.

 1 per group

Super Car Build Instructions (PDF) or Super Car Build Instructions (3D)

For students to build the Super Car if they have not done so already.

 1 per group

Lab 2 Image Slideshow Google / .pptx / .pdf

For teachers and students to reference throughout the Lab.

 1 for teacher facilitation

Robotics Roles & Routines Google / .docx / .pdf

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 2 Data Collection Sheet Example (Google / .docx / .pdf)

Editable Google Doc for documenting the group’s predictions and observations in the Play sections.

 1 per group

Pencils

For students to fill out the Robotics Roles & Routines worksheet.

 1 per group

Variable materials

Materials that will affect the Super Car’s movement. These can include carpet pieces, tiles, tape, different rubber bands, sandpaper, or ramps.

 5 per group

Measuring Device

Tool to measure how far the Super Car travels. This can be a ruler, meter stick, or tape measure.

 1 per group

Time keeping device

Device for measuring how fast the Super Car travels in the Play sections.

 1 per group

Pin Tool

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.

  1. Hook

    The teacher will demonstrate different levels of energy using a ‘scrunchie’. They will engage students with questions about how to make it fly farther across the room.

    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. 

  2. Leading Question

    What did we change here to change how the hair tie (scrunchie) flew? What other variables could we change?

  3. Build Student Teams will use the Super Car built previously and gather materials to change up to 3 variables (incline, rubber bands, driving surface, etc.) to make the car go a longer distance.

Play

Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.

Part 1

Teams will perform each of the three variable changes twice, for a total of six trials. Students will chart the effect on the distance the car traveled as well as record how much time it takes the Super Car to travel the distance.

Mid-Play Break

Discuss as a class the variables that each group changed during Play Part 1. 
Students will also discuss their thoughts on what variable(s) could make the car travel a shorter distance.

Part 2

Using the information from Play Part 1 and the Mid-Play Break, students will now reverse the paradigm and try to make the car travel slower and for a shorter distance.

Share

Allow students to discuss and display their learning.

Discussion Prompts

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