Play

Part 1 - Step by Step

1. InstructInstruct students they are going to participate in the Farm to Table Competition with their Hero Robots. First, they will learn how to deliver the Crop to the Food Processor Tile on the Field. Then students will press down on the Food Processor (with either the robot or by hand) to produce Food, and deliver the Food to the Red Tile on the Field. Students will take turns driving the Hero Robot to complete the Farm to Table tasks. View the video below to learn more about the game elements, driving, and scoring for the Farm to Table activities. The end of the video shows an example of how a Hero Robot could be driving to accomplish the tasks.

   Note: You can choose how students interact with the video content. The video is embedded within the Lab 4 Image Slideshow to share easily with students. Or, you may choose to watch the video yourself and present the information to your students in class. 

2. ModelModel for students how to drive the Hero Robot to move the Crop game objects on the Field. The goal of this practice is to deliver the Crop to the Food Processor Tile, press down on the Food Processor to produce Food (with the robot or by hand) and then deliver the Food to the Red Tile on the Field.

   • First, model for students how to launch VEXcode GO, connect their Brain to their device, and open the Drive tab.

     

     Note: When you first connect your robot to your device, the Gyro built into the Brain may calibrate, causing the robot to move on its own for a moment. This is an expected behavior; do not touch the robot while it's calibrating.

   • Next, model for students how to select the Motor option in Port 2, to control the arm motor on the Hero Robot.

     

   • Model for students how to change the Drive Mode by selecting the buttons – Tank Drive, Left Arcade, Right Arcade, or Split Arcade. View the video clip below to see the movement of the joysticks as each Drive Mode is selected.  

     Video file
     • For reference, the Drive Modes correspond to the following controls: 
       • Tank Drive: Each joystick controls a different motor.
       • Left Arcade: One joystick that controls both motors. The joystick is on the left-hand side of the screen.
       • Right Arcade: One joystick that controls both motors. The joystick is on the right-hand side of the screen.
       • Split Arcade: Two joysticks. One controls left and right movements and the other controls forward and reverse movements.
   • Model for students how to raise and lower the arm motor using the green and red arrows around Port 2.

     • Note: The arrows correspond to the direction the motor is spinning, not necessarily the up and down movements of the arm itself. 

       

   •  Next, set the Hero Robot on the green starting Tile, and model how to deliver the Crop to the Food Processor Tile. 

    

   • As students are practicing driving the Hero Robot to deliver the Crop to the Food Processor Tile, you can use the Farm to Table Practice Activity (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) to guide them through how to practice. 
     • If students finish the practice tasks early, and need an additional challenge, have them try one of the 'Level Up' extensions on the Farm to Table Practice Activity.

   

3. FacilitateFacilitate turn taking and collaboration between and among teams as they are practicing driving their Hero Robots. As you circulate around the room, ask questions like:
   • How are you taking turns driving on your team, so everyone has a chance to practice? 
   • Which Crop did you choose to deliver to the Food Processor Tile? Why did you choose that one? Did you practice delivering a different crop?
   • What is your strategy to get the Crop out of the rows and to the Food Processor? How did you choose that strategy together? 
   • How did you decide if your team will use your hand or the Hero Robot to press down on the Food Processor to produce the Food?
   • What can you learn from each other's driving strategies to deliver the Food to the red tile that can help your team in the competition?

   You may want to allow extra time and VEX GO Kit pieces for students to design and build an iteration of the arm or claw on the Hero Robot, to help them manipulate the Crops more easily. You can use the Engineering Design Process Organizer (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) to help students document the problem they are trying to solve, their design idea, and how successfully it accomplished their goal.

   • To help students stay focused and organized, you may want to have them check in with you to share their design ideas before they begin building. This way, you can help them evaluate the feasibility of the iteration in the time and constraints of your setting. Ask questions like: 
     • How will this change help your robot move the Crop more easily? What problem are you having now that this iteration will solve? 
     • How much time do you think this will take you to build? Can you build it in the time we have in class? 
     • How will you test your iteration to know if it is successful? What will you look for in your next practice drive to know if it is working?
   • You can offer constraints like the number of pieces, or the area of the robot that they can adapt, to help students focus on a small and specific iteration, rather than trying to do something like redesign the entire arm.

   You may want to have multiple areas for practice set up around the room. While there is only one Crop Tile on the Stage 4 Field, you can offer students space to practice just lifting, pushing, and moving Crops. On the field, there are multiple Crops that can be spread around the room which would allow teams to spread out and practice with different crops to test design or driving strategy ideas off the Field.

   Facilitate conversations about driving strategy as students are practicing. You may want to allow extra time for Play Part 1, to enable all students to have enough time to get comfortable with manipulating the Crop and Food Processor, so that they can begin to think about strategy. Encourage teams to look at what others are doing around the room, so that they can learn from other teams' experiences as well.

   • What have you figured out through practice that has helped you be successful? How are you driving across the bridge successfully, while moving the Crops or Food?
   • What helps to lift and move the Crop in a more predictable or controlled way? Why might that be helpful in the competition?
   • How much longer does it take to move the small Crop versus the large Crop? How might this affect your choice of which Crop to choose in a competition setting?
4. RemindRemind students that they should choose one small change to make to their strategy or robot design at a time as they are iterating through practice. Trying to change many things at once may make it unclear what is working well, and what is not. Being systematic about it, and documenting data about their practice driving can help them to make good data based decisions in practice and for the competition.

   Remind students that design iterations on the robot take time, testing, and persistence in order to find the design that works best for their team. Communication and compromise are important to developing a team design, so remind students to listen to one another and try to be flexible when it another teammate is sharing ideas. When they are offering an idea, do so in a calm and respectful tone, and clearly explain or show what you mean using the robot. Encourage students to sketch their design ideas and to describe how that design solves a specific problem they are having with the task. Ask questions like: 

   • What problem are you trying to solve? 
   • How will your design help your team to solve that problem? 
   • What are any potential disadvantages or drawbacks to creating your design (like time, number of pieces, etc.)? 
5. AskAsk students about how they think crops are actually produced into food on farms. Do you think farmers use similar equipment to produce food you can find in a grocery store? How might our activity be helpful to understand about farming and technology?

Mid-Play Break & Group Discussion

As soon as every group delivered the Crop to the Food Processor, and produced the Food, come together for a brief conversation.

Now that students have practiced driving their Hero Robots to deliver Crops to the Food Processor, and produce Food, now talk about the different driver and design strategies each team used to accomplish the tasks. Have each team share their strategies, and ask questions like:

• How did your team deliver the Crop to the Food Processor? Which Crop did you choose? What was most successful path for you to take to get to the Food Processor Tile? 
• Which strategy did your team use to press down on the Food Processor to produce the Food? Did you use your robot or your hand? Why?
• What is one thing your team struggled to figure out during your practice? How can we help solve that problem together?
• What is something you saw or heard another team do that you'd like to know more about? 

Then, introduce the Farm to Table Competition:

• The goal of the competition is to score as many points as you can by delivering the Crops to the Food Processor, producing the Food by pressing down on the Food Processor, and then delivering the Food to the Red Tile, in a one minute match.
• Each task is worth 1 point: delivering a Crop to the Food Processor, producing the Food by pressing down on the Food Processor, and delivering the Food to the Red Tile.
• Teams will apply what they learned in practice to help them score the most points they can in the competition!

Talk about how teams can use what they learned in practice to help them develop a strategy for the competition. 

• In the competition, the tasks can be done in a sequential order. How will that change your game strategy? How is this different than other competitions so far?
• How will your team work together to be sure that you agree on a strategy for a match? If you disagree, how will you come to a compromise?
• Do you think you will iterate on your robot design for the competition? How? Why or why not?

Part 2 - Step by Step

1. InstructInstruct students that they are now going to participate in the Farm to Table Competition! The goal of the competition is to score as many points as you can in a one minute match by moving the Crops to the Food Processor, producing the Food with the Food Processor, and ending the match by delivering the Food with the robot to the Red Tile.

   Use the Farm to Table Competition Activity (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) as a guide for students as you engage in the competition.

   

    

2. ModelModel for students how they will participate in the competition matches, and how the competition will run in the classroom.

    

    To learn more about running a VEX GO Classroom Competition, see this article.

   • Model how to setup the Hero Robot on the Field to begin the match.

   

   • Share with students the match order and expectations, so that they know what they should be doing during the competition before and after their turn to drive.

     • You can use this Match Order template (Google Doc/.docx/.pdf) to show teams the order in which they will be competing. You can also use this sheet as a way to keep track of the score after each match. Try to have enough matches so that each student gets a chance to drive the robot at least once.

       

     • Demonstrate for students how you will operate the timer, and what to look and listen for to know when to start and stop driving their robots on the Field. 
     • Show students where they can be seated during the competition matches. If you have practice areas or other spaces students can be in during the competition, show them these areas as well, and explain how they are to be used.
     • Review expectations for how to be a respectful participant in the competition. Encourage students to cheer for one another, and to be excited about the competition – this is meant to be a fun classroom experience! Be sure that students are showing good sportsmanship before, during, and after each matches.
   • Model how a match is run. Start the timer, and drive the Hero Robot on the Field to score points by completing some of the competition tasks. When the timer reaches one minute, stop driving. At the end of the demonstration, count the number of tasks that were completed, and total the score with students. 
     • If you are using a VEX GO Leaderboard, show students how the scores will be entered and displayed on the Leaderboard.
   • Model how to reset the Field for the next match. The Crop should be returned, and the Food should be put back under the Food Processor. 

   

   • Model for students how to plan a path together in their team, to begin their strategy discussions. Use this image of the Field to help facilitate the discussion, and give students a place to trace their path away from the game Field.

   

3. FacilitateFacilitate the classroom competition matches, and engage students in conversations about their driving and collaboration between matches. Use discussion prompts like:
   • Before the start of a match: 
     • Which team member will be driving? Can you explain your strategy, or what you are going to try to do in this match? 
     • What is one thing you are going to try to do the same as your practice or previous match? Why? 
     • What is one thing you are going to try to do differently than your practice or previous match? Why? 
   • During a match: 
     • Watch how the driver is controlling the speed of the robot. What do you notice? 
     • Watch how the driver is using the arm of the robot. What do you notice? 
     • Watch how the driver is moving the Crop to the Food Processor, and then pressing down on the Food Processor to obtain the Food on the Field. What do you notice? 
     • Watch how the driver is delivering the Food to the Red Tile. What strategy is used?
   • After a match: 
     • What is something you learned from your driving that you will use in your next match? 
     • What is something you learned from watching another team that can help you in your match?
4. RemindRemind students that while they are watching other matches, they should be engaging with what they see. Not only can they encourage other teams and demonstrate good sportsmanship, they can continue to learn about the competition. As they watch other matches, encourage students to compare and contrast what they see happening with what they did during their match. What is working better or worse, or is it another way to achieve the same result? There are many ways to solve a challenge!

   Remind students that they can highlight positive teamwork and collaboration that they see happening around them also. Offer moments for students to give shout outs to their teammates or classmates for strategy, robot design, collaboration, and teamwork! 

5. AskAsk students to think about how they have grown as a teammate from the first competition to this one. What has gotten easier for them? How have they become better communicators and listeners? How will that growth help them in other places, like school, home, or an after school activity?