Prepare for the Groove Machine Challenge
Teacher Toolbox
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The Purpose of this Section
When they know the Groove Machine Challenge is a dance competition, the students might want to immediately start programming and testing dance routines, but they should wait and plan as they do for any challenge. You should decide where in the room the dance-off will take place, if there will be music, and to which song the robots will dance.
The rules are detailed on the Groove Machine Challenge page but in short, the students need to program one continuous forever-looping dance sequence that utilizes multiple loops to repeat moves, turns, and claw and arm movements specific numbers of times.
Here is how to prepare for the Groove Machine Challenge:
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Decide where in the room you can spare a 1x1 meter space for one Clawbot to dance at a time.
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Decide if there will be music and which song if so.
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Alert teams to the music choice and allow them to listen to the song before they begin planning.
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Organize students into groups of four with one Clawbot, if they aren't already. Click here (Google / .docx / .pdf) for suggestions on organizing students into groups.
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Decide on the time limit for developing the dance project, and the time limit for the actual dance.
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Alert the groups, particularly the Timers, so that those time limits are properly monitored.
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Check that every student in a group is participating in helping to program the dance, with ideas and feedback and/or co-programming.
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Ask each group to find another group to dance against. You can also pair the groups yourself as needed.
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Only one Clawbot will dance at a time but the groups' dances will be compared to each other.
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Check that batteries are charged and Clawbots are properly built/configured before beginning the challenge.
Prepare for the Groove Machine Challenge!
In the Groove Machine Challenge, you will break up into groups and program your robot to go through a dance routine for a dance-off using your knowledge of loops.
For the challenge, you will need to clear a space on the floor large enough for a Clawbot IQ to move around for a dance routine without bumping into anything. A 1x1 meter area is recommended to give each Clawbot adequate space for moving.