Skip to main content
Teacher Portal

Engage

Launch the Engage Section

ACTS is what the teacher will do and ASKS is how the teacher will facilitate.

ACTS ASKS
  1. Stand in the front of the room to facilitate a discussion about parade floats. 
  2. Write down ideas for what to use to make a parade float in the classroom on a whiteboard or a piece of poster paper. 
  3. Show students the Pre-Built Code Base. 
  4. Give students 5 minutes to put together a strategy and theme for their float. Reassure students that there are three phases and this is just the first phase which is the robotics engineering portion. Remind students that they will be working in groups to build and program their parade float.
  1. Have you seen a parade before? Where have you seen one? Was it a special place? Was it a holiday?
  2. What types of materials do you think we need to make a parade float in our classroom?
  3. We are going to use the VEX GO Kit to create a moveable base for our parade floats. Today we will build our Code Base and practice programming its movement.
  4. What will your group enter into the parade?  

Getting the Students Ready to Build

Before we can code our Code Base to move like a parade float, we need to build the Code Base 2.0! 

Facilitate the Build

  1. InstructInstruct students to join their team, and have them complete the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet. Use the Suggested Role Responsibilities slide in the Lab Image Slideshow as a guide for students to complete this sheet.
  2. DistributeDistribute build instructions to each team. Journalists should gather the materials on the checklist.

    VEX GO Code Base 2.0 build.
    Code Base 2.0
  3. FacilitateFacilitate building process.
    • Builders and Journalists should begin building based on their roles and responsibilities, like those shown in the Image Slideshow.
    • Circulate around the room to help students with building or reading instructions where needed. Ask questions about how the build is being constructed to keep all students engaged in the buildings process, and remind students to follow their Role Responsibilities if they need help taking turns.
  4. OfferOffer suggestions and note positive team building and problem solving strategies as teams build together.

Teacher Troubleshooting

Facilitation Strategies

  • Not enough GO Tiles? Use classroom materials to make the challenge courses! Create a 600 millimeter (mm) by 600 millimeter (mm) (~24 inches by 24 inches) square with tape on the floor. Use the diagrams in the Lab 1 Slideshow to help create a course with similar dimensions.
  • Ask three before me - Encourage students to ask three other students questions relating to the project before asking the teacher. This is just one way to facilitate discussions around problem solving in order to foster student agency and a collaborative mindset.
  • Offer in the moment observation as teams work well, and invite them to share teamwork strategies with the class.