Engage

Launch the Engage Section

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

ACTS	ASKS
Show students the A School for Astronauts image from the Lab 2 Image Slideshow. Hold up the pre-built Astronaut figure. Go to the board and begin a list titled “Astronaut School Design Challenges.”	Who likes competition TV shows? Competitions are fun to watch, but also help encourage people to do their best work. When a new building is being planned, sometimes there is a competition called a design bid to see which design is the best. A bid can be especially useful to get lots of ideas for a challenging building, like a school in outer space, which is what we are going to design today! Astronauts have to wear space suits outside, and they can be bulky. Maybe they need a bigger door to fit through. What other things about astronauts and space might affect our design for a school? A school in outer space has many design challenges, what challenges can you think of? Let’s make a list together!

ACTS

ASKS

Show students the A School for Astronauts image from the Lab 2 Image Slideshow.
Hold up the pre-built Astronaut figure.
Go to the board and begin a list titled “Astronaut School Design Challenges.”

Who likes competition TV shows? Competitions are fun to watch, but also help encourage people to do their best work. When a new building is being planned, sometimes there is a competition called a design bid to see which design is the best. A bid can be especially useful to get lots of ideas for a challenging building, like a school in outer space, which is what we are going to design today!
Astronauts have to wear space suits outside, and they can be bulky. Maybe they need a bigger door to fit through. What other things about astronauts and space might affect our design for a school?
A school in outer space has many design challenges, what challenges can you think of? Let’s make a list together!

Getting the Students Ready to Build

The Pantograph is a tool that was used to help create designs. We’ll use the Pantograph to help us create designs for the astronaut school bid! Allow approximately 15 minutes extra time for students to construct the Pantograph build, if it is not already built.

Facilitate the Build

InstructInstruct students to join their groups, and have them complete the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet. Use the Suggested Role Responsibilities slide in the Lab 2 Image Slideshow as a guide for students to complete this sheet. Instruct students to gather their pre-built Pantograph build from Lab 1 if it is still built, or to build the Pantograph if needed.

Pantograph
DistributeDistribute build instructions, blank paper, and the Engineering Design Process Organizer to each group. If the Pantograph is not built, Journalists should gather the materials on the checklist.
FacilitateFacilitate the start of the design process.
- If the Pantograph is not already built, instruct Builders to begin building. Journalists should assist with build instructions as needed. Remind students to refer to the Roles and Responsibilities slide to see how the build is divided between roles.
- Have groups use the list of design challenges from the board to begin filling out the Engineering Design Process Organizer. Encourage students to discuss the challenges within their group and add new items to their organizer.
  
  Example Engineering Design Process Organizer
OfferOffer suggestions and note positive team building and problem solving strategies as groups build together.

Teacher Troubleshooting

Prior to starting the Play section, ensure that each group has a pen or pencil that will fit in the Slide Block. The writing utensil will need to be able to leave a clear mark on paper with minimal pressure. An ink pen or thin marker are good options.
If there are issues keeping a pen or marker in the Slide Block, use the rubber band from the VEX GO Kit to wrap around the pen and Slide Block to keep it in place. See the Pen Attachment Troubleshooting image from the Lab 2 Image Slideshow.

Facilitation Strategies

Ask students to refer to their Robotics Roles & Routines throughout class. What are their responsibilities? Are they doing a good job of following their agreements? Why or why not?
If students are struggling during the build, ask them to look for clues in the build instructions. Are there any highlights or icons that could help them solve their problem? Could they ask another student who is past that point for help?
Add more details! If groups finish early and need additional challenges, have them use the Pantograph to add details to their designs. What VEX GO pieces might they use as detail elements? Is there a classroom object that they could create a scaled drawing of to help add dimension to their design?

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