Prepare for the Robo Rally Challenge
Teacher Toolbox
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The Purpose of this Section
The purpose of the Rethink section is for students to engage in an additional activity using unit conversions and scaling. The students will combine their Racecourse that they have created from the Play section with another group's course. To set up this challenge, ensure that each group has their scaled Racecourse. Ask the students to then find another group to work with, or pair the groups yourself if time is limited.
Once the students are organized into two groups, ask the students to take a few minutes to review which units and conversions each group used to scale. If the two groups did not use the same conversions or units, they will need to take a few minutes to make adjustments to their calculations so that they are in the same units. For example, if one group scaled down to millimeters and another group scaled down to centimeters, one group will have to convert their units to match the other.
Once both groups are in the same units, ask the groups to design how they will combine their Racecourses. Will the combine them side-by-side? Will they build a small path-way between the two courses?
Once the students have decided how the two courses will be combined, ask the students to make these adjustments on their scaled-down drawings and calculate that the Speedbot robot will be able to navigate through the course.
After the students are confident that their robot can navigate the course, have the students build the actual sized course using tape or other materials. Once the actual-sized course is built, use the Driver Control program on the Speedbot robot and the V5 Controller to drive the robot through the newly combined course.
Each group will have one person as their Driver. Ask the students to choose their Driver or assign the Driver yourself. Each group will have one chance to Drive their robot through the combined course. Whichever group can complete the course without mistakes the fastest - wins the challenge!
Teacher Toolbox
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Review of Vocabulary
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Proportion: When two ratios are equal.
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Ratio: A mathematical comparison of two values.
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Unit Ratio: A ratio with a denominator of 1.
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Conversion Factor: An expression for the equal exchange between units.
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Unit Conversion: The process of converting a measurement in one set of units to the same measurement in another set of units.
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Scale: The relationship or ratio between a set distance on a map, model or drawing and the corresponding measurement on the actual object.
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Scale Drawing: The drawing of an object that is proportional.
Teacher Tips
Combine student courses for the challenge. Remind students when combining courses that they need to be using the same scale and units. If they are not, ask the students to take the time to make the adjustments necessary so that both of their courses are scaled the same.
Challenge Preparation
In this challenge, you need to drive your robot through your race course combined with another group's course! To successfully complete the challenge, teams must also create a correctly scaled map of the new combined course using the dimensions and scales from both groups.
To complete the challenge you will need:
- Multiple boxes, 3-ring binders, tape, or other objects to outline the course
- Meter stick or ruler
- Timer or stopwatch
- Engineering notebook to record values and complete calculations
- Engineering notebook to create a new scaled map of the course