Teacher Toolbox
Total approximate time to complete this Lab is 4 weeks. This time estimate is based on 3-4 hours of class time per week. Time needed to complete the Lab can vary depending on your educational environment.
With the Capstone Project, students can take as much time as you want to give them in order to complete the planning and testing of their individual builds. 4 weeks is the minimum recommended time to allow students a chance to iterate on their build.
The pacing guide for each STEM Lab provides step-by-step instructions on What, How, and When to teach. STEM Lab pacing guides preview the concepts that are taught in each section (Seek, Play, Apply, Rethink, Know) of the STEM Lab, relates the resources that teachers can use to teach those concepts, and identifies all of the materials that are needed.
The individual STEM Lab pacing guide contains valuable information below:
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Section
- Identifies the section of the SPARK sequence.
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Page(s)
- Lists the page titles included in that section of the SPARK sequence.
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Concepts
- Lists the themes that surround the STEM Lab.
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Materials Needed
- Lists the materials that are essential to completing the STEM lab.
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Resources
- Provides the linked content and resources needed by the teacher to complete the lessons and activities.
Seek
Page(s)
- Introduction
- The Completed Look of the Build
- Mastering Values
Concepts
- Free-building
- Prepare for the Play section by charging batteries, checking port configurations, and recording the mastering values
Materials Needed
- V5 Workcell
- VEXcode V5
- Engineering Notebook
- Device to run VEXcode V5
- Micro-USB cable
- Seek Checklist
Resources
- Build Rubric
- Engineering Notebook Rubric (Individual Reflections)
- Collaboration Rubric
Play
Page(s)
- Arm Mechanical Limits
- Cartesian Coordinates
- Moving the Arm
- Creating Custom Cables
Concepts
- What are the mechanical limits of the Workcell's arm?
- How can I use information about the arm's mechanical limits in a design?
- How does the location of the arm affects the X, Y, and Z coordinates of the arm?
- How do I create custom length V5 Smart Cables?
- How do I move the arm from one location to another on the Workcell?
Materials Needed
- V5 Workcell
- VEXcode V5
- Engineering Notebook
- Device to run VEXcode V5
- Micro-USB cable
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V5 Smart Cable Crimping Tool
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V5 Smart Cable Stock (will be cut to the desired length)
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V5 Smart Cable Connectors
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Marker (or other writing utensil)
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Length of string (optional)
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Printable VEX V5 Ruler (optional)
Resources
- Engineering Notebook Rubric (Individual Reflections)
- Collaboration Rubric
Apply
Page(s)
- Real World Automation Processes
Concepts
- How does the Capstone Project Competition connect to real-world examples in factory automation?
Materials Needed
Resources
- Engineering Notebook Rubric (Individual Reflections)
- Collaboration Rubric
Rethink
Page(s)
Concepts
- How can I design a Workcell build for the Capstone Project Competition?
- How can I iterate on my design using the Engineering Design Process?
- How can I prepare for the Capstone Project Competition with my team?
Materials Needed
- V5 Workcell
- VEXcode V5
- Engineering Notebook
- Device to run VEXcode V5
- Micro-USB cable
- 36 Colored Disks (12x red, 12x green, 12x blue)
Resources
- Engineering Notebook Rubric (Individual Reflections)
- Collaboration Rubric
- Programming Rubric
Know
Page(s)
Concepts
Materials Needed
- Multiple Choice Questions
Resources
