Our first graders started working with Power Circuit sets to find out more about how circuits work. Students learned about the different tiles in the kit and what their jobs were. Students completed the Night Light Challenge and the Beeping Alarm Challenge.
Power Circuits
The first graders learned about each power tile and how they function. They also learned about how electricity flows through a circuit. We completed some challenges to learn about the flow of electricity through the tiles and how the yellow control tiles can adjust the flow through turning dials or pressing buttons. The students completed labs that included building: cube car, shadow car, flashlight, lantern, light show, demo board, and several others. Students completed a deeper thinking question sheet along with some creativity tasks after each lab.
Vex 123 Coding Robots
The 2nd and 3rd graders are learning about a touch coding robot called Vex 123. This week, they learned how the robots work through touching the coding buttons and also how to care for the robots.
Vex 123-Zoo Lab...Visit the Lions, Tigers, and Bears
The 2nd and 3rd graders learned how to use the Coder and Coder Cards with Vex this week! Students had to program the coder to guide Vex to correct spots on their Zoo board! They did a great job and had fun too!
Vex 123-Robot Dance
The 2nd and 3rd graders learned how to use the Coder and Coder Cards to program their robot to do dance moves! The students had a dance party at the end!
Vex 123-Get Mrs. Painter a Latte!
The 2nd and 3rd graders moved around the town on their Vex fields to travel to two places: 1) a house and 2) the coffee shop to get Mrs. Painter one of her favorite drinks!
The students used a coding app to drive their robots to the different places.
Vex 123-Little Red Robot
The 3rd graders did a lab called 'Little Red Robot'. They explored logic coding blocks and used the robot's eye sensor to detect objects in their path to 'Grandma's house'. The Big Bad Wolf was on the path, and the students had to code a path around the wolf or scare the wolf away with action or sound coding blocks. It was exciting to see all of the different ideas the students had to navigate the robot.
Vex Go Lab-Magnet Car
The 4th and 5th graders jumped into Vex Go and learned about all of the parts, focusing on vocabulary of the pieces. After exploration, they built a magnet car to test different materials for magnetism. They not only had to construct the car, but they tested different materials for magnetism while learning about which metals are magnetic and which metals are not. Last, students explored magnetic poles with a driving challenge. Their goal was to navigate their magnet car on a course by using another magnet (without physically touching the car). Discussion included the use of magnetic pole properties of attraction and repelling to make the car move.
Vex Go Lab-Adaptable Claw
The 5th graders constructed an adaptable claw using their step-by-step build directions. They got some insight into learning how some tools can make tasks easier. Students tested out their claws by picking up a variety of items of different shapes, weights, materials, etc. Students then participated in a cup stacking challenge. After the lab, students reflected on lab challenges and how they worked through difficulties. They also applied real world thinking to how a similar tool could help people with limited mobility.
Vex Go Lab-Parade Float
The 4th and 5th graders built a Code Base (kind of like a 'motorized car). They were given a course to drive their parade float, but the students had to measure distances to code properly so their Code Base didn't "crash" into the walls. Students explored critical thinking skills as they measured, coded on the VexCode app, and adjusted mesurement parameters as needed.
Vex Go Lab-Obstacle Course
The 4th and 5th graders designed their own obstacle course for their Code Bases to navigate. They used the different drive features on the VexCode app first to see how the different drive modes work. Then, they created an obstacle course with ramps, obstacles, and other items. The students picked their favorite drive train to use to navigate their course through 5 trials for speed and accuracy.