Now that I have the team what do I do?

by Maureen Reilly
Robotics coach, Packer Collegiate Inst.

Do lots of team building exercises like:

• Name ball toss
• Name games where you share likes/dislikes
• Paperclip chain game
• Blindfolded programming challenge

Weeks 1 – 4

• Getting to know each other
• Watching Zoom documentary
• Understanding what you are preparing for
• What did you notice the team doing? What did you notice at the event? What did you notice about the research presentation?
• LEGO sorting and naming pieces
• Mission models building in small groups – same groups look up, write out and explain missions to team in their own words – teaches everyone the missions
• Team name
• T-shirt design
• Brainstorm ideas for research presentation – assign homework on research

Weeks 4-8

• Deciding how to build the robot – look at field, decide on first missions to go for and what type of robot will make sense – Look on NXTLOG for robot ideas
• Watch mission videos at: http://webstreamer3.doit.wisc.edu/lego/
• Divide into building, programming, and research groups
• Researchers decide on topic and presentation model and plan project
• Programmers train on Software
• Builders and programmers work together to build, troubleshoot, try again, and again, and again
• Celebrate every success
• Share successes at the end of every practice

Weeks 9-10

• Rehearse for robot game - do timed missions, visualize competition
• Rehearse for technical presentation
• Rehearse and revise research presentation – with team, with school, with community group
• Create team cheers
• Create cheering materials
• Hold a school pep-rally

LEGO MINDSTORMS Resources

Simple Robotic Lesson Plans – Look under “Learning Lab”
http://www.legoengineering.com/

NXTLOG – over 3000 MINDSTORMS NXT Models – some have building instructions or LEGO Digital Designer Files
http://mindstorms.lego.com/nxtlog

LEGO Digital Designer for MINDSTORMS NXT
http://ldd.lego.com/

LEGO Parts Reference
http://130.64.87.22/robolabatceeo/K12/building/gears_types.asp

Robolab at CEEO – Great curriculum resources
http://130.64.87.22/robolabatceeo/K12/default.asp