Lego Robotics

Each Wednesday, our homeschool Lego Robotics Team meets from 12-3 pm.

This is how we start the meeting. Shoes off and in the front foyer.

Our youngest is 6 years old and the oldest is 11.
They are learning pi.
Why? Because they need to know how to measure and program wheel rotations so their robot can accomplish the missions on the game table-that's why.

This year's theme is Bio-Engineering.
The team decided to tackle the heart and DNA.
They are required to do a research project and interview someone who is doing research on the heart. I taught the heart anatomy and physiology. Each of the kids became a valve or a chamber of the heart and we roll played and passed the ball (blood) through each step. In the end, the kids new all the chambers of the heart and the sequence of flow.
These kids rock.

Morgan was the Electrical system of the heart. She's wearing the Electricity hat. The kids played a team building game of murder.
Yeah-it's not what it sounds like.
It's more like Clue.

The kids also worked on their public speaking.
They were given scripts to read.
Really hard scripts with words like Deoxyribonucleic acid and prosthetics.

It's great practice for them all.

They will continue to practice this all year.

The coaches continue to work with the kids

and troubleshoot robot problems.

The kids built everything on this table.

While the kids are in their robot class all of our other children play.

Logan is too stinking cute in his Triceratops costume.

The pi girls work on wheels and gears.
That's what they call themselves.

One of the missions is to get the pacemaker wire into the heart.

The pacemaker itself cannot be in the heart, only the wire.

Pi girls.

The kids are getting used to the new mat on the table.

The syringe is another mission on the challenge.

The boys work on another robot.

This past Saturday we spent a good part of the day at Rhode Island College

at the First Lego League Kickoff Body Forward Challenge.
I think there were about 400 kids and half as many adults.

Okay maybe not that many but there was a lot of energy.

There are 61 Lego Robotics teams in Rhode Island this year.

Mary Johnson kicked off the ceremonies.

Last years Lego Robotics state champions showed the crowd

the missions for the Lego Table Game this year.

Each team has only two and a half minutes to complete the entire table.

Pi girls mom and our team coach.

Huge crowd. I was so proud of all of these kids.

They sat and listened and asked awesome questions.

The President of Rhode Island College, Nancy Carriuolo gave the opening address.
FLL gives away vast amounts of scholarship money each year.

During the course of the day the kids chose two seminars on Bioengineering that they were interested in attending. Many of the parents and coaches volunteered to help at the event.

The kids were given the choices of attending:

-Blood Cells-What They Are and How They Function in the Body.

-The Language of the Immune System.

-The Use of Biotechnology to Evaluate Heart Function.

-Germs!

-Biomedical Engineering and Prosthetics.

-Engineering and the Human Body.

Representative Jim Langevin stopped by with an inspiring message for the kids. He told them of how he came to be in a wheelchair and told them to never give up.

He showed them how his wheelchair can raise up so that he is face to face to speak with people and then demonstrated all the things that his wheelchair can do.

The kids went to their classes. There were many professors from Rhode Island College, The Community College of Rhode Island and many from different Biotechnology companies throughout Rhode Island. They all donated their time to these kids and FLL.

Morgan attended The Language of the Immune System.

Ryan Tassone, Associate Research Scientist, did a great job.

Morgan loved his power point presentation.

Then she attended the class on the heart function and learned

how assays are used to determine heart function.

And while this has nothing to with Legos...my husband ran his first half marathon in Newport and the kids took some pictures.

Congratulations honey, So proud of you.

Little man in Newport.

Again-nothing to do with legos.

Hillside playing.

If you haven't been involved with Lego Robotics,

start a team and get more information.

It's been a totally ENRICHing activity for Morgan.

Happy Lego Building!