Subject:
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Re: WANTED -- ideas to teach kids about lego roboitcs
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto
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Date:
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Wed, 25 Feb 2004 04:42:36 GMT
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Viewed:
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442 times
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In lugnet.org.ca.rtltoronto, Chris Magno wrote:
> my darling wife has just conscripted me to teach not one, but TWO 1 hour
> secessions of up to 20 rug rats.. um i mean kids
First, this isn't much time. Second - How old are the kids?
You will have your hands full AND need help. I've been doing this for 4th and
5th graders, BUT over a minimum of 8 one hour sessions with 12 kids max.
I actually do a progression of courses:
Simple Machines using DACTA Simple Machines class packs levers, gears, pulleys
and wheels moving on to the motorized simple machines sets.
Intro Robotics using the microscout units from the Droid Development and
Darkside Development Sets moving on to the Robotics Discovery Sets using the
no-longer available Blue Scout Brick. A "structured" class using the manuals
that came with the sets.
Robotics using the RCX - more "free build" with simple programming.
You really don't have enough time to do much. I would be inclined to
pre-program the RCX - a la Scout - to perform a set of basic routines.
Drive two motors, reverse direction on touch sensor input, maybe use a light
sensor. You could use the basic instructions that come with the RIS sets for
building, but you're really not going to have enough time for kids to build
much. Forget any real time programming on the RCX - even if you have a laptop.
You aren't going to be able to do any of that and supervise 20 kids.
You might approach it differently, with pre-built examples that utilize modular
sensor inputs - this would be like they do at Legoland in the short sessions
they run. The various Mindstorms books on the market have some good and
relatively simple examples.
Pitsco in the US has DACTA educational sets and teaching aids - worth checking
out.
Frankly, for the amount of time you have, I'd go woth some prebuilt RCX robots as examples of what an ADVANCED robot can be and (if you can get them) Microscouts for the kids to use. Build one simple unit as an example. The Microscouts have 6 pre-programmed options (bring flashlights for some of them). Foward, stop. Foward, Reverse, etc. Provide a selection of wheels gears and beams so they cam design various "cars". A basic frame attached to either side holdig a gar train and drive wheels run off a crown gear on the MS motor lets them use different drive configurations and change wheels. This would be my approach for the time you've got available. Who can build the fastest?, slowest? Illustrate the trade-off between speed and torque...
If the kids aren't that old, they may be happy just building various cars. A
selection of Pull-back motors, wheels and such to start, followed by motors with
the small 9v battery boxes to build motorized cars.
E-mail me if you want to discuss further.
John H. johnmhiii@aol.com
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