VEX GO Lab 4 Steering Super Car Teacher Portal Instruction Manual

: June 17, 2024
: VEX GO

Table of Contents

VEX GO Lab 4 Steering Super Car Teacher Portal
Assessment

VEX GO Lab 4 Steering Super Car Teacher Portal

VEX GO L-4Steering-Super-Car-Teacher-Portal- PRODUCT

Specifications

Product: VEX GO – Physical Science – Lab 4 – Steering Super Car
Designed for: Online teacher’s manual for VEX GO
Features: STEM Labs providing resources, materials, and information for planning, teaching, and assessing

Goals and Objectives
The VEX GO – Physical Science – Lab 4 – Steering Super Car is designed to help students:

Understand how forces from two motors enable the car to turn.
Predict and test the car’s motion changes using basic robotic commands.
Recognize patterns in movement changes and stability.

Assessment

Students will

Describe movement predictions, test them, and record observations in 9 trials.
Use switches to create balanced and unbalanced forces for steering.
Practice turning with dual motors in the Driver Test Course.

Connections to Standards
The product aligns with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and International Society for Technical Education (ISTE) standards by:

Providing evidence of balanced and unbalanced forces affecting object motion.
Using observations to predict future motion and understand complex systems.
Encouraging computational thinking in problem-solving.

Goals and Standards

STEM Labs are designed to be the online teacher’s manual for VEX GO. Like a printed teacher’s manual, the teacher-facing content of the STEM Labs provides all of the resources, materials, and information needed to be able to plan, teach, and assess with VEX GO. The Lab Image Slideshows are the student-facing companion to this material. For more detailed information about how to implement a STEM Lab in your classroom, see the Implementing VEX GO STEM Labs article.

Goals

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Students will know

How to use the gathered data to compare movements of the car in various conditions.
How to measure distances traveled by the car.

Objective

Record data accurately.
Predict car performance based on data from previous tests.
Identify and apply spatial concepts when conducting the Unpowered Super Car build, during experiment trials, and in class discussions.

Activity

Students will measure and record distances the Unpowered Super Car travels in two scenarios. They will use a Data Collection Sheet to record their trial results.
Using data from previous tests in Play Part 1, students will predict how their car will perform when run down a ramp of different heights in the Play Part 2 section of the Lab.
Groups will collaborate to build the Unpowered Super Car and conduct several experiments.

Assessment

Students complete the Data Collection Sheet with distance measurements, and share results in class discussions.
Students will make reasonable predictions based on past trials, and record their predictions on the Data Collection Sheet.
Students will demonstrate their understanding by using spatial language when communicating build instructions and experiment results.

Connections to Standards

Showcase Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
NGSS 3-PS2-1: Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

How Standard is Achieved: Students will conduct an investigation during Play Part 1 and 2 to measure and record the distances that their Unpowered Super Car travels when force is applied to it. The students will take turns manually pushing the car to experience it moving from different amounts of force in Play Part 1. In Play Part 2, students will observe and measure the distance the car traveled after going down different ramp angles under the force of gravity.
Showcase Standards

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
NGSS 3-PS2-2: Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
How Standard is Achieved: After the students have observed the car’s motion in Play Part 1, the students will discuss their predictions for how the car will move depending on the amount of force during the Mid-Play Break.

Additional Standards

International Society for Technical Education (ISTE)
ISTE – (5) Computational Thinker – 5c: Students break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to understand complex systems or facilitate problem-solving.
How Standard is Achieved: Throughout the entire lab, students will be analyzing and breaking down the concept of, “what is a balanced and unbalanced force, and how does force a?ect the Unpowered Super Car’s movement?” Students will be building two di?erent types of models to better understand unbalanced forces. The ?rst model is in Play Part 1 with the manual push force and the second is in Play Part 2 with the model of the ramp. Both models will be documented with measurements and data.

Materials Needed

The following is a list of all the materials that are needed to complete the VEX GO Lab. These materials include student facing materials as well as teacher facilitation materials. It is recommended that you assign two students to each VEX GO Kit.

In some Labs, links to teaching resources in a slideshow format have been included. These slides can help provide context and inspiration for your students. Teachers will be guided in how to implement the slides with suggestions throughout the lab. All slides are editable, and can be projected for students or used as a teacher resource. To edit the Google Slides, make a copy into your personal Drive and edit as needed.

Other editable documents have been included to assist in implementing the Labs in a small group format. Print the worksheets as is or copy and edit those documents to suit the needs of your classroom. Example Data Collection sheet setups have been included for certain experiments as well as the original blank copy. While they o?er suggestions for setup, these documents are all editable to best suit your classroom and the needs of your students.

Materials	Purpose	Recommendation
VEX GO Kit	For students to build the Unpowered Super Car and obtain the parts
needed to build the ramp.	1 per group
Pre-built Unpowered Super Car (optional)	For teacher demonstration during the
Engage section.	1 for teacher demonstration

Lab 1 Image Slideshow| For teacher and student reference: how to build a ramp.| 1 for teacher facilitation
Unpowered Super Car Build Instructions (PDF) or Unpowered Super Car Build Instructions (3D)| For students to build the Unpowered Super Car.| 1 per group
Robotics Roles & Routines| Editable Google Doc for organizing group work and best practices for using the VEX GO Kit.| 1 per group
Data Collection Sheet or Lab 1 Data Collection Example| Editable Google Doc for students to record data during the Play section.| 1 per group
Ruler/ Measuring Tape| For students to measure the distance traveled by their Unpowered Super Car.| 1 per group
Masking tape| For students to mark the distance traveled by their Unpowered Super Car.| 1 roll per group
VEX GO Tile| For students to build a ramp.| 1 per group
Pencils| For students to record data, document design ideas and fill out the Robotics Roles & Routines worksheets.| 1 per student
Pin Tool| To help remove pins or pry beams apart.| 1 per group
Get Ready…Get VEX…GO! PDF Book (optional)| To read with students to introduce them to VEX GO through a story and introductory build.| 1 for demonstration purposes
Get Ready…Get VEX…GO! Teacher’s Guide (optional)| For additional prompts when introducing students to VEX GO with| 1 for teacher use
Materials| Purpose| Recommendation
---|---|---
| the PDF Book.|

Engage

Begin the lab by engaging with the students.

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Allow students to explore the concepts introduced.

Part 1
Students will take turns pushing their Unpowered Super surface and measuring the distance the car travels. Each member of the group will push while the other members measure and record the distances on the Data Collection Sheet. Students will make predictions based on their observations.
Mid-Play Break
How were the pushes dierent? How did the force of the push the distance travelled?
Part 2
Students will experiment with gravitational forces by using a ramp to move the car rather than pushing. Students will measure the distances traveled by the car at dierent ramp angles.

Share
Allow students to discuss and display their learning.

Discussion Prompts

How did the ramp the distance the Unpowered Super Car traveled?
What was most about measuring distance?

Engage

Launch the Engage Section
ACTS is what the teacher will do and ASKS is how the teacher will facilitate.

ACTS

Engage students and connect to their experiences.
Give students a second opportunity to observe how they move together with their partner to turn.
Show the students the Driver Test Course.
Push an object slightly from the back, such as a book on a desk or a chair on the floor.
Model pushing an object with two forces in order to turn it.
Show the students that their kit only has one motor.

ASKS

Ask students to stand up and link arms with one person. Have each group turn to the right and ask them to think about how they moved. Did both of you move? Why or why not? If both of you moved, which direction did your feet move?
Have the students try again and pay attention to how they navigated to move to the right or left.
Based on what you see, can your one Motorized Super Car navigate the course?
Note that when pushed with one force, the object only moves in one direction. What would we need in order to turn?
Why do we need more than one force to turn?Where does this force come from on our cars?
Our kits only have one motor, thus, we must partner with another group to combine our cars.

Getting the Students Ready to Build
In order to navigate the Driver Test Course, we need another motor on our cars. You will pair up with another group in order to combine your cars into one larger car to pass the course!

Instruct students that they are going to pair up with another group to join their Motorized Super Cars together to build a Steering Super Car.
- Ensure each group has their own Motorized Super Car built before combining with another group.
- If students do not already have a pre-built Motorized Super Car, have each group build one rst (before combining groups.) This will add approximately 10 minutes to the Lab.
Distribute
Distribute build instructions and a Robotics Roles & Routines sheet to each group. Use the Suggested Role Responsibilities slide in the Lab Image Slideshow as a guide for students to complete this sheet.
Let students know that they will be attaching their Motorized Super Cars together to make the Steering Super Car.
Facilitate
Facilitate the building process.
- Pair up groups. Let students know that they will need very few additional pieces to complete the build. They should keep their Kits separate so as not mix pieces between Kits.
- Have Group A use their Kit for the additional pieces needed. Have Group B share their Switch and Battery only, and leave the rest of their Kit in a separate area. This will help with materials management.
- Have students use the Robotics Roles & Routines sheet to assign Roles to help students share the responsibilities. Encourage students to evenly distribute the central and support roles between groups.
Offer suggestions and note positive team-building and problem-solving strategies as teams build together.

Teacher Troubleshooting

If students are having trouble with the pins, the Pin Tool as support.
When connecting the Switch to the Motor, ensure all cables are inserted properly and fully seated. Ensure all Batteries are charged before starting the build.

Facilitation Strategies

Have a Plan for Combining Groups – In some cases, it can be helpful to think ahead and have a plan for which groups will work together before the Lab begins. Then, when instructing students to combine groups, the teacher can assign groups to be partners quickly, to minimize student debate or distraction.
Build the Driver Test course – Before class, ensure that the course is built and ready for students. If students finish building their Steering Super Car early, have them help build the course. Ensure the course is built on a at surface, otherwise, the car may not turn as expected.

Part 1 – Step by Step

Instruct
Instruct groups that they will be driving forward and turning their Steering Super Car with the Switches. They will experiment with different combinations using the Switches to steer their car.
Model
Model for the students how to predict the motion of the car, then test and record observations using the Data Collection Sheet.
Walk through predicting, testing then recording observations using the two rows of the Data Collection Sheet.
- First, make a prediction and draw or write that prediction in the first row of the worksheet.
- Then, demonstrate testing the first combination: Left Motor- and Right Motor -Forward.
- Document student observations on the sheet.
- Ask students if the prediction was correct.
- Repeat for the second row.
- After completing the first two rows, have students work with their groups to test the various motor combinations and complete the Data Collection Sheet.
Facilitate
Facilitate groups sharing responsibilities and discussions about their observations.
- Builders: Manipulate the motor(s). One builder from each group will control one motor – thus two students should be working together to allow the car to move as a whole.
- Journalists: Document the predictions and observations.
- Begin discussions with students about what they are observing as you circle the room. Encourage all students within the groups to share and express their ideas. Praise students using proper vocabulary terms.
Remind
Remind groups that trial and error are a part of learning, their predictions may not be accurate at st, but if they look for patterns, their predictions will likely improve as they complete more tests.
- Ask students if they are noticing any patterns as they move through the different combinations of the left and right motor.
- How can they apply their understanding of these patterns to better predict the motion of the Steering Super Car?
Ask
Ask questions that to foster a growth mindset with students. Help students appreciate that there is much to learn when the Steering Super Car doesn’t move as expected.
- The car did not move as expected. Great! What happened? What can you do differently next time?

Mid-Play Break & Group Discussion

As soon as every group has completed the Data Collection Sheet, come together for a brief conversation.

Why did you have to work with another group to make your car turn?
Did you recognize any patterns? Did this help you to make better predictions on how the cars would move together?

Part 2 – Step by Step

Instruct
Instruct students to gather at a certain area of the room where a Driver Test course is set up. There can be more than one course if space allows. Present the students the challenge of who can navigate through the course the fastest, while still maintaining control.
Note: If the surface is not completely at, the tires may not have traction and will not move. If students are struggling to get their car to move, check the surface.
Model
Model how to navigate the course by using turning movements.
Facilitate
Facilitate as each group is navigating the course. Ensure students are working together properly.
Remind
Remind groups that they are to be working in their assigned roles as described in the Robotics Roles & Routines worksheet:
- Builders: navigate the course using the combined car.
- Journalists: take turns timing the car through the course.
Ask
Ask students to strategize how they can navigate the course faster by planning a strategy with their partner before starting. Engage students in a discussion by asking them how they had to strategize and work with a partner to get the car to move correctly by having a strong understanding of how the combined car moves.