FIRST LEGO League

FIRST LEGO LeagueThe Unpublished Manual

Linda Whipker Former FLL Research Coach

Current FRC Coach

Fiona Last-Powell Current FLL Coach

FRC Non-Engineering Mentor

Sponsored by:FRC Team PyroTechFLL Living ElectricWake Robotics, Inc.

Introductions

BenFLL Alumni &

Volunteer

Ed & KeithCurrent FLL Members

Kevin & FredFLL Volunteers

FIRSTFor Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology

Dean Kamen, Founder

"To transform our culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.“

Sunday August 14, 7:00 ABC

THE BLACK EYED PEAS FRONT MAN WILL.I.AM AND INVENTOR/FIRST® FOUNDER DEAN KAMEN TEAM UP FOR A GROUNDBREAKING, ONE-HOUR SPECIAL CELEBRATING EDUCATION, ROBOTICS AND SCIENCE

Overall Values of FIRST

Gracious ProfessionalismTM

◦Defined by each team member!

CoopertitionTM

TeamworkScience and technology

FIRST Programs

6 7 8 9 || 9 10 11 12 13 14 || 14 15 16 17 18

Age

FIRST ® LEGO® League

FIRST ® Tech Challenge

FIRST ® Robotics

Competition

Junior FIRST ® LEGO® League

FIRST ProgramsJr FLL FLL FTC FRC

Age 6 to 9 yo

# on team 2-6

Basis of competition

(Non-competitive)Research/Project

1. “Show Me” presentation

2. LEGO Model (with moving part/s)

RobotLEGO model with

moving part

Cost/team $25 to register

Optional:JrFLL Base Kit $140

WeDo Kit $170

Jr FLL FLL FTC FRCAge 6 to 9 yo 9 to 15 yo

# on team 2-6 3 to 10





Robot1. NXT Robot

performance2. Technical

interview

Research3. Research

interview4. Teamwork

RobotLEGO model with

moving part

•Autonomous robot completing missions•NXT Mindstorm/LEGO based

Cost/team $25 to register


WeDo Kit $170Tshirts/buttons/other

pieces

$225 to register$65 field set up

Optional:$420 Educational NXTTshirts/buttons/other

pieces

Jr FLL FLL FTC FRCAge 6 to 9 yo 9 to 15 yo 14 to 18 yo

# on team 2-6 3 to 10 10 or fewer





Robot1. NXT Robot

performance2. Technical

interview

Research3. Research

interview4. Teamwork

Robot1. Tetrix robot

performance2. Design3. Inspiration

Other4. Engineering

journal5. Spirit

Robot

LEGO model with moving part


•Autonomous plus remote control •Team alliance•Mindstorm / Tetrix based

Cost/team$25 to register


WeDo Kit $170


Optional:$420 Educational NXTTshirts/buttons/other

pieces

$275 to register

$650 for kit with Mindstorm ($450 w/o Mindstorm)

Resource kit $199

Jr FLL FLL FTC FRCAge 6 to 9 yo 9 to 15 yo 14 to 18 yo 14 to 18 yo

# on team 2-6 3 to 10 10 or fewer 10 to 50





Robot1. NXT Robot

performance2. Technical interview

Research3. Research interview4. Teamwork

Robot1. Tetrix/NXT robot

performance2. Design3. Inspiration

Other4. Engineering

journal5. Spirit

1. Programming2. CAD design3. Outreach4. Animation5. Website6. Marketing/

business plans7. Game competition

Robot

LEGO model with moving part


•Autonomous plus remote control •Team alliance•Mindstorm / Tetrix based

•Autonomous plus remote control•Team alliance•Full sized robot with professional parts

Cost/team$25 to register

Optional:JrFLL Base Kit $140WeDo Kit $170


Optional:$420 Educational NXTTshirts/buttons/other pieces

$275 to register

$650 for kit with Mindstorm ($450 w/o Mindstorm)

Resource kit $199

$6500 to register+competition$3000 to $5000 materials

$5000 to $25,000 additional costs for equipment/travel

Student PerspectiveBest parts of FIRST?

FIRST LEGO League9 to 14 year olds

FLL Core Values

We are a team. We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our

coaches and mentors. We honor the spirit of friendly competition. What we discover is more important than what we win. We share our experiences with others. We display Gracious Professionalism in everything we

do. We have fun.

4 Pillars of FIRST LEGO League

Teamwork◦ How well the students work together, brainstorming, listening to each

other, taking turns leading, how decisions are made, how they work through challenges, student roles on the team

Technical◦ Robot design, attachment design, programming complexity and

understanding of what they did and why Research

◦ Creative solutions, research, outreach/getting solution to the community, full participation of each student in some way, presentation

Robot run◦ Purely based on score◦ 3 to 4 rounds of 2 ½ minutes each – highest score wins

FLL is Customizable

Implementation and logistics of the team is very individual

Use it as:◦ An “extra curricular” club◦ A team activity◦ A social, fun time◦ Your science program

Plan for one year or multi-year achievement (1st year often a “Survey of FLL)

Same students vs pulling in new students each year

Story of the Microbots

Year 1

Fall 2006

Fall 2006: Nanoquest (9-11 yo)

Year 1:◦ No experience with FLL at all (parents or students)◦ No programming experience◦ Some students had no LEGO experience◦ No idea what “Nanotechnology” was◦ By the competition weekend after Thanksgiving, completed no mission

successfully but tried for 4 missions

Research: ◦ How to find a “problem”? How to find a “solution”? Who to share with?◦ A great field trip to NCSU to learn about Atomic Force Microscopes

1st place: Creative Presentation

Year 1 Take-Home

“Survey of FLL” yearGo through the process to find out the

pacing, how to work in a stressful situation with other students

Focus on 1 or 2 missions to do well9 yo’s are often still in the “puppy” stageLots of LEGO building not-on-task

Year 2

Fall 2007

Year 2 Prep (SPRING/SUMMER)

Worked through 3 different years’ missions for practice

Ocean Odyssey Mars Mission Nanoquest

2007: Power Puzzle (10-12 yo)

Season◦ Better programming but still limited ability◦ A bit more strategizing◦ Better attachments◦ Completed more runs

Research◦ Field trips:

◦ Progress Energy, State Energy Office, NCSU Solar House, Shearon Harris Nuclear Plant, NC Sustainable Design Competition

◦ PowerPoint presentations to each other about alternative energy sources; 6 week coop class on Alt. Energy

◦ Energy Audit of Garner Town Hall with presentation to the Garner Town Council

1st place: Research

Year 2 Take-Home

These are the more committed team members who have been through the process once and can take more responsibility

Make sure everyone starts learning different roles and skills

Then, the students took a trip to the World Championships in Atlanta in AprilIt changed the course…

Year 3

Spring/Fall 2008 and

Spring 2009

Year 3 Prep (SPRING/SUMMER)

Extensive scientific research about climate◦ Students presented research reports to each other once a

month◦ Some students did an 8-week “Climate” class◦ Many field trips before September

National Weather Service NC State Climatologist Town of Cary – water sheds, water conservation Integrated water systems National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Environmental Protection Services (EPA) Water Sense Home

Year 3 Research

Within 20 minute after the challenge was announced, decision to tackle global water conservation, in Cary & Brisbane, Australia◦ Online survey (550 responses – 300 from Cary, 80 from

Brisbane Australia)◦ Presented to Environmental Advisory Board of Town of

Cary◦ Created website (http://water4tomorrow.org )◦ Built a huge LEGO water conservation

house (3000 pieces)

http://water4tomorrow.org

Year 3 Outcomes

Programming◦ Better◦ Discovered more things that impacted the consistency of the robot◦ Scored 240 out of 400 at NC Championship (2nd highest) the 1st week of

December

Teamwork◦ Lots of huge positive strides forward in teamwork and knowing how to

work with each other

NC Champions Award 2nd Place Robot Performance

Took apart robot between Dec and May – no back up, no program back up, scored lower in May than in December!

US Open National Championship in Ohio in May◦ 1st Place Teamwork

Year 4 (Ben & Clark No-compete)

Fall 2009

Fall 2009: Smart Move

Ben and Clark’s goal: to be the first team to post a 400 run on youtube by the 1st weekend in December◦Focus on engineering skills

Extensive planning, programming, testing, consistency runs◦2nd perfect run posted on youtube internationally and

1st in the US – Dec 6 Referees at 2 local events Volunteered 75 hours with local LEGO and FIRST events

in the year Summer 2010 – core students in starting an FRC team

FLL 2010: Body ForwardLiving Electric Growing Outside-the-Box(LEGO)

Some comments about Living Electric’s Year

Rookie YearNo matter how well you prepare, a rookie year

is a rookie year and it’s OK7 students on the team

◦1 with previous FLL experience◦5 students with “Intro to FLL” & “Mindstorm

Programming” with ViaRobotics Did lots of research on diabetes for Body

Foward

FLL 2011: Food Factor“Keeping food safe”

2011 Food Factor ChallengeKeeping Food Safe

Can FIRST® LEGO® League teams improve the quality of food by finding ways to prevent food contamination?

In the 2011 Food Factor Challenge, students explore food safety and examine the possible points of contamination our food encounters – from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and storage – then find ways to prevent or combat these contaminates.

Some guesses for the Food Factor challenge (http://fllblog.wordpress.com/)

2011-12 Schedule

Time What

May thru Sept Team Registration

Sept 2, 12:00 pm Challenge unveiled

Nov 12th Veteran Tournament19th Rookie Tournament

Regionals (SE Raleigh Highschool)

Jan or Feb NC Championship

April 25-28 World Championship

May US Open Invitational(LEGOLand CA)

Coaches

Coach’s Role

Lots of discussion about the coach’s role For FLL, the coach is supposed to guide – the students do

the work◦ Coach can ask questions◦ Students learn by making mistakes◦ Off-season is for teaching

However:◦ Varies in how it’s interpreted◦ Judges will check to make sure the students actually have done

their own work◦ Make sure your team agrees on the balance – students and parents◦ The balance is an ever-moving target

Number of Coaches

Need 2 coaches minimum – unless you have highly motivated older students who have the organizational skills and strong desire to do it on their own

2 coaches help by:◦ Reducing stress◦ Providing someone else to take over when you’re at wit’s

end◦ Lets someone else mediate◦ Split robot programming and research responsibilities

Coach and Other Roles

If lots of parents want to be involved:◦Programming/Technical (2?)◦Research (2?)◦Team building (2?)◦Need someone to organize tshirts, buttons,

travel?

Team Organization

Team organization

Handbook suggests taking roles◦Positives:

Allows specialization May be more time effective

◦Negatives: Role may not fit your child but they’re locked in No one else gets to learn that role – or to feel qualified to

do that role Makes the season more boring for some, depending on

how it’s split

Team organization for Microbots

Year 1: 2 Builders, 2 programmers, 2 runnersYear 2: More of a group activity to learn all

the different rolesYear 3: As a team, decide on robot

characteristics, the base robot, and the strategy of the runs◦Then split runs and pairs are responsible for the

entire run (building attachment, programming, getting timing down, placing the robot)

Know what you want to achieve

As the coach and/or homeschool parent, what do YOU want to achieve with FLL?

How does this fit your homeschool?Is this part of your curriculum?How much priority does it take for your

student and for the rest of the family in the bigger picture?

What does the team want to achieve?

Talk over with the students what they want to achieve◦Be realistic

1st year? Amount of time How old the students are Experience going into the season

“Satisfied” vs. “Excited” vs. “Thrilled”Develop a plan to hit that level

Know your rubrics

Posted in the Coach’s Manual or online◦This is what the judges will use◦Go over it with the students

Team BuildingCan these skills be taught as well?

Do Lots of Team Building Activities

Books at the library and ideas online:◦“Team building activities”◦“Ice breakers”

A strong team is one where:◦Everyone’s voice is heard◦They’ve worked through challenges they faced

in terms of conflict or problems – decision making, brainstorming, listening

Learning & Communication Styles

Huge impact on team dynamics and misunderstandings is communication and learning styles◦Auditory◦Visual◦Kinesthetic

How to Brainstorm Effectively

Brainstorming and how to make decisions as a team is a critical skill

Gracious Professionalism!!!Steps in team

building exercises Six Hats

Modified “Three Hats”

Creative hat – pure brainstorming of ideasPositive hat – only positive comments

about all of the ideasCritiquing hat – only critical or limiting

comments about the ideas

Sample Team Work Approach

CRITERIA FOR TEAM BUILDING CHALLENGE1. Ask questions of the judges

• Ask for a 20 second warning before time’s up?2. Decide what the problem and limits are3. Brainstorm (RED HATS )4. Decide on an idea5. Critique it (GREEN HATS)

• Make sure everyone’s included and has a role6. Form a final plan before doing it

Resources

Resources

US FIRST Register your team as early as possible Lots of GREAT resources, including free Coach call-in workshops starting

August 15, 2011◦ http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/teamresources

NC FLL Coach’s Yahoo Group◦ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ncfllcoaches/

NC FLL Coach’s Yahoo Group Classes (Tom Settle/ViaRobotics – through the Town of Cary, Raleigh Parks &

Rec)BooksWebsites

http://www.firstlegoleague.org/challenge/teamresources

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ncfllcoaches/

Resources on http://firstlegoleague.org

Date/Time/Call Info Topic

8/15/2011 - 7pm ET Where Do I Start? Coach OrientationAgenda - coming soon

8/23/2011 - 7pm ET Coaching A TeamAgenda - coming soon

9/7/2011 - 7pm ET Basic Programming: Tips, Skills, & ResourcesAgenda - coming soon

9/12/2011 - 7pm ET The Robot GameAgenda - coming soon

9/19/2011 - 7pm ET The ProjectAgenda - coming soon

9/21/2011 - 7pm ET Core Values/TeamworkAgenda - coming soon

10/13/2011 - 7pm ET Judging: A Perspective for the CoachAgenda - coming soon

10/20/2011 - 7pm ET Preparing for an FLL EventAgenda - coming soon

Coach Calls

http://firstlegoleague.org/

Potential Challenges for Teams

Potential Team Challenge #1

Parent expectations and philosophy◦What does your family expect to get for this time and

money investment?◦Difference between an “extra curricular” activity vs. an

integral part of a homeschool program◦Priority of the team – what level of commitment is

expected? What if other things come up?◦How much of the learning will be guided vs. student-led –

and are you OK with it being student-led if they really just want to play?


Financial commitment◦ Will you buy a Mindstorm Robot kit for the team?

IF YES, what happens to it when you’re done? IF NO, what happens if it breaks or quits working, what happens

if the owner drops out of the team?◦ (NOTE: Each Mindstorm brick will respond a bit differently to fine-

tuned programs)◦ If you need 3 more Technic or LEGO pieces, are the students

willing to donate them? Will you have to buy them?◦ Batteries, batteries, batteries… ◦ Decide your budget up front and collect the money

Budget

Item Cost Price depends on…Field set up kit $65 + s/h +

tax

Team registration $220

Mindstorm NXT kit $420 + s/h + tax

How team will divvy up pieces at the end OR how to share cost if damage done

Table $10-$150 How it’s made, whether it’s portable or not, complexity

Team tshirts $15/student How many people get tshirts, quality, how printed (iron-on vs. printed)

Additional Possible Costs

Batteries (more chargers/batteries)Travel (Overnight? Gas?)Any research/presentation materialsSpecial LEGO piecesSnacks, mealsButtons to give out at competition


Time commitment◦How much time is enough to meet your

expectations? After school clubs: 2 hours once a week? 2 hours

twice a week? What happens closer to competition?

◦Will you expect work in between meetings?◦Is it OK for some people to work on the robot

when others aren’t?


Team Dynamics◦ Worth providing some skills to the students before this

becomes stressful For better communication How to handle stressful situations Be positive and building others up

◦ Focus on Core Values to give words to students to use ◦ Discuss communication/learning styles:

Auditory, Kinesthetic, Visual ◦ Tools for brainstorming◦ Decide how decisions will be made ahead of time

Student PerspectiveBest parts of FLL

FIRST LEGO League

Documents

Transcript of FIRST LEGO League