Team in ruins

[MooreteP]

Originally Posted by cactuarman

-What would be the best method of teaching everything the newcomers will need to know before build season(ex: how often do you think we should meet to get a good handle of things before season starts?)

Purchase a Lego MindStorms kit. ~$250
Buy a tackle box with about 40 compartments, I found a great one:
Flambeau 7-tray Hip Roof Box model 2059. ~$30

Have students segregate the pieces and organize them. This is an important skill when building robots, organizing your work from nuts and bolts through components. It also teaches them to clean up their work area when they are finished.

Have new students sit down in pairs and build small robots.
The MindStorms kits can be programmed to perform maneuvers and include sensors that respond to inputs. The programming is visual and similar to FRC. The instructions included in the kit are visual and appropriate.

This activity is an appropriate microcosm of the build season.
Watch the new members closely and you will see where their natural strengths lie. You can also use it to teach all students about problem solving methods and processes.
Set specific tasks that increase in difficulty:
Drive forward 3 feet and stop.
Drive in a circle and stop.
Drive in a square path and stop.
Drive until touch sensor is activated and drive backwards to the start position.
Increase the level of complexity..........as you see fit.

Perform these tasks first, so you can appreciate what they will be experiencing.

Consider meeting once a week in the fall. Focus on marketing / fundraising and engineering principles. After training students in MindStorms, ask them to explain how your previous robot performed its tasks.

You can practice brainstorming with previous games.

"The darkest hour is just before the dawn"
~lots of folks