Exploring gears
How do gears interact to vary torque and angular speed? Build different gear assemblies to discover these effects. What do the terms “gear up” and “gear down” mean? This lesson is one in a series of...
View ArticleGoing the distance
Design, construct and program a car to run for varying lengths of time. The distances that the car travels should be recorded and plotted on a graph to determine how long the car will need to travel in...
View ArticleSnail car
The idea of this challenge is to design and construct a car that can move extremely slowly. These cars must compete in the snail race; the winner is the car that crosses the finish line last. Note: The...
View ArticleMountain rescue (Ramp climber)
What is the best design for cars used by people on sloping paths? Construct a car that is capable of climbing steep inclines. What is torque and why is it important? This lesson is one in a series...
View ArticleFan-tastic
Design and construct a LEGO fan with at least one sensor and program it to run at variable speeds and have a stop/start function. Note: the RCX and NXT versions of the attachments use two touch sensors...
View ArticlePeak performance
Design and develop a car that is capable of traveling across flat surfaces quickly, but can also negotiate a steep ramp. Note: The WeDo version of the car remains tethered to the computer via the USB...
View ArticleMusic box
Design and construct a working music box in which LEGO mini-figures move while a song plays. This lesson is one in a series of introductory lessons that is applicable to all types of robotics kits. The...
View ArticleRobotics, LEGO, first day… What do I do?!
This lesson is a great way to begin any class that involves LEGO; young students starting with WeDo or Simple Machines, middle-age students beginning their first Robotics’ class or even upper level...
View ArticleExperimental determination of Pi
The wheels on the bus go round and round, but how far does the bus go? In this activity you will use LEGO bricks to create a very simple car with an orange “tooth” on the wheel. I have included a...
View ArticleThe Incredible Machine
One of our after-school robotics classes just finished our “Incredible Machine” unit. The kids are required to plan the layout and overall design BEFORE touching any LEGO, and then have to keep...
View ArticleLearning Sequence: LEGO WeDo
LEGO Education markets the WeDo kit for children from age 7 but I have successfully used it with students 5 years of age. Some were able to follow the building instructions, which require no reading,...
View ArticleTo light or not to light
This article highlights one of the difficulties in using the legacy RCX lamp with MINDSTORMS EV3 platform and presents an approach for overcoming this difficulty. It also presents a strategy for...
View ArticleA Week in the Life #10: Candy Sorter Challenge
Hi. I teach an introductory course using the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 set. My students are 7th graders who are required to take the course and may not necessarily have any background in...
View ArticleInside a two-step simple line follower
In this unit, we will use the datalogging tools available in the EV3 Software to study the internal operation of a two-step simple line follower with one Light sensor. It is a very simple but powerful...
View ArticleTo light or not to light
This article highlights one of the difficulties in using the legacy RCX lamp with MINDSTORMS EV3 platform and presents an approach for overcoming this difficulty. It also presents a strategy for...
View ArticleCrossing the Gap
Crossing the Gap is a free-form robotics activity that requires a minimal amount of setup. It is an excellent choice for novices, but can also present a challenge to experienced students. The idea for...
View ArticleGetting started with STEM and EV3
“I hear and I forget. I see and remember. I do and I understand.” This well-known quote describes the most effective method of teaching students. If you let children play football or basketball, they...
View ArticleRobotics challenges: Workshop handouts
Here are some of the challenges that I give to my robotics students that I’ve also given to teachers at various workshops. Most of these are based on classic robotics challenges. Some have previously...
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