Up to 50 fourth, fifth and sixth graders will program robots to move about a Star Wars-themed map today at Greenwood Middle School.
It’s all in preparation for upcoming robotics competitions, which could mean a chance to represent the school at the state, national and even international level.
During the two-hour workshop, students from fourth through sixth grades will run their robots through various missions similar to the ones they will be required to complete during tournaments. Students from Greenwood robotics teams in seventh through 12th grade will interview them to prepare them for questions they might be asked at those tournaments, said Chris Campbell, lead coach of Greenwood’s middle and high school robotics teams.
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This is the fourth-annual robotics workshop, although robotics teams have been at Greenwood schools for six years. The event is an important tune-up for students of the elementary schools and middle school to prepare for a regional tournament in November at Center Grove. Each robotics team through sixth grade has a maximum of 10 members, and most of those members will attend today’s workshop, Campbell said.
“There’s a lot of different missions the kids can program the robot to do,” Campbell said. “(Older) kids can help them if they need help with a mission. In competitions, kids have to give presentations, they have to verbally explain what a team has done and challenges during the season. We try and get the older kids to give interviews and ask questions; it helps kids speak.”
Student can work on posters displaying how team members worked together and what they learned. They can also work on coding and programming, he said.
During the workshop, students will program their robots to navigate five maps set up on large tables. Robots will have to travel to certain spots on the map, move and retrieve items. Each robotics season, missions are focused on a different theme. This year, students will program robots to navigate maps that feature Star Wars themes, due to a partnership between First Lego League, Disney and Lucasfilm, according to First Lego League’s website.
Three Greenwood schools robotics teams have qualified for state competitions in the First Lego League. Most recently, the middle school’s robotics team qualified during the 2017-18 school year, Campbell said.
