CELINA INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL ROBOTICS

Val Pittsenbarger

&

Eric Dwenger

227 Portland St.

Celina, OH 45822

YEAR 12001

E-mail from Wright-Patterson Educational Outreach Center asking for an interest in field testing robotics for competition.

Val expressed interest and was accepted into program. Grant was written by Wright-Patterson Education Outreach Center to

American Mechanical Engineers Society for $200. This money allowed us to purchase our first LEGO Mindstorms Kit.

Presented idea to ISCO (parent organization) and purchased 4 more kits and one laptop computer to be used at competition.

First year in the classroom – Val did alone. 17 students per group Determined not enough hands-on

May – Practice competition for Ohio to get started in FIRST program.

TOTALS: 5 Kits & 1 Laptop

YEAR 22002

Received grant from Ohio Space Consortium for $1,000 to purchase 4 more kits, registration fees to competition, official mats and parts for competition, and accessory packs.

Allowed us to compete in first FIRST LEGO League competition.

Held a building in-service to train any interested staff who might want to incorporate robotics into their classroom.

5 out of 6 clusters chose to participate in program. ALL students, regardless of academic or ability level,

were included in program 10 students per group

TOTALS: 9 Kits & 3 Laptops

YEAR 32003

Received grant from American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics for $100. Combined this amount with money from ISCO (parent organization) to purchase one more kit.

ALL six Clusters participated in the school program. Again, ALL students participated 9 students per group; a little more manageable.

TOTAL: 10 Kits & 3 Laptops

YEAR 42004

Received a Jenning’s grant for $3,000. Allowed us to pay for registration for 2 teams,

transportation, 8 new kits, 2 tackle boxes and lots of extra parts.

Summer of ’04, former student donated a kit. All 6 clusters, again, participated in the school-

wide program. 5 or less students per group

TOTALS: 18 Kits & 6 Laptops

WHAT WE DO…5TH GRADE Download Software - Security? Divide classrooms into teams (roughly 4-5)

All students are included Explain Student Jobs

Jobs are changed every day!

Manager Builder Programmer Recorder

Begin Training Missions - self-directed Build and program

Roverbot Acrobot Inventorbot

End of every session, groups present their robot to everyone else

If time, there is a small challenge (i.e. push pop cans out of circle)

WHAT WE DO…6TH GRADE

Download software.Divide students into teams by academic

level, so that each team is diverse.Review of Training MissionsGive them challenge – usually a

modification of FIRST challenge.Cluster competition on Friday.

TEACHER SURVEY The time spent doing Robotics was worthwhile. Students used Science skills during this project. Students used Math skills during this project. I believe this project will help students pass the Sixth

Grade Proficiency Test. Most students were actively involved in the project. This project allowed students to use all learning modalities. I think projects like this would encourage students to take challenging classes in the future. This project has improved my attitude towards math/science instruction. The students met the grade level objective (5th built specific robots; 6th met the group challenge).

STUDENT SURVEY6TH GRADE

My group designed a robot for a specific purpose.Yes 95%No 5%

Testing the robot was important.

Very 85%Somewhat 14%Not 1%

Helped me see that robots can be used in factories.

To do all jobs 18%To do some jobs 81%To do no jobs 1%

Keeping records was important.

Very 79%Somewhat 19%Not 2%

Much more involved 67%A little more involved 13%Less involved 7%

Being in smaller groups this year allowed me to be.

Robotics helped me see that robots can solve people’s problems.

STUDENT SURVEY5TH GRADE

Always 6%Sometimes 92%Never 2%

Changing our design caused new problems.

Often 32%Sometimes 53%Never 15%

Keeping good records is important.

Very 78%Somewhat 20%Not 2%

Became interested in careers related to robotics or computers.

Very 57%Somewhat 40%Not 2%

BOTH GROUPS WERE ASKED…

How much did you enjoy robotics?

Very Much 77%

A Little 21%

Not At All 2%

GRANT INFOMain objective – Description of project. Include benchmarks and standards the

project relates to.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

http://www.osgc.org/Grants.html

http://calspace.ucsd.edu/spacegrant/webmap/sg_homepages.html

http://www.usfirst.org/robotics/grants.htm

http://www.nsta.org/programs/tapestry/

http://www.rmhc.com/grant/index.html

http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=216

TO KEEP IT GOING!

Train new teachersBe available for questions and supportHave batteries on handHave kits organized, andLOTS and LOTS and LOTS and LOTS

of extra parts!