On Saturday, LEGOs and robotics will meet once again, as the competition Robotics Team from Clear Lake Elementary participates in the Flint regional competition.
This year’s theme, Ocean Odyssey, has been both fun and challenging for the team, lead by second grade teacher Cheryl Matas.
Matas has been the leader of the Robotics Team for the last four years and said the group of 20 or so fourth and fifth graders meet three times a week for two hours to practice.
There are two teams of 10 which are then divided up into groups of two. Forty teams from around southeast Michigan will be competing against the Oxford team on Saturday.
The team starts by designing, building and programming a robot, based on the materials and guidelines given to them by the international First LEGO League.
The robot must complete anywhere between eight and 10 missions on their field table in two and a half minutes.
The kids use computer software to program the robot. Clicking a series of ‘forward,? ‘backward? and ‘spin? buttons, the robot becomes programmed to move exactly where the team wants it.
‘It takes them probably three to four weeks to build their robot and the rest of the time is programming it,? Matas said.
Because the theme is Ocean Odyssey, the robot is a submarine that needs to be deployed from the deck of a ship before it takes on its missions.
The team is not only required to create a robot and complete the missions, but they have to create a research project that also has to do with the ocean theme.
‘This year, they had to choose a resource or an activity that we did, research the challenges and the opportunities and come up with a creative solution to overcome the challenge,? said Matas.
For instance, one of the groups is studying sharks as an opportunity to keep the ocean ecosystem healthy. Another group is looking at challenges sharks possess, like problems with people hunting them and driving them towards extinction.
The team also has to do a technical presentation and tell the judges how they designed the robot and how they made the attachments.
‘All of that comes together to create their score. The top 10 to 15 scores get invited to go to state,? Matas said.
The elementary schools in Oxford usually come back with a trophy for either the technical side or their presentations, Matas said. She took her team to state once back in 2001.
‘It is a big deal,? she said. ?(Competitions) make the Piston’s games sound like a quiet little day of basketball in the park,? said Matas.
Nick Klaus, a fifth grader at Clear Lake, joined the team for the first time this year after he attended last year’s LEGO boot camp Matas held.
‘I like LEGOs and I like robots,? he said. ‘I’ve learned a lot about the ocean.?
Matas said the LEGO and Robotics Team is important because it teaches that science and technology is a fun way that keeps the attention of the kids.
‘Kids of all abilities can contribute something to this, too,? she said. ‘It builds their confidence.?