LEGO
Christmas Factory MM at Davis Creek Elementary is a systems engineering
project.
In years
past we have done large projects where sub-assemblies have been put together
to make a whole systems project. Again we used LEGO Dacta sets from
motorized simple machines to Control Lab including Pneumatics I and II
and sets for RCX. For control we started with battery boxes
then went to interface box and RCX. We used both Control Lab and
RoboLab programs
with the
interface box.
The final
programming was on five RCX
using
RoboLab.
The center
piece was a Christmas Tree built on an RCX
and programmed
in RoboLab to play Jingle Bells and blink lights.
Rather
than have the entire class working on projects at the same time, smaller
groups worked on their building and programming over a period of two weeks.
For the
most part students worked at times that could be fit in when they had class
work finished. On one Saturday the Saturday LEGO kids worked both
on Control Lab and RCX on three computers at once.
To test
out functionality we set up direct mode on the RCX for each motor. 
We had
many windows open at the same time and so used the entire desk top as a
complex virtual machine.
As the projects
were completed, groups worked together to combine the projects. 
The goal
was to make a model Christmas factory that would move "packages" around
for stamping ( wrapping ) and counting and that fit in the box that we
use for display. 
As part
of their grammar class on adjectives, 5th grade students wrote up
the description of the functions of the many parts of the path through
the Christmas factory.
The crane
works from the outside on top... packages come out the other side.
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