FLL 2008 Climate Connections
December 6, 2008
Marshall University Public Event

Practice table


Paper practice area                                                 Pits
 

Play room


 

Official Timer

 
 

Shirts

 

Little people



 
 
 

Robots

High 5's and awards

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

Helpful people

Judges and official timer

Meteorologist Spencer Adkins talked to teams.

Links of Linda Hamilton hamilton@marshall.edu Webpages and pictures Web camera Teleoperate CITY and Mars Station NASA site of Remote Sensing on http://SENSORSCITY.marshall.edu

TAYLOR KUYKENDALL

The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Building with LEGO blocks has been a pastime for children for several decades, but a few local kids competed in the very modern world of LEGO robotics Saturday.

Students from across the Tri-State have been building and learning about programming the LEGO robots since September. All of their efforts were recognized at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Morrow Library with an award ceremony.

"The kids really enjoy themselves, but it really is a blast for the adults involved too," said Linda Hamilton, Rahall Transportation Institute LEGO specialist said.

Hamilton said the event was part of Marshall University's outreach to the K-12 crowd. She said the exercise really teaches the kids a lot about teamwork and "gracious professionalism."

Faye Suer, a mother of a Southside student involved with the program said the event offers something special to kids who want an alternative activity.

"So much of our focus is often dedicated to sports," Suer said. "The LEGO program is a competition for the mind."

The competition involved about 80 students from eight teams competing for awards in robotics, research and teamwork. The schools involved Saturday included Barboursville Middle School, Milton Middle School, St. Joseph Middle School, Village of Barboursville Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, St. Joseph Elementary , Kellogg Elementary, Central City Elementary and Southside Elementary.

"The competition teaches the students about math as well," Hamilton said. "Students don't like math, but when you start using words like robotics instead, they really become interested."

Teams can be formed by anyone interested. Hamilton said all you need is an adult and 10 kids. She advised that if teams are interested in participating, they should begin preparing supplies over the spring.

"It's just like any event, you can't start last minute. You have to get together and practice," Hamilton said.

The theme of the project this year was the Earth's climate and how it affects the environment around us. Students who win at the local level are also given the chance to compete at the state level competition in Wheeling later this month. Winners from the state competition have the opportunity to compete with hundreds of teams internationally.

"They do similar work to what they do here," Hamilton said. "Teams program the robots to perform certain tasks for competition."

Hamilton said she was really impressed by the kids' cooperation and ability to work together.

"The students are really engaged with one another and they end up having a lot of fun doing this project," Hamilton said.
Taylor Kuykendall/ The Herald-Dispatch

Emily Ferguson leads her group in a group handshake before the award ceremony at the First Lego League at Morrow Library at Marshall University.
Taylor Kuykendall/ The Herald-Dispatch

Trevor Wilson accepts a participation award for his project at the competition for the First Lego League at Morrow Library at Marshall University.

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http://www.huntingtonnews.net/events/081205-staff-eventslegoroboticscompetition.html
Dec. 5, 2008

Students Learn Science and Math During LEGO Robotics Competition

Special to Huntingtonnews.net

Huntington, WV (HNN) � Students from several area schools will compete Saturday, Dec. 6 to show off their skills in building and programming LEGO robots at Marshall University's Huntington campus.

The FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO League program is offered each year to local students to make learning fun and to help students improve their creative thinking.

This years theme centers on the earths climate and how it affects the environment around us. Many of the tasks programmed by the robots center on this theme and the students also have done research to learn the information needed for their projects.

The competition also helps students learn math, since they must use their math skills to program the robots to perform certain tasks. The contest measures the students� abilities to get their robots to perform the tasks in a limited amount of time, and points are based on formulas related to how much of the task was performed.

Teams that win at the local level will go on to the state competition in Wheeling later this month.

The schools involved Saturday include Barboursville Middle School, Mil ton Middle School, St. Joseph Middle School, Village of Barboursville Elementary, Spring Hill Elementary, St. Joseph Elementary, Kellogg Elementary, Central City Elementary and Southside Elementary.

Public demonstrations and competitions begin at 11 a.m. on the first floor of the Morrow Library on 3rd Avenue. The event ends at 2 p.m. with an awards presentation.

For more information contact Linda Hamilton, LEGO specialist at Marshall, at 304-696-7166, or parent volunteer Lena Burdette at 304-634-1951.

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