LEGO K-12 Outreach Linda Hamilton, RTI Coordinator K-12 Outreach Intelligent Transportation Systems Workshops Using LEGO� Robotics and Marshall University math instructor, teaches pre-K-12th grade students about math and science with LEGO� sets focusing on transportation and engineering. Pre-school and elementary aged-children learned to master basic mathematics concepts such as measuring height and distance, grouping items by shape or color, and following directions by creating patterns or assembling designs from pictorial charts. They assemble vehicles equipped to travel on roads, rails, sky or water, and to transport goods from one point to another. Younger students (ages 3-5) assemble vehicles, tracks and cargo carriers using pictorial charts and LEGO� DUPLO blocks. After creating railroad or highway systems, students move �cargo� from one location while factoring time, distance and weight into the transportation process. Older students (ages 5-8) receive transportation-related �story challenges,� which must be solved using LEGO� DUPLO blocks. The students use LEGO� CAD and WeDotm to design vehicles or simple machines, which contain gears, levers or pulleys, to solve these �story challenges.� Middle school students are guided in assembling intelligent MINDSTORM� RCX equipped vehicles and automated traffic control devices from LEGO� DACTA kits and installing RCX microcomputers, light sensors, digital timing devices and motors. Then using ROBOLABtm software, middle school students write computer programs and download them to the vehicles and traffic control devices, including cars, gates, signals and speed measuring devices. High school students explore careers in automobile assembly, engineering, manufacturing, computer programming, education, transportation and robotics, while learning the basics of LEGO� CAD, ROBOLABtm and MINDSTORM� RCX programming. The students are also exposed to Transportation Outreach on the Web to build interest in transportation careers. FIRST LEGO� League (FLL) September-December 2008 Hamilton worked with teams of 9-14 year old students from St. Joseph, Barboursville Elementary and Middle Schools, Spring Hill, Milton, Southside, Culloden and Kellogg�s 21st Century school in the FIRST LEGO� League this year. The focus was on Climate Connections and teams from were required to research how climate affects their own community as well as another community which has similar issues. Students then come up with an innovative solution to these issues that would work in both communities, and then present their findings. A key aspect is learning to work together in a spirit of �gracious professionalism,� in the words of Dr. Woodie Flowers, national advisor and Pappalardo Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at MIT: �It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.� This competition takes place, but in a spirit of �mutual gain� and does not tolerate the idea of treating others like losers. Linda also organized a Junior FIRST LEGO� League for 6-9 year olds to prepare them for the older group competition. Teams had to research and build a model to study climate and prepare a poster that would introduce their team, explain how their machine works and provide pictures. Work with Area Schools Linda Hamilton works with schools in Cabell County through the Talented and Gifted (TAG) programs at for 2nd-4th graders at Central City Elementary, Barboursville Elementary and the 4th grade at Spring Hill Elementary. She also works with Kindergarten and 3rd grade classes at Southside Elementary and with students at St. Joe, and the 21st Century School at Kellogg Elementary in Wayne County. Students used LEGO� gears, pulleys and levers and programmed robots. They also built instruments to collect weather data and graphed that data. A highlight of the year was a trip to RTI to program the Red Rover Red Rover at LEGO� Robotics City located at RTI headquarters. This small robotic city simulates the kind of operation and communication that NASA has with the Mars Rover Lunar Lander at the Mars South Pole. There are two web cameras that provide live views of a simulated LEGO� city with an oval track, two monorails, a traffic gate and an autonomous, line following vehicle. LEGO� Robotics City can be operated through the web, and viewed with a live web camera by interacting with the Red Rover Operating System software from the RTI site. The site has been operated by students from across the state and country and around the world, including Norway, the Philippines, Australia and Israel. Preschool students also visited the city in April and May. Hamilton also works with students at the 21st Century model school at Kellogg Elementary in Wayne County. They have set up a resident Red Rover Red Rover LEGO� Robotics city that can be teleoperated from remote locations. Students worked with Linda to use the LEGO� ROBOLAB system as members of teams building and programming LEGO� robots to execute countless missions. This provided students with the opportunity to develop problem solving and organizational skills, team work, and overall develop a higher thinking level. Hamilton will be working with Buffalo Elementary School in the upcoming year with Assistant Principal Tony Michael Clay, a graduate of the FIRST LEGO� league program, who wants to install the school�s own Red Rover Red Rover simulation room, similar to the one at Marshall. Visits to Community Groups Linda Hamilton regularly visits area libraries with the program �Building Fun� to challenge children of a variety of ages to build city neighborhoods, places to work and vehicles using DUPLO� and LEGO�. In 2008-2009 Linda visited branches in Cabell County including Guyandotte, Cox Landing and the Main Library in downtown Huntington, in Kanawha County at the main branch library in Charleston, Riverside, and Sissonville. In Mason County she visited Mason Library and Point Pleasant and she attended Kid�s Day in Morgantown on July 19, 2008. Hamilton also brought DUPLO� and LEGO� sets to the Marshall University Christmas party on December 9, 2008 and has visited playgroups and preschools, Marshall�s Child Development Academy and worked with Boy Scout Troop 63. She also brought sets to the second annual Rylee�s Rally at Marshall University on March 15th. The event was designed to help parents of children with special needs learn what resources are available, and to help people in the community learn that children should not be defined by their diagnoses. Summer programs Each summer Linda Hamilton does a series of workshops and camps which are administered and sponsored by RTI, 4H, and the MCTC Division of Continuing Education. Camps take place during the summer with additional weekend programs taking place in the fall and winter. � The Young Builders workshop for children 4 to 8 uses DUPLO� kits to build playgrounds, parks, zoos, homes and businesses and different forms of transportation. � The Technology Building workshop for 9-12 year olds teaches engineering concepts in a hands-on way by building machines using LEGO� gears, pulleys, levers, wheels and axles into machines to solve a hundred challenges. � The Robotic Mini Challenges requires students from age 13-18 to program LEGO� Robotics to perform tasks for On the GO transportation-oriented set and work in small-team design projects using ROBOLABtm to gain an understanding of science and physical principles for robotics and computer programming. Heart of Appalachia Talent Search (HATS) June 4th, 2009 Hamilton worked with schools in Mason and Wayne County through the Heart of Appalachia Talent Search (HATS) Program, part of the federal TRiO program. The focus this year was on Cities and Transportation using LEGO� sets and was completed June 4th. HATS is a federally funded program that provides academic support to students between the ages of 12 and 18 who show the ability to succeed in college or a vocational/technical school. In Mason County this included Hannan High School, Point Pleasant Middle School, Point Pleasant High School, and Wahama High School. In Wayne County this included Buffalo Middle School, Ceredo-Kenova Middle School, Crum Middle School, Fort Gay Middle School, Spring Valley High School, Tolsia High School, Vinson Middle School, Wayne High School and Wayne Middle School. Some pictures from various events: http://netapps.marshall.edu/lego/1/2009/2009.html