Developments 10 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16 Nick J. Rahall, II Appalachian Transportation Institute K-12 Outreach Program Linda Hamilton, LEGO� specialist for RTI (304) 736-5797 hamilton@marshall.edu www.marshall.edu/ati Web site for LEGO program at RTI netapps.marshall.edu/lego/ 1. RTI Mission: Planning, constructing and maintaining efficient and safe transportation infrastructure are economic and technical challenges in some parts of the state. The Southern West Virginia region has abundant natural resources that are geographically and economically landlocked, which has added to the challenges the region�s industries. Providing infrastructure and access for all transportation modes will develop a diverse and equitable economy and increased standard of living for the rural communities. 2. Goal of Youth Programs: RTI nurtures a new generation of transportation professionals. By introducing transportation technologies and hands-on learning during�the school years, students will be more likely to consider�transportation related careers.� Linda has watched youth program participants grow up. She�s taught families of RTI program children and children who have grown up to become teachers. 3. K-12 Outreach Program � RTI staff creates transportation-related lesson plans by grade and provides to teachers. Linda travels to schools to help implement the program and build LEGO projects. State mandated goals and objectives are incorporated into the K-12 program. Areas of emphasis include math, science and technology. Show Davis Creek Elementary site: http://netapps.marshall.edu/lego/DC0506/DC0506.html In October 2005, the school communicated with Norway via their site: http://netapps.marshall.edu/lego/DC0506/03Oct05/03Oct05DC.html 4. LEGO Robotics programs at Lego City, RTI Students learn LEGO Robotics through basic construction exercises, icon identification usage, parts nomenclature and information technology such as computer control and communication processing to the robotic unit. Students participate in exercises that involve a cities and transportation theme. They enact hands-on learning exercises as they discover the intricacies of traffic systems, the history and evolution of transportation and information technology used in urban centers. The program is fun but starts a lifelong interest in science, math and technology for many students. LEGO Sensor City � Live view http://legocamera.marshall.edu/view/view.shtml Click on �transportation outreach video� to see a video on the Lego program: www.marshall.edu/ati/TOWII/k12.htm Robotics program steps: Step 1: Assembling vehicles Step 2: Programming - Write computer programs that direct components Step 3: Downloading - Download programs into vehicles Step 4: Operating vehicles at Lego City LEGO program Web site: netapps.marshall.edu/lego/ 5. Red Rover Goes to Mars The Planetary Society developed Mars Stations, a part of the Red Rover Goes to Mars project, to give people around the world a chance to enjoy the challenge and excitement of exploring another planet. By visiting and logging in to a Mars Station, you can remotely drive a LEGO� rover across a Mars terrain, seeing through the rover's Web camera "eye," just like mission scientists use robotic rovers to sense and explore the surface of Mars. RTI�s Mars Station simulates Mars South Pole. The Martian South Polar Region was first imaged by Mariner 7. The south polar region is part of the highlands of Mars, consisting of old crater terrain, dunefields, a polar cap, layered terrain and water flows. You can teleoperate RTI�s Mars Rover at http://lego.marshall.edu/. People from all over the world can teleoperate RTI�s Mars Rover while on this site. A group of Linda�s students submitted a plan for a NASA contest to teleoperate the actual Mars rover, ON MARS!, for a day. They won and traveled to NASA. The kids found black rocks on Mars while they were operating the vehicle. 6. RTI Youth Camps Linda conducted a series of LEGO 4-H camps during Summer 2005. She used LEGO DUPLO blocks to introduce basic transportation concepts to Pre-K through third grade students. Younger students (3-5) learn to assemble vehicles, tracks and cargo carriers from pictorial charts and LEGO DUPLO blocks. After creating railroad or highway systems, students move �cargo� from one location to another. Older students (5-8) receive transportation-related �story challenges,� which must be solved using LEGO DUPLO blocks. Students use LEGO CAD to design vehicles or simple machines, which contain gears, levers and pulleys to solve the story challenges. Sixth grade student Jonas Gunnarsson traveled from Norway to attend the 4-H summer camp after looking up information on LEGO robots online. Through Linda�s help, the Gunnarssons were able to come to the U.S. and attend the camp in Barboursville. Tomas Gunnarsson and his wife are the leaders of their 4-H club, Nardo 4H, which is their First LEGO League team in Trondheim, Norway. First LEGO League is an international robotics competition and it is Gunnarsson's hope, with his new friends here in West Virginia, to have his team in Norway collaborate with a team here in West Virginia on the First LEGO League research presentation.