Fifth grade students build robots
Have you ever built your own robot? Well, these fifth grade students have! On May 11, parents and fifth grade students from Mrs. Hendrickson’s Robotics Enrichment Program gathered for a showcase to demonstrate the results of their hard work throughout the course of the program.
Students and parents enjoyed refreshments as they learned about robotics and engineering.
Students Kayleb Virani ‘29 and Emily Chai ‘29 presented a complex robot named Clutch that they constructed. Students William Duckett ‘29 and Bennett Powell ‘29 presented the robot they built named Ike. They beamed with pride as they described their robots and the engineering process.
The students also demonstrated problem-solving skills as they spoke about challenges they faced when constructing their robots like getting the robots to balance properly. One student mentioned that their robot kept falling over due to uneven weight distribution, so they solved this by taping a block to the back of the robot to weigh it down and prevent it from tipping over. Students warned showcase attendees that it is not uncommon for robots to break, but they assured the visitors that they had the engineering skills required to fix the robots if needed!
Students showed tenacity in other ways as well, navigating and mastering a complex subject in just eight short weeks.
“The biggest challenge Robotics Enrichment Program students had to overcome when creating their robots was engineering under an extremely tight time constraint,” explained Samantha Hendrickson, middle school STEM instructor. “In just eight short meetings, students had to choose their robot from the VEX IQ website, construct and modify their complex designs, and create a challenge course tailored uniquely to their robots!”
After presenting their robots, students described the competitive courses they had constructed for the showcase. Using descriptive language, they coached attendees on how to complete the challenges they had designed.
"Kayleb’s Impossible Course” required precision and focus. The objective was to complete the course in the fastest time possible. The course was filled with clearly marked boundaries that could not be crossed. If a participant accidentally crossed over the boundary, they were required to start over. Participants utilized the joystick on the controller programmed by the robotics students to pick items up with the robot's arms and place them in the proper collection zone.
Students and parents laughed as they cheered each other on and learned about how to control the robots first-hand. Thank you, Robotics Enrichment Program members, for all your hard work!
