Part 2
Overview of Summer Teacher
Workshops for In-class Use of
FLL/FTC Technology
July 28, 2008
Workshop Overview
• Makes use of FLL/FTC kits with third-party
sensors, e.g., Vernier, Hitechnic, Mindsensors
• Makes use of Robolab software, but other
software such as NXT-G, LabVIEW for
Education, could also be used
• Taught how to develop Rigorous and Relevant
Lesson plans that include assessment using a
Hands-on, Inquiry-based Learning approach
• Goal: teachers working in triads, e.g., math,
science and technology, to develop/run a peer
reviewed lesson plan in their classroom
Use of Lego NXT Kits
• LEGO elements can be a powerful teaching
tool for students of all ages
– using LEGO bricks a kindergarten student can
explore the concept of numbers and sorting
– add a few motors and sensors to those LEGO
bricks and high school students can learn about
engineering and physics by building a robot or a
set-up to measure mechanical advantage
• Having students from K-12 use the
same/common toolsets allows more time to
be focused on learning and exploring and less
on learning how to use software, etc.
Sensors in FLL Kit
Output: 3-255cm
Output: 0-100%
Output: 0-360 degrees
Output: 0-100%
Output:
0 (not pressed)
or 1 (pressed)
Vernier Sensor Adapter for NXT
Used with various sensors
having analog outputs.
Values/units vary by sensor.
Dual force sensor
Gas Pressure Sensor
Light Sensor
About Robolab - Investigator
• ROBOLAB is good environment for
programming, creating, learning and exploring
with the LEGO NXT (and older RCX)
– with an intuitive graphical interface, students of all
ages are able to create autonomous systems,
collect data, compose music, and snap pictures
• ROBOLAB runs on top of the LabVIEW
programming environment (including LVEE ‘09)
– used by engineers and scientists in both institutions
of higher education and industry
– a leading software development tool for
measurement and control applications
Key Investigator Windows
Main windows: Program, Upload,
Compute, View/Compare, Journal
and Publish
Select Programming Level 5, then click here to
begin programming the NXT under Investigator,
i.e., for data logging. Level 5 provides full NXT
programming similar to Inventor/LVEE ’09.
Sample Investigator Program
• The following code takes 50 light sensor
samples at a rate of 0.1 seconds per sample,
i.e., sampling for 5 seconds in total
• You can enter, download and run this code
on the NXT, then upload the data in
investigator to view it
Sample of Third Party Sensors
Covered in the Workshop
Temperature
Instrumentation Amp
Ultrasonic
Accelerometer
Light & Temp
Magnetic Field
Gas Pressure
Force
Structure of a Sensor Presentation
1. Overview of the sensor (20 min)




Description and experiment setup
Robolab data acquisition code
Data visualization and analysis
Rigor and Relevance discussion
2. Group Activity (40 min)
 Each group experiments with the sensor in kit
 Take notes in engineering journal
3. Group Brainstorm R&R (15 min)
 Potential lesson plans?
 Take notes engineering journal
4. Class Discussion (15 min)
Surface Temperature Sensor
The Surface Temperature Sensor is designed for use
in situations in which low thermal mass or flexibility is
required. Special features include an exposed
thermistor that results in an extremely rapid response.
Surface Temperature Sample Code
Experiment: Examine temperature difference between different
colors of paper heated using a lamp. Procedure:
1. Play a sound indicating when data logging begins
2. Turn on lamp
3. Collect temperature heating data every tenth of a second for a
total of 180 seconds, i.e., 1800 data samples
4. Play a sound to indicate time to turn of lamp and begin logging
temperature cooling data
5. Collect cooling data for another 180 seconds
Download and run this code on the NXT, then upload the data to view
Visualization and Analysis:
White Paper vs.
Black Paper
Rigor/Relevance Framework
Evaluation
6
Synthesis
5
Analysis
Application
Understanding
Awareness
D
Assimilation
Adaptation
4
3
2
A
B
Acquisition
Application
1
The goal is to move
learning experiences
into Quadrant D
Application Model
C
1
Knowledge
2
Apply in
discipline
3
Apply
across
disciplines
4
Apply to
real-world
predictable
situations
5
Apply to
real-world
unpredictable
situtations
Rigor and Relevance Discussion
• Easier: What colors absorb more heat?
• Harder: Compare the cooling data to
Newton’s law of cooling, i.e.,
→
→
Rigor and Relevance Discussion
Temperature Probes:
• Quadrant A – Identify the two
different parts of the curve
• Quadrant B – Repeat this
test with different materials.
• Quadrant C – Describe how
different conditions and/or
activities might affect the
results of this test.
• Quadrant D – Develop a
procedure for assessing the
cardio-vascular health of a
subject based on the results
of tests designed to measure
the impact of exercise on the
subject’s breathing rate using
a temp probe.
Your Turn Session - Temperature
1. Experiment with temperature probes (40 min)
 Use ring stand, light, colored paper to recreate
heating/cooling experiment
 Log and visualize data
2. Brainstorm in your groups on classroom
possibilities (15 min)
3. Class discussion (15 min)
Please use your journals to keep a record of your
discussions and notes about sensors.
Rigor and
Relevance
Lesson
Plan
Format
Lesson Plan Format for R&R
Identify the R&R quadrant
that best fits your lesson plan
1
2
3
4
5
This may be new but it is very helpful
for determining the effectiveness of
the lesson. The teachers devise
sample pre/post-assessments over
the course of this week.
Roughly 20 lesson plans results from the initial
summer workshop using a wide variety of
sensors, including:
– force sensor, e.g., for bridge breaking
– magnetic field sensor, e.g., for measuring
power used by different forms of lighting
– Ph sensor, e.g., for measuring the amount
of C02 in respiration
In-class Workshop Photos