MCSD+Robot+Field+Trips+2016

Teachers, the three activities below are based on student ideas generated after watching the game video showing this year's competition. Click the game logo below to see this year's game (3 minute video). Learn about FIRST Robotics from Morgan Freeman (3 minute video).

The students will be able to see several rounds of the game and see different robots built by high school students across Georgia. They can compare their ideas to what they see in the actual competition.

**Thirty-five 150 pound robots built by high school students from across Georgia will be coming to the CSU Lumpkin Center to compete in the FIRST Robotics District event in this year's game Stronghold designed by "Imagineers" from the Disney company. Six robots at a time are on a volleyball court sized field working together and against each other in two alliances. FIRST Robotics is often called the "Sport of the Mind." The home team is FRC Team 4188 called the Columbus Space Program and built the best robot in Georgia last year and is looking to defend their title.**

== Most students look up to sports figures and too many think their dreams are tied to being a professional athlete. In this sport, the student-athletes are junior scientists and engineers. In this sense, everyone in this sport can go PRO! ==

What a great opportunity for a field trip! Students and 2 teachers from schools in the MCSD region will be invited to attend the Columbus FIRST Robotics District Competition on Friday March 23rd held inside of the Columbus Civic Center. The event is running all day Friday and Saturday so everyone else can come as well.
 * Prior to attending, each teacher will have shown their classes the 3 minute video explaining the game this year.
 * Optionally, the students can complete one or more of the activities where they express some ideas about how they would take on the challenge presented in this year's game. The students can compare their ideas for how they imagined the game solutions and the actual robots created by a group of their peers from across the state.

Below is a short description of classroom activities open to students under the direction of their teachers that can completed prior to attending the competition.

After watching the 3 minute video, groups of 2 students can work together to complete a Strategy Plan which is a realistic description of what a robot built by a group of high school students should be able to do in 2 1/2 minutes. A Strategy Plan sheet will be included here by Wednesday, January 13th. There will also be examples completed for previous years games linked here.
 * STRATEGY**

Many students are visual thinkers and learners and will see the game video and instantly imagine some mechanism that would make the a robot accomplish the goals of the game. Groups of 2 students will describe and sketch mechanical solutions to parts of this year's game. This sketch does not have to be an entire robot with all of its components. A template and examples will be posted here by Wednesday, January 13th.
 * DESIGN**

Some students can imagine the big picture where a robot would be in midst of the competition. This competition is looking for artistic renditions of a robot or robots competing in this years game. Submissions would be from individual students on paper no bigger than 11x14 inch.
 * IMAGINATION**

Example Activity sheets from 2014 game