Elementary School Robotics Teams Compete in Michigan
One of the first regional FIRST robotics competitions leading
to the national championships in April will take place November 20 at Grandville
High School in Grandville, MI. More than 3,500 students, parents,
teachers and
spectators will gather to watch nearly 70 robotics teams compete to move
on to
the statewide level.
Part of the nationwide
FIRST project, whose mission is to
inspire young people to be leaders in science and technology, the day
will
consist of two events, the "World Class" FIRST Lego League competition
and the
"Think Tank" Junior Lego League competition.
With the Lego League competition, 50 teams made up
of fourth-
through eighth-graders from around the Grand Rapids, MI, area who have
developed their own robots will compete in challenges designed to test
their
skills and teamwork. At the same time, the teams will make research
presentations sharing the work they have done on issues related to
extreme
weather. The teams will be judged by technical experts.
The junior competition is for 27 teams of
students in grades K-3 guided by adult coaches. Their competition is a
"Think
Tank" showcase in which the teams have explored research, teamwork and
construction. The teams have used LEGO bricks to construct models and
developed
posters to demonstrate the work they have done.
Awards will be announced at the end of
the day and the winners
will move on to the state championships in December. At that point,
state
representatives will be selected to go to the World FIRST championships
scheduled April 22-25 in St. Louis, which will attract close to 850
teams with
25 to 30 students each and a total crowd of about 40,000.
The Grandville
Public School District has been one of the
leaders in educational robotics program ever since the high school
fielded its
first team in 1998. Today 44 teams involving more than 700 students
participate
in the program based at the district's Robotics & Engineering
Center.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.