First Lego League
I have always wanted to be in a Lego competition. When I started homeschooling the Lego League was on my “Things to Explore” list. I looked into it but the process was a little overwhelming and you really need to be organized at the beginning of the year. We missed the boat. This year we are ready!
What interests me so much is the science and technology mission of the First Lego League.
The Lego League’s mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Now I am sold, but where do you go from there?
Firstly you need a team. Last year we didn’t know enough homeschoolers at the beginning of the year to form a team. You actually only need three kids but it’s good to have some kids with experience on the team and other mothers who know the ropes. You can have up to 10 members per team between the ages of 9 and 14. We have five children on our team so far. For Speed and other younger siblings, there is a similar program, First Lego League Jr. which we may run also if we find enough children/parents to assist.
Then you need a team manager (TM). The TM has to know how to make robots, understand the computing software for Mindstorms Lego and be able to guide the children in their endeavours. The TM has to organize all the materials and help the children organize themselves. They must remain as hands-off as possible. The TM also has to find technology and engineering mentors for the team! I’m the TM…yahoo!
In September the teams are given challenges. The children use the Lego Mindstorms robotics kit to design and program autonomous robots to complete game-specific tasks. They are also required to complete game-related research projects, and present their findings to industry leaders at their tournaments. Past games have addressed issues such as global warming, energy conservation, and Mars exploration. Throughout the fall there are local tournaments to prepare the children for the State Champs in December. It is all very exciting.
These local competitions are parent run and there is quite a lot to know about it so the first year is really just getting to know the lay of the land. You are given some DVD’s to get you up to speed on everything.
Luckily I have another mother to do this with who is as equally excited. The most important question is…are the children excited and we have a resounding YES!
June 1st, 2009 at 7:14 am
We hope you have as much fun and learning with your homeschooled FLL team as we do with ours! We think you’ll find FLL and homeschooling compliment each other beautifully.
Wishing you an awesome “Smart Move” season,
The W.A.F.F.L.E.S. #24