November 14 - Programming
This lesson utilized EV3 robots in order to teach the kids about programming. Because this was our first lesson, we started with a PowerPoint giving a basic overview of what a robot is and the history of robotics. Afterwards, we had the kids participate in a review Kahoot. Then we switched to teaching about the importance of programming, breaking the kids into groups to program EV3s. We set out basic challenges for the kids to complete, like sensing colors, stopping at a line, and following a line. We offered guidance as they worked and made sure all of them got the chance to program their team's EV3.
December 12 - Design
This lesson was focused on the importance of design. The kids were challenged to design their own robots to participate in our FTC competition, with no limitations on the materials, size, or functionality. We started the meeting by playing the Velocity Vortex game video. Afterwards, we answered questions that the kids had about the game. We then divided them into 4 groups and had them brainstorm ideas of how they would design and build their own robots. We gave them whiteboards to plan and draw out their design, and emphasized the importance of working together to decide on a design. At the end, we had each group present their designs to the club and then held a vote on which group had the coolest-looking robot and which group's robot would work the best. After the presentations were done, we showcased 4717's competition robot and explained our team's design process.