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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Children worked on creating Lego robots at the Austintown library on Oct. 13 as a part of the Lego WeDo program at the library. The children worked together to build their robot creation.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Children at the Austintown library followed directions to create Lego robots. The activity gave the students a hands-on science lesson that combined critical thinking, direction following, troubleshooting and programming skills.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Lego WeDo Robots program asked students to build a Lego robot with a motor. The children used a computer to program the machine. The machines pulled objects across the floor.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.The Lego WeDo Robots program allowed children to use their minds to add different elements to the program. Some children replaced parts to their robot to see how it would run. Some children changed the programming for the machine to see if they could increase the speed of the machine. Pictured, one of the groups added wheels and a second trailer to see how well their machine pulled the objects.
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Neighbors | Zack Shively.Children placed blocks on the back of the Lego trailer to see if their Lego robot could continue moving across the floor at the Austintown library's Lego WeDo Robots event.
By ZACK SHIVELY
Austintown library hosted a Lego WeDo Robots event on Oct. 13 where children from grades one to four built and programmed Lego robots.
Samantha Schneider, Early Learning Team Leader for the PLYMC, led the event with assistance from Austintown librarian Allison Graf. They organized the children into groups. The groups worked in a collaborative effort to create their machines.
The activity had the children build the robots around a motor based on diagrams and program the machines to move. The program worked the students’ critical thinking, problem solving and computational skills.
The groups got their robots to move across the floor. Then, they connected their machine to a Lego trailer that could hold blocks and other objects. They placed items of differing weight onto the trailer to see if their machines could carry the weight.
The children began experimenting after doing the activity. Some children added wheels to the trailer to make it move smoother. One group took off parts from their machine to see if that would make their machine work better. Some changed different attributes in the programming section. Another group added a second trailer to see if their machine could pull both.
The library hosts different Lego WeDo programs throughout the branches of the PLYMC. The grade level of the program depends on which program the library offers.