Lego lessons: Moravia students use robotics at Mars colony-themed event – Auburn Citizen

MORAVIA The Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot that eighth-grade student Tanner Jones and his group members worked on at Moravia Middle School didn't quite operate the way they hoped.

The group was in the middle of the robotics portion of an all-day Mars colony-themed event Thursday that involved the school's entire eighth-grade class. The robot was supposed to move across a mat serving as a "map" of the red planet with various locations laid out, such as an underground base and turn right at one point to get to another location.

"Turn, turn, turn," Jones said as the machine, instead, moved forward.

Although it didn't work out the way he and the team wanted, Jones explained why he still enjoyed programming the robot.

"Mainly because it puts my mind to a test and makes me think," Jones said.

The robotics was a part of a school event looking at how people could conceivably exist on Mars. The robotics aspect was meant to reflect how scientists could use large machines to explore the planet's landscape. The entire eighth-grade class participates in these problem-based projects every year; students were split into twelve groups of six.

Four months of preparation went into the day's event. It focused on three main challenges: The various colony groups had to show how well their Lego Mindstorm units worked, they had to demonstrate their communication skills and teamwork abilities by coming up with solutions to a problem within a few minutes, and they had to present their proposal to a panel of actual experts, such as Tony Abbatiello, Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES director of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and Chris Petrella of the technology and defense company Lockheed Martin.

Middle school Principal Bruce MacBain said although the school has "extremely high expectations," in his own words, for students, he believes they displayed the culmination of all of their hard work despite any anxieties they may have had about the event.

"This is nerve-wracking for them, but it's also a celebration of 'Wow, I know a lot of stuff,'" MacBain said.

MacBain was proud of the children for their ability to present their ideas and proposals to accomplished professionals they had never met.

"I'm sorry, but that's a little daunting for a 13-year-old," MacBain said.

Derek Newton, one of the group members in a team of students, was hunched back slightly while his group presented its results including what government they chose and what kind of foods they would grow yet he spoke calmly, with no stammered words or prolonged pauses between his sentences.

Newton said he was rattled while presenting at first, thinking that his voice was far too loud as it carried through the library.

"Then I realized I wasn't talking too loudly, it was just really quiet," Newton said with a smile.

Preparation leading up to the event included a three-week "robotics boot camp" where students built and programmed their robots, used a 3-D printer, ventured to Cornell Universityand Skyped with Dr. Scott Guzewich, a research astrophysicist and planetary scientist with NASA.

Each learner had to work on a different part of their "colony." With government, students had to choose a system the colony would operate under. Those working in architecture had to design the colony's structures. In botany, students focusedon how aquaponics and hydroponics could be utilized to create sustainable food. And working in the media branch entailed enticing people to join the students' colony through videos and brochures.

Teacher Megan Newhouse said these grade-wide projects help students work on skills often sought by employers, such as teamwork and delivering constructive criticism. She said that while students have struggled a bit with some of the collaborative work, the teachers did keep in mind that their expectations are high and the students are still in eighth-grade.

Newhouse said these challenges were part of a shift in focus on "student-centered learning" instead of "teacher-centered learning."

"So instead of me standing in front of a classroom and saying, 'Memorize these 10 facts,' it's, 'You're living on Mars, what do you need to know and why?'" Newhouse said.

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Lego lessons: Moravia students use robotics at Mars colony-themed event - Auburn Citizen