NSU University School Viewpoint Spring 2018

LOWER SCHOOL 5 Robotics! What better way to encourage critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving than through this exciting and dynamic field of engineering? In addition to the robotics offered during Innovation Lab and electives, Lower School students in grades 1–5 now have the unique opportunity to test their skills in the competitive arena. Students can participate in robotics in a number of ways and can choose from three different types of competitive robotics. USchool’s Innovation Lab instructor Michele Garren runs Wonder League for students in first through fifth grade and the FIRST LEGO League club for fourth- and fifth-grade students. Both teams meet throughout the week during recess and after school. This year, students who participated in the FIRST LEGO League club robotics competitions demonstrated utmost teamwork as they competed in the Robot Game, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Project, and Core Values portions of the competition. For the Robot Game, a team of fourth-grade students and a team of fifth-grade students designed, built, and programmed their robots to autonomously complete a series of missions around this year’s theme, Hydrodynamics. For their STEMprojects, the fifth-grade teamcreated a model of a single-family home desalination unit designed to convert ocean water to clean drinking water, and the fourth-grade team created a model of a hydroponic/aeroponic system that would conserve fresh water and increase yield. In the Core Values portion, students spoke about upholding the FIRST LEGO League club’s core values that encourage integrity, friendly competition, and cooperation. “Some of the kids chose not to work on the robot at all and instead focused specifically on the STEM portion of the project. Others chose to design the poster or T-shirts. We offer something for everyone, and through it all, we emphasize the importance of teamwork,” Garren said. Both LOWER SCHOOL STUDENTS T E S T THE I R S K I L L S AT R BOT CS COMP E T I T I ON From left, Tyler Greene, Alanna Frier, Maria Lagunas, Kira Nichtawitz, Chase Ross, and Alexia Lara of the fifth-grade FIRST LEGO League team code their robot.