Two Heritage robotics teams ‘unleash’ to state tourney
On the “15 Percent” team, Heritage Elementary School students Kaya Lyons and Duke Yeom ready their robot at the 2014 Regional LEGO Robotics Tournament. (CONTRIBUTED)
MADISON – Two teams from Heritage Elementary School qualified for state competition at the 2014 Regional LEGO Robotics Tournament.
Area schools entered 16 teams for the qualifying meet on Nov. 15 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. A team can have 10 members maximum.
The Heritage teams will advance to the Alabama State LEGO Tournament on Jan. 24, 2015 at Grissom High School, Heritage gifted specialist Laura Minor said.
The “15 Percent” team won the first-place Champions Award that encompasses overall excellence and team professionalism, along with the “Best Robot Performance” award. All sixth-graders, members are Jeremy Anderson, Lauren Assaf, Emma Drake, Jackson Lanier, Kaya Lyons and Duke Yeom. Parent volunteers are David and Sydney Assaf.
The “Patent Protectors” team won the “Best Robot Strategy and Innovation” award, along with second place in “Robot Performance.” Team members are sixth-graders Grant Greenfield, Anna Vogler, Caitlin Johnson, Ethan King and Owen Racelis and fifth-graders Tyler Nix, Max Shah and Charlie Welsch.
Parent volunteers for Patent Protectors are Mark Greenfield, Matt Johnson, Paige Nix and Jennifer Shah.
“Each team worked for months to design, construct and program an autonomous robot to move about a playing field and complete several mission challenges,” Minor said. “Each mission requires the robot to move in specific ways and allows the team to score points.”
“Learning Unleashed” was the tournament theme. “Students were challenged to research how kids learn and innovate or enhance the learning experience in a particular subject,” Minor said. Both Heritage teams chose history/social studies.
The teams “devised ways to make learning more engaging and hands-on,” Minor said. Reflecting the theme, their robot’s playing field had mission stations “Search Engine,” “Engagement” and “Apprenticeship.”
Minor was thrilled with the teams’ performances. “These dedicated students are practicing important life skills, such as working in a team, using critical thinking skills, researching various topics and generating a creative solution to a complex problem,” Minor said.
