Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology Northwest Arkansas BEST Middle, Junior and High School...

Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology

Northwest Arkansas BEST

Middle, Junior and High School Robotics Competition

2006 Teacher-Mentor Workshop

Northwest Technical Institute

(adapted from 2005 River Valley BEST workshop materials)


• I. Introductions • Northwest Arkansas BEST Staff• 2006 Schools and Teachers• 2006 Mentors


I. Northwest Arkansas BEST StaffPaul Calleja [email protected] NWA BEST

Chair

Funding/Game

Mike Daugherty [email protected] School Recruitment

Jay & Joyce Hale [email protected] Game field construction

Anna Vickers [email protected]

General support

Ken Vickers [email protected] Catch-all Coordinator

Joel Hughey primordiuspestis

@lycos.com

General support

Dr. Euclydes Marega

[email protected] C-SPIN Liasion

Amanda Grinter/Bobo

[email protected] Public Relations

John Vickers [email protected] Jack-of-all Trades

Jenn Gassert [email protected]

Financial Officer

Ron Foster [email protected] Head Referee

Claude Roach [email protected]

Consumable Kit Management

Billy Graham [email protected]

Electronics Kit Committee

Brian Grindstaff [email protected] Purchasing

Ranga Prasad Desikan

[email protected] Web Master

mailto:[email protected]




















• II. 2006 Schools, Teachers & Mentors • Let’s Get Acquainted!


• III. BEST Robotics• BEST Robotics Inc. (BRI)• BEST History• BEST Game History• Attributes of Competition• Goals of Competition• Benefits for Students


• III. BEST Robotics Inc. • Non-profit, all-volunteer organization• 26 hubs in 11 states (in 2004)…and growing!• 3 Regional Competitions (Texas, South & Frontier

Trails BEST)• Frontier Trails BEST is hosted by the University of

Arkansas – Fort Smith and the City of Fort Smith• Volunteers from the various hubs operate Frontier

Trails BEST


• MIT freshman robotics video viewed during Engineering Day at Texas Instruments (TI) in Sherman, Texas

• BEST concept conceived by TI engineers Ted Mahler and Steve Marum

TI funded initial program for local Sherman schools

San Antonio group challenged Sherman group in first contest in fall 1993

III. BEST History

III. BEST Game HistoryYear Contest Hubs Teams

Students 1993 PVC Insanity 1 14

2211994 Bumble Rumble 3 23

4951995 TOTALly AweSUM 5 81

10051996 Block ‘n Load 6 123

20001997 Dynamite Duel 7 150

24001998 Toxic Troubles 11 191

31281999 Rocket Race 14 252

41302000 Pandemonium in the Smithsonian 16 292

46722001 RAD to the Core 19 320

5000+2002 Warp X Blast From the Past! 20 475

5500+2003 Transfusion Confusion 23 575+

6000+2004 BEST Fever 26 571

87922005 Mission to the Hubble 28 600+

9000+



• III. Attributes of Competition • Enhances teaching/teacher effectiveness• Reinforces classroom learning• Creates real-world academic challenge• Increases students’ interest in science• Exposes students to new career opportunities• Provides competition/fun• Bolsters school spirit and sense of “community”


• III. Goals of Competition • Inspire student interest in engineering,

science, and technology• Motivate students to pursue careers in

these fields• Engage students in exciting, fun science-

based activity• Enlist business/industry to become

collaborative educational partners


• III. Benefits to Students • Increases understanding of technical concepts

and scientific principles• Provides real-world engineering challenge• Encourages abstract thought, self-directed

learning, and decision-making• Promotes team building, good sportsmanship, and

ethical conduct• Produces pride in success


• Level• Corporate• Platinum• Gold• Silver• Bronze• BEST Friends

• Donation• > $15,000• $5,000 - $14,999• $2,500 - $4,999• $1,250 - $2,499• $500 - $1,249• < $500

IV. Sponsorship Levels


• Team Administration• Team Support • Recruitment• Student Recruitment• Purchasing/Financial• Fundraising• Travel• Safety

• President• Team Leaders

• Webmaster• Team Administrator• Robotics• BEST Award• Fundraising

• Team Members• BEST Award• Robot Design • Robot Construction• Game Rules

• Construction Job Foreman• Testing• Mock Playing Field• Shop & Safety• Time Management

Teacher Students

Mentors


• Team Administration• Team Support • Recruitment• Student Recruitment• Purchasing/Financial• Fundraising• Travel• Safety

President Team Leaders

Webmaster Team Administrator Robotics BEST Award Fundraising

Team Members BEST Award Robot Design Robot Construction Game Rules

Construction Job Foreman Testing Mock Playing Field Shop & Safety Time Management

Teacher Students

Mentors


• IV. Awards • Competition Awards • The BEST Award• Judging Criteria• Creative Gimmicks• Advancing to Regional Competition


• IV. Competition Awards • The field competition will result in the designation

of 1st, 2nd 3rd and 4th places with additional awards such as:• Game Specific Award (Robotics scores) • Founders Award for Creative Design• Most Robust• Most Elegant• Most Photogenic• T-Shirt Award• Web Page Award


• IV. The BEST Award • The BEST Award is presented to the team that

best embodies the attributes associated with “Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology”• Inclusiveness• Exposure to and use of the engineering process• Sportsmanship• Teamwork• Creativity• Positive attitude/enthusiasm• School/community involvement


• IV. BEST Award Judging Criteria • All teams are eligible for the BEST Award• Judging based on four criteria (75 points

possible):• Project Summary Notebook (30 points)• Table Display and Interviews (25 points)• Spirit and Sportsmanship (15 points)• Robot Performance (5 points)


• Team hats• Team t-shirts with game

theme design• Costumes• Buttons• Theme music• Banners• Posters• School Band• Cheerleaders

• Aesthetic robot designs• “Accessorized” robot• Team cheers• Spirit songs• Attendance by student

body, staff, parents• Computer slide show• Freebies (with logo)• Picture give-aways• Team/robot fact sheets

IV. Creative Gimmicks


• IV. Advancing to Frontier Trails BEST • BEST Award winner• 1st place game winner• BEST Award 1st runner up• 2nd place game winner• BEST Award 2nd runner up• 3rd place game winner


• V. 2006 Events • Kick Off Day - Saturday, September 16th• Mall Day - Sunday, October 15th• Game Day - Saturday, October 28th• Frontier Trails BEST- Friday & Saturday,

November 3rd & 4th (only 1 week after NWA BEST!!!)


• VI. Kick Off Day • Unveiling of game theme, game rules and

playing field• Returnables & Consumables kits

distributed• Q & A• Team-building opportunity


• VI. Kick Off Day (Kit) • Every team receives identical box of parts

(called “Consumables”)• Every team receives functional r/c units,

large/small motors, batteries, battery charger, tether devices (called “Returnables”)

• Teacher must sign for Return kit


• VI. Kick Off Day (DEMO robot) • DEMO robot sub-components built by

River Valley BEST staff members• DEMO robot are examples of how sub-

units of a robot COULD be built• DEMO robot should be studied by teams• Photos and videotaping encouraged!


• VI. Kick Off Day (Game Field) • Teams are encouraged to build a game

field simulation at school for practice• Diagrams are included with game rules• Teams should study complexities of game

field• Teams should identify and discuss

offensive/defensive strategies• Teams should photo/video game field


• VII. Mall Day • Practice competitive driving• Define/refine offensive/defensive strategy• Test/troubleshoot robot• Practice “industrial espionage”• Boost school spirit• Promote BEST to the community

•Mall Day

•Game Day


• VIII. NWA BEST Game Day • Saturday, October 28th, 2006 • Advancing teams (tentative):

• 1st place BEST Award winner• 1st place Robotics winner• 2nd place BEST Award winner• 2nd place Robotics winner


• How To Succeed at BEST • Pre-Kick Off Preparation• “42 Days of BEST”

Week 2 25 26 27 28 29 30

10 11 12 13 14 15

Tuesday

16

Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Week 1 18 19 20 21 22 23

Week 3 2 3 4 5 6 7

Week 4 9 10 11 12 13 14

Week 5 16 17 18 19 20

Week 6 23 24 25 26


27 28

21

30 31 1 2 3

Kickoff

Mall Day

Game Day

3

Frontier Trails BEST

10 11 12 13 14 15

Tuesday

16

Robot: pre-competition team organization/development


Kick

Off

DayBEST: establish team/support teacher(s) & study award guidelines


BEST: Develop committees, establish theme & begin fundraising

17 18 19 20 21 22

Tuesday

23

Robot: study game rules/materials & develop strategy, brainstorm and begin testing ideas, begin construction of practice field


BEST: Document brainstorming phase as part of engineering process, promote concept of BEST through continued fundraisers, demonstrations, school and community events, etc.


24 25 26 27 28 29

Tuesday

30

Robot: Begin construction of a running platform, perform preliminary design tests, begin practicing driving


BEST: Design and order team t-shirts as soon as possible, continue promoting BEST concepts through school and community events, continue documentation of engineering process

through notebook


1 2 3 4 5 6

Tuesday

7

Robot: Continue practicing with and testing design(s)


BEST: Continue documenting engineering process, continue promoting BEST concepts, plan for Mall Day and Game Day displays...


8 9 10 11 12 13

Tuesday

14

Robot: Continue testing and building, continue developing driving skills, finalize plans for attending Mall Day


BEST: Continue documenting engineering process, finalize plans for Mall Day display and BEST promotion


15 16 17 18 19 20

Tuesday

21

Robot: (Scrap design and start over) OR modify design based on experiences at Mall Day, continue practicing driving


BEST: Begin finalizing engineering notebook and preparing for Game Day


Mall

Day

22 23 24 25 26 27

Early Check-

In

Tuesday

28Robot: Finalize design, double check for compliance

before check-in, paint, decorate, allow time for paint to dry... check for compliance again...


Game Day

BEST: Add finishing touches to notebook, display, finalize plans for bands, pep squads, mascots for Game Day, etc.


29 30 31 1 2 3

Frontier Trails BEST

Tuesday

4

Make travel arrangements and don’t try any major robot design overhauls...



• Game Day • BEST Award Table Display Set-up (Friday

Night)• Compliance Check-in for near schools

(Friday Night)• Opening Ceremony • Driver/Coach meetings Saturday morning


• Game Day (cont.) • BEST Award judging, table visits,

interviews, etc. (all day)• Preliminary (AM) and elimination rounds

(PM)• Awards ceremony• Return kit check-in, check deposit return• Frontier Trails BEST meeting (advancing

teams)


• Northwest Arkansas BEST• 2006 Teacher-Mentor Workshop

• Thanks for coming! See you September 16th!

Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology Northwest Arkansas BEST Middle, Junior and High School...

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