ENGINEER COURSES (Ages 7-10+)
ENGINEER 1: Foundations of Robotics
Recommended Ages: 7-9
What we study:
Welcome to the limitless and rewarding world of robotics! In Foundations of Robotics, we build on our earlier mechanical classes, introducing motors, sensors, and an easy-to-follow introduction to programming. Students will make a smart car, a walking robot, construction equipment, and more! During each class session, we focus on a LEGO build that combines a goal-driven programming project with clever and fun mechanical connections including gears, belts, pulleys, and other simple machines. Students are encouraged to test, adjust, and add to their creations to customize them and improve their functionality. This class is a perfect way to start down the exciting roads of programming and robotics engineering and opens up a whole world of possibilities in their LEGO-building imaginations.
ENGINEER 2: Mechanics Lab
Recommended Ages: 8-10
What we study:
Mechanics Lab allows students to gain basic mechanical knowledge in an exciting way. When constructing and testing models, students learn the basic physical concepts and laws of mechanics. Each lesson is like laboratory work in physics only with your favorite LEGO set when you have to construct the device before you can experiment with it and get the results. In this course, students get acquainted with the concepts as follows: motion, inertia, speed, friction and gravity, kinetic and potential energy, types of mechanical motion transmissions, simple machines, etc. They study the following sections: Strength, Motion, Friction, Energy, and Measuring Instruments. Students construct and study the operation of a balance, windmill, land yacht, flywheeler, and many other machines.
ENGINEER 3: Robotics Programming with Scratch
Recommended Ages: 8-10
What we study:
Take robotics to the next level! Our Robotics Programming with Scratch course is the next step up from Foundations of Robotics and includes more dynamic builds, an introduction to more complex programming, and opportunities to apply their learning to real-world problems. During regularly scheduled "challenge builds" throughout the course, students have the opportunity to use the skills they've developed to imagine and build their own construction in response to a real-world prompt. Pairing our custom-designed LEGO builds with the popular MIT-developed SCRATCH program, students learn how to connect their robots and machines to a real programming environment, creating mind-expanding interactions between the computer screen and their physical creations.