Catalina Foothills Community Schools - Tucson, Arizona

CATALINA FOOTHILLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

2101 E. River Road | Tucson, AZ 85718
Phone: 520-209-7551 | Fax: 520-209-7575
Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:30pm
CARE: 520-209-7549

Travis Kolter
Director

Lego Robotics

2020 - 2021 FLL Challenge

**It’s full speed ahead for the 2021-22 FIRST FORWARD Season!**

This year FIRST LEGO LEAGUE (FLL) teams worldwide are going to discover global interconnections in the transport of goods, services and ideas. Teams will design, build and program robots to accomplish simulated real world cargo tasks, propose innovative solutions to transport challenges and reimagine the future of transportation.

Students in Grades 4 through 8 (ages 9-15) are eligible to participate in FLL. Students who are interested in being on an FLL team must attend a 2-session FLL PREVIEW CLASS. The Preview Class allows students to try the teamwork, engineering, programming and research tasks involved in preparing for the regional robotics competition in late November or early December and state competition for selected teams in January.

Teams for the full competition season are organized from the FLL PREVIEW CLASS participants. Team membership requires enthusiasm, focus and persistence in problem-solving, willingness to learn and work with others on team goals, and commitment. Teams will meet weekly throughout the season. Optional extra sessions may be offered.

The FLL Robotics teams will be led by CFSD STEM Integration Specialists Charlotte Ackerman (SD), Kelly Taylor (MZ) and Lynn Pence (CV and VV), in partnership with teachers, high school mentors, parents and community members.

The days and times for the PREVIEW CLASSES:

· Sunrise Drive – Tuesday, August 17 and 24 at 3:00-5:30

· Canyon View and Ventana Vista – Tuesday at Canyon View August 17 and 24 at 3:00-5:30.

· Manzanita – Thursday, August 19 and 26 at 3:00-5:30

· Esperero and Orange Grove Friday at Sunrise Drive School, August 20 and 27 at 3:00-5:30

· ECMS and OGMS students can arrange to ride a school bus to Sunrise Drive School by requesting a bus pass when registering.

· Fee for the 2-day preview is $30

The full Cargo Connect FLL season team meetings for each school will begin the week of August 30, 2021 and continue on the same days through the second week in December.

What is FIRST Lego League

FIRST Lego League (FLL) introduces young people (grades 4-8), to the fun and excitement of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It is designed for students do the research and problem solving, which are integral parts of each element of STEM, to meet the yearly Challenge. Students identify a problem and develop an innovative solution.

There are three elements that make up the Challenge: 1. programming an autonomous robot (the Robot Game), 2. creating innovative solutions to a problem (the Project) 3. following the FLL Core Values where the children learn that helping one another and the spirit of friendly competition is the foundation of teamwork.

Each year’s Challenge is similar to real challenges faced by scientists and engineers, which leads to an understanding of the work of these professionals and an exposure to career options. The Project gives the teams the opportunity to more deeply explore the theme of the Challenge and propose a solution to a problem they select.

The teams present their projects for feedback from the judges, who often are experts in the Challenge field. FIRST Lego League imparts valuable life skills and excitement about how our students can make a difference in the world.

FIRST Lego League in CFSD

In Catalina Foothills School District, students who participate in FIRST Lego League (FLL) are afforded unique experiences involving a team approach to engineering, programming, problem solving, and research. FLL equips students with tools to be successful in a rapidly-evolving world. FLL presents students with real-world situations and challenges in which they develop their abilities to think critically, apply knowledge at high levels and use technology to access, evaluate and communicate information.
Led by Charlotte Ackerman, CFSD’s Teacher Leader for Science and Engineering, FLL team members work together over a 14-week session to address the current FLL mission and prepare for competition in December.

FIRST Lego League Lite
In the winter and spring months, students who have an interest in participating as an FLL team member in the following school year are encouraged to join FLL Lite. This enrichment experience gives students the opportunity to get a taste of FLL without making the commitment to the full 14-week program. They get to try the current school year’s FLL mission and build their skills for future competitions without actually stepping into the arena of competing.