LANL volunteers guide students from San Felipe Day School in the construction of solar powered robots from kits.
Robots Make Dandy Teaching Tools
June / July 2007
Volume 5 Number 3
Laboratory professionals have a responsibility to assist the next generation of scientists and engineers now working their way through school. This is especially true given the particularly critical shortage of students pursuing technical degrees as outlined in Rising Above the Gathering Storm, the 2005 report from the National Academy of Sciences. In the report, the first recommendation is to "increase America's talent pool by vastly improving K-12 science and mathematics education."
Volunteers from Los Alamos National Laboratory are working toward such a goal this spring by facilitating interactive Biology, Electronics, Aesthetics and Mechanics (BEAM) Robotics workshops and associated classroom sessions. These hands-on workshops—€”where fifth and sixth grade students from area schools in New Mexico build their own solar-powered robots from a kit—€”and related classroom exchanges designed to meet state education standards, expose young minds to the world of robotics. The combined, all-day experience provides an opportunity for laboratory personnel to interact with students and discuss practical applications of mathematics and science while introducing students to the world of electronics.
Throughout the workshop portion of the day, students focus on safety and following instructions. The simple BEAM-style robot design allows a fundamental discussion of energy conversion, storage and utilization. While assembling the kits, students learn about circuit diagrams, electronic units of measure, the function of electronic components and the meaning of symbols that represent such components. During the construction of the robots, students also acquire basic soldering skills while attaching components to a printed circuit board and gain a sense of accomplishment that comes from constructing a working robot from parts.
During the classroom session, students discuss what they may already know about robots, view current videos concerning robotics research from PBS and TLC programs, and participate in hands-on exercises. During the exercises, students find out how to make a graphic representation of the number of coils versus the strength of an electromagnet or how to use a multi-meter to measure battery voltage or the resistance of electrical resistors.
Throughout the day, groups of three or four pupils rotate among various learning centers in the classroom to conduct self-directed activities in relevant mathematical or scientific concepts. Volunteer interaction and feedback is provided during all facets of the mentor-student information exchange. A separate workshop for teachers is conducted at the schools by the activity leaders and laboratory personnel with teaching backgrounds in the month preceding the outreach activity. In the teacher workshop, educators are asked to define their goals and needs in order to mold the education outreach program to support classroom lessons. The lab instructors provide useful resource information and web sites to help teachers prepare math and science lesson plans. The activity leads conduct their workshops so that the teachers may gain hands-on experience prior to the in-schools workshops.
Teachers also are encouraged to conduct preparatory science activities with solar, electrical, magnetic or mechanical energy prior to the workshop date in order to boost students' knowledge and to build their confidence. To aid in this effort, the laboratory sends vocabulary sheets with definitions and units of measure to the schools ahead of time so teachers can familiarize students with the terminology. While such preparation is an important component of the program, many teachers have said that they find it challenging to balance these extra activities with external pressures to meet state test standards in all subjects and to improve student test scores.
Another one of the workshop's objectives is to reinforce student's fundamental understanding of scientific principles through the use of robotics while also encouraging them to have fun. But the classroom sessions and workshops also have a deeper purpose. Using the skill sets and scientific knowledge of lab volunteers, the goal is to introduce teachers to different aspects in science with which they were previously unfamiliar. This knowledge sharing will reinforce those math and science principles that may have been overlooked without such exposure, thus opening the door for students to explore a broader range of topics and concepts in science.
Other workshops include tie-dye and chemistry (kindergarten through second grade) and model rocketry (third and fourth grades). All three workshops are part of a larger Los Alamos student pipeline initiative designed to foster the laboratory's work force of tomorrow through early education.
So, with these efforts underway, the fundamental question is: has this four-year program been successful? It certainly has been—€”as judged by the feedback from volunteers and teachers and the colorful hand-made thank-you cards from students. But has it addressed the concerns of the National Academy of Sciences report? The answer to that question will take at least a decade and a half to disclose. Complicated national issues have never been easy to resolve and this one will take the long-term persistence of volunteers and teachers in order to make a difference.
Ron Wieneke is a nuclear engineer and project manager at Los Alamos National Laboratory
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