Favorite GO activities to teach core content?

VEX GO
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I have been loving so many of the GO activities and STEM labs to teach core contents.
I was asked to push into the regular 2nd grade class to do the Frog activity. The depth of conceptual understanding the kids were able to take away about the life cycle of the frog, how the habitat needs change as the frog changes from tadpole to froglet, to frog was amazing! The students naturally started being concerned that if habitats are decreasing and their diversity is decreasing, then that can lead to animals like frogs being endangered.
I am also one Simple Machine #3 of the Simple Machine STEM lab that goes through 4 simple machines. I am teaching this STEM lab to 3rd - 8th graders, which I wasn’t sure how it would go in the younger grades. It was amazing! My favorite one so far was the inclined plane. I had even 3rd graders talking about friction, potential energy, kinetic energy and using the terms correctly!! They were so excited they wanted to try out the robotic inclined plane on different surfaces (carpet vs linoleum). To have students naturally be so curious that they think of an experiment and take ownership to extend their learning… LOVE it!
Heard a phrase at the VEX Worlds Educator’s Conference from @Audra_Selkowitz … “Why use a worksheet if you can use a robot?” LOVE that quote and so agree with it. Trying to find every possible way to use the robots for any core content I can!
Curious to everyone else… any other activities or STEM labs that have worked really well to integrate core content? Any activities or STEM labs modified and used to teach core content?

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During the VEX Educator Conference, @Laura_Mackay gave a fantastic presentation on just this subject! She talked about how her schools were incorporating VEX GO and VEX 123 into their general education classrooms. I’m sure she can share many ideas on this topic! I think the opportunity there to infuse STEM and CS into everyday interactions is promising in so many ways - but since you asked about VEX GO specifically, here are just a couple of connections that have appealed to me.

  • Battle Boats for math concepts, like plotting points with coordinates
  • Planet HEXBUG Activity Series for incorporating creative writing and science concepts around habitats (could be a neat extension to Fun Frogs)
  • Look Alike to learn about traits and introduce concepts like Punnett Squares in a fun and engaging way.
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