FARGO – The Fighting Hawks competed on the basketball court at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at North Dakota State University on Saturday, but they were not there for a rivalry basketball game. The Fighting Hawks Lego robotics team from Hawley (Minn.) Elementary School joined 28 other teams from elementary schools and middle schools in Fargo, West Fargo and Harwood, N.D., to participate in the First Lego League Robotics Scrimmage. At the robotics scrimmage, students pit robots built out of Legos against one another to get the highest score on an obstacle course. The theme of the event this year was "Trash Trek," so all of the obstacles on the course simulated a problem involved in waste removal. The robots resembled garbage trucks and featured arms and levers designed to pick up the most garbage and score the most points. "It gives students an opportunity to take Legos beyond the blocks," event coordinator Denise Jonas said. "They actually learn programming, how to design and think about design and make attachments. They can add attachments to their robots to make it do different skills and moves to help them in the competition." Each team gave a presentation about a problem in waste removal and how to solve it.
The Fighting Hawks' presentation addressed the fact that too many water bottles are thrown into landfills, and solved it by suggesting that everybody get into the habit of using reusable water bottles. The main event for the kids came after the presentations, when they finally got to test their robots on the obstacle course. The robots whizzed across the table using sensors to guide them to the obstacles and complete the challenges. They then returned to the beginning where the students clamped on new attachments and prepared for the next obstacle. "I like doing the robotics because you get to engineer and figure out new stuff," said Alivia Haider, a fifth grader at Hawley Elementary School and member of the Fighting Hawks. "And you get to work with your friends and work together," her teammate Darby Wolf said.FARGO – The Fighting Hawks competed on the basketball court at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse at North Dakota State University on Saturday, but they were not there for a rivalry basketball game.The Fighting Hawks Lego robotics team from Hawley (Minn.) Elementary School joined 28 other teams from elementary schools and middle schools in Fargo, West Fargo and Harwood, N.D., to participate in the First Lego League Robotics Scrimmage.At the robotics scrimmage, students pit robots built out of Legos against one another to get the highest score on an obstacle course. The theme of the event this year was "Trash Trek," so all of the obstacles on the course simulated a problem involved in waste removal. The robots resembled garbage trucks and featured arms and levers designed to pick up the most garbage and score the most points."It gives students an opportunity to take Legos beyond the blocks," event coordinator Denise Jonas said. "They actually learn programming, how to design and think about design and make attachments. They can add attachments to their robots to make it do different skills and moves to help them in the competition."Each team gave a presentation about a problem in waste removal and how to solve it.
The Fighting Hawks' presentation addressed the fact that too many water bottles are thrown into landfills, and solved it by suggesting that everybody get into the habit of using reusable water bottles.The main event for the kids came after the presentations, when they finally got to test their robots on the obstacle course. The robots whizzed across the table using sensors to guide them to the obstacles and complete the challenges. They then returned to the beginning where the students clamped on new attachments and prepared for the next obstacle."I like doing the robotics because you get to engineer and figure out new stuff," said Alivia Haider, a fifth grader at Hawley Elementary School and member of the Fighting Hawks."And you get to work with your friends and work together," her teammate Darby Wolf said.
