I've received a ton of emails about The Mayan Adventure over the past year or so, and I'm glad to hear that so many people have enjoyed the book. I've heard from students, teachers, and parents about the different ways they've used the book - classroom, camps, and parent/child activities. (I've even been asked to teach a camp class this summer that will use the book.)
Teachers have been the most vocal - asking for more information, more activities, more of everything!
Well, here's what I've got so far...
I've developed a 3-part module series for teachers/coaches called "Mystery Warehouse." Like The Mayan Adventure, it uses a fictional storyline to encourage more activity (building and programming) with the NXT kit. Each module is broken down as follows:
* Instructor Resources
-- Two Pre-Challenge Activities - These give the students experience using and programming each sensor used by the robot in a particular module
-- Module Main Challenge - complete setup instructions for creating the challenge environment
-- CAD building instructions - complete CAD instructions for the module's main challenge robot - builds on to the Education Tribot
-- Programming instructions - complete screenshots (every block and configuration panel) of the entire module's main challenge program
-- Web links for downloading all programs - programs for main challenge and pre-challenge activities can be downloaded
-- "Learn More" and "Know your Techno" sections - provide additional web resources plus Help documentation for the module's special sensor
-- Discussion questions - each module contains 20 discussion questions to encourage further investigation and discussion
-- Web link for downloading program slideshow - PowerPoint slideshow for module main challenge
* Student Resources
-- Fiction story (3 parts - 1 per module) that sets the stage for the Main Challenge
-- Worksheets (x4) - for both Pre-Challenge 1 and 2 and the Main Challenge
-- Web link for downloading slideshow notesheets - these have space for students to take notes on the program discussion
Individual Module Information:Part 1 - Uses the HiTechnic Compass Sensor - approx 20 hours of activity including building, programming, and challenge
Part 2 - Uses the HiTechnic Color Sensor - approx 21 hours of activities
Part 3 - Uses the HiTechnic Acceleration/Tilt Sensor - approx 20 hours of activities
While the module challenges can be performed using the Education Tribot plus additional construction (provided by CAD instructions), students are encouraged to try and build their own robots (or modify the one in the module) to complete the challenges. Each module challenge can stand "on its own" and does not require the other modules to complete.
Thanks to all of you who have emailed and requested more activities - I'm always working on something, so hopefully these will hold you for a short time while I prepare some more. The next module will be a stand-alone, single story module that requires the Education Base Kit plus one Resource Kit... stay tuned.