Skip to main content

Mystery Warehouse Module Series


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.

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 3

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these Fall and Winter remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Braill3 by Jerry Nicholls Braill3 is an EV3-based LEGO Braille bricks reader. This robot uses its fingertip, made from three touch switches, to read messages written using the LEGO Braille bricks and will speak out what it detected. If it sees a simple maths problem it will attempt to solve it and give the answer as well. To learn more about the process of creating this machine, read Jerry's blog . Braill3 can be viewed here . Set Review: The Braille Bricks set is well thought out. The ratios of the letters is suitable for general use and the addition of some punctuation and arithmetic operators is excellent. There is a card showing what bricks there are and their quantities, but no form of sort...

Celebrating MINDSTORMS with a Remix - Part 2

The ROBOTMAK3RS continued their celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS through these summer and fall remix projects. Each ROBOTMAK3R was tasked with selecting one LEGO set of their choice and combining it with a MINDSTORMS set. Below are the five amazing models they came up with. Remote controlled material handle r by Jozua van Ravenhorst (aka Mr Jo) This remix combines the LEGO Technic Material Handler (42144) with MINDSTORMS EV3 (31313) It uses the power of pneumatic cylinders to move objects around. By using a bluetooth remote control, very precise movements can be made with this model. Touch sensors in the base chassis prevent the turret twisting the cables that go through the turntable to much. The program has several protections to prevent over pressurizing the system for each of the 3 individual pumps and valves that control the 2 booms and claws. The real version of this machine is mostly used in waste material sites to bring the material to machines that sort and...

Celebrating 25 Years of MINDSTORMS

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of MINDSTORMS, we take a trip through history. Please also visit ROBOTMAK3RS Community every week as we highlight different projects all through 2023 in celebration of the anniversary. Some of the early history is based on the content shared by  Coder Shah  in our  MINDSTORMS EV3 Community Group . Some of the text and links may have been edited from his original posts for consistency and clarity.  1984 - Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen watched a TV program called "Talking Turtle," where MIT professor Seymour Papert demonstrated how children could control robot "turtles" using LOGO, a programming language he developed. 1988 - The collaboration between MIT and LEGO resulted in LEGO TC Logo in 1988, which allowed students to control LEGO models using computer commands. The video shows Papert demonstrating TC Logo. 1990 - LEGO TC Logo was hampered since the robots you built had to be tethered to a personal computer. LEGO and MIT...