Students compete in robotics event this Saturday
Putting Legos and nanotechnology to work

These Jamestown School eighth-grade students will show off their techno-wizardry this Saturday. Photo by Stephanie Pamula

Nanotechnology is the new frontier that will impact every facet of society, from medicine to computers to the environment.

Participants in the First LEGO League (FLL) Nano Quest Challenge, Jamestown School grade 8 students will explore unimaginably amazing new technologies that start in the "Nano" world and lead to the things we do and use every day.

As part of the Technology Education Program these youngsters have joined forces to design and build a LEGO robot and complete a research project on a subject in Nanotechnology.

The curriculum for this program is the same used in other middle school classrooms around the world, immersing students in advanced technological concepts. FLL is an international program for children ages 9 to 14 that combines a hands-on, interactive robotics program with a sports-like atmosphere.

Teams consist of up to 10 players with a focus on team building, problem solving, creativity, and analytical thinking. Teams then have eight weeks to strategize, design, build, program, test and refine a fully autonomous robot capable of completing the various missions of the FLL International Robot Game using LEGO Mindstorms technology.

"It's one of the most engaging high-order thinking project's I've ever seen for children," said teacher Stephanie Pamula. "This synthesizing of multiple components to a deliverable product is a great learning experience for these kids and it is amazing how they do it."

For the robotics portion, student teams are required to build and program a robot that can earn points at nine unique missions within two and a half minutes. Each mission is meant to represent nano-sized robots and their theoretical capabilities.

Engineer mentors Joe Logan and Jack Hubbard have been a valuable part of the coaching staff this year working as classroom volunteers with these young innovators to perfect the concepts they have invented.

The Warriors will compete with over 40 other teams in the Rhode Island First LEGO League competition at Roger Williams University in Bristol on Saturday, Jan. 13.

For more information, visit www.firstlegoleague.org.

Anyone interested in assisting a Lego team at Jamestown Lawn Avenue School should contact Stephanie Pamula at ride4308@ ride.ri.net.