Lego League

Each Wednesday for ten weeks the kids have been staying after school to work participate in Lego League, which is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) program.  The theme this year was Super Seniors, where they had to interview a senior citizen and find some way to create a Lego model that would help them solve a problem.  

 This is the Lego Cats.  Ms. Gormley (hopefully Addie's third grade teacher!) the coach, Elijah, Ben, Addie, Rana, and Ms. Croes.  Two other teammates couldn't come to the competition on Saturday, but they were on the poster board.

 We had to be at the competition at 8:30am and found out that we were the last team to be judged... at 11:55am! That's a lot of waiting, but luckily there were Legos to keep everyone busy.

 These are the trophies!! How cool right? They even have gold plaques on them each.

 During the waiting, each team had to go around to the other 54 teams' tables to see their creations.  This gave the kids the opportunity to explain their projects, etc to each other. 

 Addie demonstrating the Super Dooper Looper Scooper-6 to some another school's students.

 Che is Rana's older brother and Ethan is Elijah's older brother. They are both in fourth grade.  Ben and them made the American flag for fun while waiting.  Usually I think Ben looks huge, but clearly compared to boys who are 10 he is not! 

 The two Highlands teams all together.

 Muddy came by to watch the competition and cheer the kids on.

 This is when the Lego Cats were called up as winners of the Explosive Award- for research design and poster presentation demonstrating the model.

 The certificates. Look at Addie's expression, she's so proud. 

 Showing off the trophy!

 Pretty proud of themselves.  

The two Highlands' teams with their trophies.  For height perspective, Elijah is in second grade with Addie. Rana is in first grade.  Kayla, to Ben's left, is in first grade.  Ben is in kindergarten. 

The coolest thing for them is that at Highlands basketball is a really big deal (you know, with the National Anthem singing each year).  The trophy case in the lobby is full of basketball trophies.  These will be the very non-basketball trophies in the case!! Addie was trying to convince us that when she goes into 6th grade and changes schools the trophy should move with her. We had to explain they won as representatives of the school...

Next year they will surely be back as Lego League designers.  Really fun and clearly educational.

To hear how the judging went, here's the video of it.  The man didn't give them any lobs- he was really grilling them for information and process! http://youtu.be/iTVNMaDQQfk