Mission, Texas- The K.White Jr. High School (KWJH) MetalHawks recently competed in the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) robotics competition. The FIRST LEGO League competition is the largest robotics competition in the world for middle school age students, it consists of 29,000 teams across 80 countries.
Every year, teams are assigned a different challenge to complete, this year the name of the competition was TRASH TREK. The TRASH TREKSM Challenge asks teams to explore the hidden but fascinating world of trash, from collection, to sorting, to smart production, and reuse. They must also invent a solution to help our trash problem, create their own LEGO MINDSTORMS® robot to accomplish trash-themed “missions” on a playing field, and show how well they practice FIRST LEGO League Core Values.
The FLL Robotics competition challenges students on four categories: Robot Game, Robot Design, Project Presentation, and Core Values.
The K. White MetalHawks received high marks across the four challenges. Their robot design and their knowledge of the programming language were praised by the judges. Additionally, they received a plaque for the best overall Project Presentation where they received high scores for their research and solution to a real-world problem. The team was also acknowledged for their High Core Values, as throughout the tournament FLL volunteers witnessed the MetalHawks helping out and mentoring students from other teams.
As a result of their performance across all four challenges, the MetalHawks were 1 of 7 teams chosen to participate in the State Championship Event. Members of the MetalHawks team were; Alan Castellanos, Victoria Molina, Yazmin Cortes, Arnulfo Salazar, Jesus Torres, Joseph Wyant, Zhi Huang, Armando Villarreal, Lisa Garza, Iris Sustaita
Coaches for the K. White MetalHawks are: Mr. Jose Luis Sanchez, Ms. Shaila Silva, and Mrs. Daniela Barrera.
The FLL robotics competition does not have any events in the Rio Grande Valley. The closest event that students can participate in takes place in San Antonio, TX. The competition that the MetalHawks attended was the Central Texas Qualifier event which was held at Texas State University in San Marcos. Over 20 teams participated in this competition from areas including San Antonio and Austin. In this competition only the top 7 teams move on to the State Championship event that will be held in Austin, TX on February 20, 2016.
In the Robot Game students must design, build, program a robot using LEGO MINDSTORMS® technology, and then compete on a table-top playing field. During the Robot Design challenge students are asked by judges to explain their logic behind the robot design they selected. Students also explain the programming language they used so their robot successfully completes the given tasks autonomously.
In the Project Presentation challenge, students are asked to research a real-world problem in their community that relates to this year’s TRASH TREK theme. The MetalHawks decided to focus on the lack of a recycling program in the city of Mission. As part of their project, the students spoke to various individuals in the community including the directors of the city sanitation department, Ms. Jacqueline Guerrero and director of the public library, Ms. Mayra Rocha. Moreover, students met with Ms. Guerrero to present their idea of placing recycling bins in all of the schools to encourage more adults and students to recycle. Through this solution, the city can establish a program for recycling and can also start building a generation of individuals that recycle on a consistent basis.
Finally, students are judged on their Core Values. The FIRST LEGO League Core Values are the cornerstones of the program. They are among the fundamental elements that distinguish FIRST LEGO League from other programs of its kind. By embracing the Core Values, participants learn that friendly competition and mutual gain are not separate goals, and that helping one another is the foundation of teamwork.
Pictured are members of the MetalHawks after they received their certificates advancing them to state competitions. On the front row, left to right are: Iris Sustaita, Victoria Molina, Alan Castellanos, Lisa Garza, Yazmin Cortes, Joseph Wyant. On the back row, left to right are: Zhi Huang, Arnulfo Salazar, Jesus Torres, Armando Villarreal.
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