CS9 - Getting to Work

Greetings FIRST LEGO League Oregon,

In today's FIRST LEGO League Oregon Update we will cover these items:

1. Tournament Assignments
2. ORTOP in the Willamette Week Give! Guide
3. Team Needed to do Demos in Portland
4. November Mission Model Discussion - Notes from the Head Referees
5. Using the Team Meeting Guide

Use this link to read this update as a blog post

  If you are new to this email or blog this is the place where you will find all of the OREGON specific FIRST LEGO League information, as well as helpful guides to get your team through the CITY SHAPER FIRST LEGO League season. Coaches and team administrators in the FIRST system for the CITY SHAPER season will be added every Monday until March, automatically. Every update this season begins with CS (CITY SHAPER) and a number, that number lets you know which update it is, if you miss an update you can find it on our blog.

1) Tournament Assignments

We were delayed while we try to balance out the tournaments. Some tournaments had way too many teams to facilitate (I'm looking at you second-weekend events). Other events don't have enough! We made the most equitable moves we can, we also still had teams working to complete their assignments, on Sunday!

But here they are! We have them. Fresh from our assignment volunteer to your team. 88% of teams have received their first choice! WOW!  One event is being canceled for lack of interest 😢 One event is almost enough for two tournaments, but is 1 team short (Bend). Yet, we shall have amazing events one and all!

Assignments are now posted on the FIRST LEGO League Oregon Teams Sheet.

2) ORTOP in the Willamette Week Give! Guide

The Give! Guide kickoff went extremely well.  The Theme this year is Do Good!  We’ll be focusing on coaches and volunteers in the future weeks who are Doing Good for ORTOP!”  To qualify for special incentives and learn more visit ortop.org/give

3) Team Needed to do Demos in Portland

If your FIRST LEGO League team is available this Saturday, November 9th from 11:00-2:00) to join the FIRST LEGO League Jr expo at the Cedar Mill FIRST Tech Challenge League Meet we'd love to have you as our demonstration team.  I can not provide a table for this event (it simply does not fit in my car), but if you can that would be terrific if not your team will be set up safely on the floor.

Your team would be expected to share FIRST LEGO League with teams and spectators. They will do this by sharing all aspects of FIRST LEGO League, the robot game, the Innovation Project, and Core Values.

Please email Loridee-Wetzel@ortop.org if your team can help.

4) November Mission Model Discussion - Notes from the Head Referees

City Shaper rules updates and comments for teams, from the Head Referees

Date: Nov. 1, 2019

Official rules

The referees will use the rules from the “Game Guide” document and the “Challenge Updates” document. Teams should do the same. There are currently 21 Robot Game Updates.

Key points about the City Shaper robot game, and answers to frequent questions:

• During a match, teams may not store any of their equipment off-field on a table or cart. Everything the team is going to use must be stored in the “Home” area, or be held by the two Technicians at the table. Team members who are standing away from the table may not hold any of the team’s Equipment. See Rule 26 and Update RG10.
• You may use a cart or box to bring your Equipment into the competition area, but it must be placed away from the competition field during the match. See Update RG10.
• The referees will inspect your robot to be sure it is built according to the rules. See the “Construction” rules on page 7 of the Game Guide document.
• Before you start the match, your robot must also fit inside either the Small or Large Inspection Area. See Rules 07 and 19. 
• Please bring your robot to the competition area ready to be placed into an Inspection area. We cannot delay the match while you disassemble your attachments and equipment so they fit.
• After inspection, you have only one minute to get the robot ready for the first Launch. Be prepared and practice for this!
• There is no "Base" area this year. The robot starts in the Launch Area, and returns to Home.
• Before the match starts, or while the robot is Interrupted, you can move objects from Home into the Launch Area.
• For every Launch, the robot and everything it uses must be no taller than 12 inches. Rule 21 applies to every Launch. This 12-inch height limit may impact your strategy for Missions 12 and 13. The only unique thing about the first launch of the match is that it has a “3...2...1… Go!” countdown.
• Once you have Launched the robot, the Launch Area becomes part of the Field, and you cannot place anything there until after you have Interrupted the robot and are setting up for the next Launch. See Update RG13.
• Update RG07 allows you to re-launch the Robot without losing a Precision Token, as long as the robot has not reached the Launch Area border.
• If your team uses a jig to align the robot in the Launch Area, be sure you understand Update RG21. Update RG09 does not apply to jigs - it only applies to stranded cargo. Either remove the jig before the robot is launched, or you have to leave it there until the next Interruption.
• To avoid losing a Precision Token, the robot and all its attachments must be completely in the Home area before you touch it. See Rule 27. “Completely In Home” also means that nothing can extend over the border walls. See Rule 07.
• Many missions use the words “Independent” and “Supported”. They are defined in Rules 33 and 34. Be sure you understand these definitions.  
• Update RG06 says that you cannot use your eyes to strategically interrupt the robot to score a mission.
• All missions are scored based on the conditions at the end of the match only. See Rule 35. This may impact your strategy for Mission 1.

Field Setup

Update RG01 allows black tape to be used to hold down the West edge of the mat, next to the Home area. Taping the mat down is not required, it is optional for each tournament. Tournaments will be provided with black masking tape for this purpose, but since every tournament provides their own tables, it is possible that the tape will not work correctly for every tournament.

Be aware that at your tournament, your mat may not be taped down. Prepare your strategy accordingly.

The table surface in the Home area may be painted black, or it may be unfinished wood. Be prepared for anything.

Remember that the challenge sets are stored and transported while rolled before your event, so they may not be as flat as your practice field.

The November Mission Model Discussion will be posted daily on the blog and Facebook (not sent by email) Please tune in every weekday to learn more about this year's robot game!

5) Using the Team Meeting Guide

Construction

Goals to check off this week 

• Team should be able to lower the blue block from the Crane, most of the time.
• Team should create their 3 Mission list for the robot game
• Team should have an Innovative Solution to their problem
• Team should know which expert type of expert to contact
• Team should understand how failures leads to success.

This week things get real in both the Robot Game and the Innovation Project. For the Robot Game the final lesson will have your team preparing your robot to complete the Drop block part of the Crane Mission. The Robot Lessons Poster mentioned in the Engineering Notebook and other helpful resources for this exercise can be found here.

While the robot is finally completing it’s first mission the Innovation Project is generating a solution to the team identified problem.  Do not short-cut the research. Your idea does need to have some way that it is innovative from existing solutions. This means knowing how else this problem is or isn’t being addressed. Decide if your team can make a prototype of their solution, a model of their solution, or drawings to represent their solution. Remember images are worth a thousand words. Having something physical can help make the project real to the youngest team members. Now that you have a solution, who can help you refine it? Decide what kind of experts you’d like to talk to and reach out via phone or email.  There is such a variety of people your team can talk to this year, they shouldn’t be getting overwhelmed.

This is the bulk of your team needs this year. The next session starts the clean up and prep for tournament. You’ve made it!

Thank you all for your patience as we worked through the tournament assignments this weekend and delayed this blog. You are doing amazing! Feel free to reach out with your struggles and your successes. You have got this!

Best Wishes,
Loridee