In today's SPECIAL EDITION Update we will cover these topics:
- The Challenge, Challenge Guide, and Updates
- Challenge Sets and How to Build Them
- *NEW* Coaches' Handbook, Participation Rules
- *NEW* Team Engineering Notebook
- *NEW* Oregon Software Pilot
- *NEW* Core Values and Rubric Pilot
- Videos and Other Materials
Please use this document as a reference throughout the season to know where you can find the items you need for a successful team experience and what each item is that's available on the FIRST Website.
Use this link to read this update as a blog post
The big document with everything is the Challenge Guide. EVERY team member should fully read this document. The Challenge guide outlines the FIRST Core Values, the INTO ORBIT Project Challenge, including the solution limitations, questions and stories to get your team started, a glossary, resources, and advice. Oregon Updates will spend a good deal of time talking about the Project Challenge in September and October. The Robot Game is described fully in the Challenge Guide. Additionally, ALL of the robot rules are in the Challenge Guide. This is where you find what parts are permitted on your robot, size restrictions, descriptions and rules regarding gameplay and completing missions, as well as penalties. At the very end of the Challenge Guide, you will find the description of a Robot Design Executive Summary, which can be a helpful way to start your practice for your robot design judging experience.
Once your Challenge Set arrives you will want to load the building instructions, either on team laptops/Chromebooks/tablets so each team member can do a build bag (there are 10), or on a projector or other easily visible system. There is a lot to learn about completing the missions during the build, so ORTOP and FIRST strongly recommend that team members build all the models. However, it is also highly adviced that the coaches inspect all of the builds, as practicing with a model that is built incorrectly can be devastating when your team attends a tournament. It should not take more than 2 team meetings to build the models. If it is taking too long, please focus on the models that your team wants to accomplish with their robot first.
Every adult who regularly helps your team should be aware of the Participation Rules for FIRST LEGO League. This is especially true for every adult who will attend the qualifying tournament for with your team, even if they are sitting in the audience. Oregon rarely has to enforce these rules, but if we do, it tends to ruin the joy of the tournament day for everyone, our volunteers included. Please make sure you are well aware of everything on these three pages. The kids get this stuff, but adults often need reminders. We are a Sport of the Mind and our values in the arena are different than some other sports parents may attend.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/lY1Z9kK71jQ
FIRST LEGO League International Forums are a space where coaches can get information from one another. Posts in the forum do not overule the Challenge Guide and the Updates.
FIRST Steps is a week by week coaching plan for FIRST LEGO League. This is a great resource to make sure you know all of the expectations of this program.
ORTOP Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshop Materials are available year-round on our workshop page as are some coach recommended training sites.
Oregon Team Information is posted on the Team Resources (Hot Topics) page.
Lots of project resources, fun space facts, and local news is posted on our Facebook Page
While we do not anticipate most Oregon teams to really start until September, we do want to wish all teams good luck! Joining us in that wish is the team on the ISS.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/zidR6Lr2dHM
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. If you are in the FIRST Dashboard as a team coach of a registered team for INTO ORBIT you will be added to this list every week for the rest of the competition season. Every update this season begins with IO (Into Orbit) 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) The Challenge, Challenge Guide, and Updates
On August 1, the INTO ORBIT Challenge was released to the world. Two of these documents will not change, the Challenge and the Challenge Guide. The Challenge is a 4 page summary of FIRST LEGO League and the INTO ORBIT Season, this is a great thing to cover in your Parent Meeting and to introduce this year to the team.
The big document with everything is the Challenge Guide. EVERY team member should fully read this document. The Challenge guide outlines the FIRST Core Values, the INTO ORBIT Project Challenge, including the solution limitations, questions and stories to get your team started, a glossary, resources, and advice. Oregon Updates will spend a good deal of time talking about the Project Challenge in September and October. The Robot Game is described fully in the Challenge Guide. Additionally, ALL of the robot rules are in the Challenge Guide. This is where you find what parts are permitted on your robot, size restrictions, descriptions and rules regarding gameplay and completing missions, as well as penalties. At the very end of the Challenge Guide, you will find the description of a Robot Design Executive Summary, which can be a helpful way to start your practice for your robot design judging experience.
The Challenge Updates will be released periodically throughout the season. A Challenge Update is the only official ruling that can change a rule in the Challenge Guide. In the order of authority INTO ORBIT Updates are the top rules, the Challenge Guide is second. All other materials fall under that. Staying up to date with updates throughout the season is important. I highly recommend printing the updates and placing them with your Challenge Guide.
2) Challenge Sets and How to Build Them
New this year the Challenge Set is included in your National Registration. If your team has paid their $299 (plus $12.59 shipping, for Oregon teams) then your Challenge Set is now scheduled for shipping. Challenge Sets began shipping on August 1. You will receive an email from ar@firstinspires.org with your shipping information just before your kit ships. This is also available on your FIRST Dashboard by clicking on Payment to FIRST under Team Finances. Because of this, it is VERY IMPORTANT that the shipping address on your Team Profile is correct.
Once your Challenge Set arrives you will want to load the building instructions, either on team laptops/Chromebooks/tablets so each team member can do a build bag (there are 10), or on a projector or other easily visible system. There is a lot to learn about completing the missions during the build, so ORTOP and FIRST strongly recommend that team members build all the models. However, it is also highly adviced that the coaches inspect all of the builds, as practicing with a model that is built incorrectly can be devastating when your team attends a tournament. It should not take more than 2 team meetings to build the models. If it is taking too long, please focus on the models that your team wants to accomplish with their robot first.
Once your models are constructed it is time to dual lock certain models and set up your table. You will need the Field Setup Guide to accomplish this task. The first few pages talk about building and setting up your table. Please remember at MOST Oregon events the table walls are higher than the new international standard. ORTOP tables use a full 2x4 for the side walls, not the smaller 2x3 in the Field Setup Guide. Roll out your mat using the practice table directions. Look for all of the squares with an 'X' in them. This will be where you put a square of Dual Lock (the brown bumpy paper in your kit). If you see a small rectangle you will need to cut the Dual Lock in half so that it is in the square. When you have the Dual Lock stuck to your mat for a model, connect another piece upside down on that piece and firmly press your model into position so that upside down pieces stick to your model. IT IS FINE IF THE DUAL LOCK EXTENDS BEYOND THE MODEL AS LONG AS IT IS IN THE SQUARE ON THE MAT. Follow the Field Setup Guide carefully to make sure your kit is set up as it will be in competition. Do NOT place anything under the mat, the mat should move a little in use.
3) *NEW* Coaches' Handbook, Participation Rules
After many years of a LONG, verbose Coaches' Manual, FIRST has re-written the coaches' manual to be a quick reference guide that is only 15 pages long - although it does have several links to more information! New coaches, returning coaches, please give this document a moment of your time. You never know, the question you have may just be answered here!
Every adult who regularly helps your team should be aware of the Participation Rules for FIRST LEGO League. This is especially true for every adult who will attend the qualifying tournament for with your team, even if they are sitting in the audience. Oregon rarely has to enforce these rules, but if we do, it tends to ruin the joy of the tournament day for everyone, our volunteers included. Please make sure you are well aware of everything on these three pages. The kids get this stuff, but adults often need reminders. We are a Sport of the Mind and our values in the arena are different than some other sports parents may attend.- Participation Rules (printed)
If it works better for your adults - here is a video version of the Participation Rules
4) *NEW* Team Engineering Notebook
FIRST LEGO Leauge joins the other FIRST programs this year with the introduction of the Engineering Notebook. This is a tool to help your team on their way to success. The Engineering Notebook introduces the Engineering Design Process and guides teams through the steps. This notebook is a free download and I highly recommend reprinting and adding pages as needed. Like FIRST LEGO League Jr the team does not need to "turn in" their Engineering Notebook, but it can be a helpful component when the team prepares for judging as well as repairs. Documentation is a key factor on the Robot Design rubric. If your team uses the Engineering Notebook this year, please share your experience!
5) *NEW* Oregon Software Pilot
Our region is participating in a pilot to open the software rule for the INTO ORBIT season. It is our hope that this will create greater cohesion with FIRST LEGO League and any school or extracurricular programming activities your team is participating in as well as helping teams preparing for FIRST Tech Challenge or FIRST Robotics Competition learn other types of programming languages. For several years, Oregon has allowed the use of Quorum for teams with blind members. Now we are joining FIRST to open up more language options for all teams.
Teams may use any software they choose - see the updated rule R07 in the Official Updates for Software Pilot Regions. Note that R05 precludes the use of any software that requires tethering to a computer while the missions are being run. Teams who choose to use software other than official MINDSTORMS software do so at their own risk.
There are many software solutions available for programming the LEGO MINDSTORMS. LEGO will provide limited technical support for Microsoft MakeCode for EV3 (https://www.lego.com/en-us/service). Any other software that is compatible with LEGO MINDSTORMS and does not violate other FIRST LEGO League rules may be used in competition, but they are NOT supported by LEGO. Support for other software must come from the developers of that software. Some software options require internet access; be aware that many tournament locations will not have reliable public internet access. We recommend bringing your own mobile hotspot if you will require internet access at your event.
All teams should be prepared to describe their programs to Judges who may not be familiar with the programming language the team used.
At the end of the season, FIRST will ask all teams who choose alternate software to complete a survey to send us feedback about your experiences. You’re welcome to email us during the season to share too.
ALL TEAMS WHO WISH TO USE A DIFFERENT PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE MUST INFORM Loridee-Wetzel@ortop.org. Please include what language you will be using & your official team number.
All ORTOP trainings will still use the LEGO EV3 Software.
6) *NEW* Core Values and Rubric Pilot
This year all FIRST programs now have the same wording for our Core Values. Our values have NOT changed! We have just changed the way we present our core values.
We express the FIRST philosophies of Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition through our Core Values:
- Discovery: We explore new skills and ideas.
- Innovation: We use creativity and persistence to solve problems.
- Impact: We apply what we learn to improve our world.
- Inclusion: We respect each other and embrace our differences.
- Teamwork: We are stronger when we work together.
- Fun: We enjoy and celebrate what we do!
For consistency, Oregon has joined the Core Values Rubric Pilot. This means we will be testing a new Core Values Rubric at our Qualifying and Championship Tournaments. This rubric will be available on the ORTOP website, but will not be on the FIRST website. This rubric is designed to use language similar to the new Core Values listed above, and be easier for the judges to evaluate your team's Core Values abilities.
7) Videos and Other Materials
We are in the age of video - and FIRST has many for this season, with more to come!
INTO ORBIT - Project Kickoff Video
Video Link: https://youtu.be/xC3xtuD4h90
INTO ORBIT - Robot Game Kickoff Video
Video Link: https://youtu.be/lY1Z9kK71jQ
FIRST LEGO League International Forums are a space where coaches can get information from one another. Posts in the forum do not overule the Challenge Guide and the Updates.
FIRST Steps is a week by week coaching plan for FIRST LEGO League. This is a great resource to make sure you know all of the expectations of this program.
ORTOP Coach, Mentor, and Parent Workshop Materials are available year-round on our workshop page as are some coach recommended training sites.
Oregon Team Information is posted on the Team Resources (Hot Topics) page.
Lots of project resources, fun space facts, and local news is posted on our Facebook Page
While we do not anticipate most Oregon teams to really start until September, we do want to wish all teams good luck! Joining us in that wish is the team on the ISS.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/zidR6Lr2dHM
Best Wishes,
Loridee
This Update can be found at any time on our blog at: https://firstlegoleagueoregon.blogspot.com/2018/08/io-1-we-have-liftoff-everything-about.html
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