February 10, 2014
Elementary Students Go for the Gold in Lego Robotics Challenge
It’s what we imagine would happen if the characters from
Michael Bay’s Transformers franchise went to compete at the Sochi Olympics.
While Optimus Prime is not expected to be on-hand, the upcoming
DSBN Elementary Lego Robotics Challenge in St. Catharines will feature
incredible student creations taking part in a number of different Olympic
themed events. Dubbed the “Robo-lympics,” the four-day showcase will feature
the talents of over six hundred elementary students from 41 different public
schools in Niagara. The Robo-lympics will take place from February 18 – 21 at
Club Roma in St. Catharines.
Students in Grades 4 – 8 will be asked to design and
create robots to go for the gold in five different sports. The challenges
include:
- Ice Hockey (shooting pucks into nets)
- Curling (pushing rocks into circles)
- Biathlon (knocking down targets)
- Skiing (maneuvering through gates without knocking down flags)
- Speed Skating (timed race around an oval track)
Each day will begin with opening ceremonies and a parade
of nations to get students into the Olympic spirit. At the end of each day,
there will be closing ceremonies accompanied by the traditional podium
presentations of gold, silver and bronze.
“This event is an excellent opportunity to showcase the
creativity and ingenuity of our elementary students,” says Nancy Bridgeman,
DSBN Consultant for Science and Environmental Education. “Just like at the
official Olympics, our students will be striving for all the qualities the
games embody, such as excellence, fun and fair play.
In addition to the robotics competition, senior student members
from Governor Simcoe's Simbotics team will be on hand each day for a display
and demonstrations of their award winning robots.
This year marks the fifth installment of the annual
Elementary Lego Robotics Challenge.
Event Details:
Date: February
18-21
Time: 9:30
a.m. – 2:30 p.m. each day
Location: Club
Roma, 125 Vansickle Road, St. Catharines