The “Amazing Jr. FLL Snack Attack Expo” sponsored by Inanimate Reason, will be held at MOSI on January 8th, 2012, from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, to celebrate the amazing snack food journey for 16 Jr. FLL teams! The day’s events include:
- FTC team showcase
- FLL Research Project Showcase
- MOSI Idea Zone with buckets of LEGO elements!
- An Amazing Race Style Challenge for everyone!
- Prizes
- Contests
Entry for the expo is FREE! Make a day of it and the entire family can stay and play at MOSI at a discounted group rate of $8 per person. Check out their exhibits and more!
Jr. FLL Team Registration costs $35. Register online at http://inanimatereason.com/expo/exporeg.php
Contact: Bill Shaw, bill@inanimatereason.com, 813-249-5522
When: January 8, 2012
Where: MOSI, 4801 E. Fowler Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33617
Schedule of Events
- 1:00 Pit Area opens for teams
- 1:00-1:30 Team Check-In (Next to MOSI Info Desk)
- 1:30-1:40 Opening Ceremony (presentation area)
- 1:45-3:45 Expo Area Open (Grand Lobby)
- 1:45-2:15 Sumo demonstration (presentation area)
- 2:15-3:45 FLL Team presentations (presentation area)
- 3:45 Pit Area closed to spectators
- 4:00 Pit Area closed to teams
- 4:00-4:30 Raffle / Awards / High-5 Ceremony (presentation area)
About The Jr. FLL Snack Attack Program
This year, kids aged 6 to 9 have the opportunity to participate in Jr. FLL. This is a non-competitive team. The team will get a chance to take a field trip to a local expo to display their project. The team will be coached by us and mentored by the members of a competitive robotics team.
Jr. FLL captures young children’s inherent curiosity and directs it toward discovering the wonders of science and technology. Jr. FLL features a real-world Challenge, solved by research, critical thinking and imagination. Guided by adult coaches, students work with LEGO elements and moving parts to build ideas and concepts and present them for review.
Can Junior FIRST LEGO League teams master the science of safely preparing food? In the 2011 Snack Attack Challenge, kids will take a “hands on” approach to the topic of food safety by exploring how proper preparation and storage can help keep us healthy. Teams will learn about simple machines as they build a model made of LEGO® elements with a motorized moving part, and will create a team Show-Me Poster to represent their Snack Attack findings.
Jr. FLL has captured the imagination and minds of thousands of kids. Each year, the Challenge Advisory Team designs a new and exciting Challenge to ignite the inherent creativity in young kids. The end result of the design process is a Challenge with two defined parts – the Show-Me Poster and the Model.
The Show-Me Poster requires kids to illustrate their research and team journey. It provides an opportunity for them to share what they studied, what they learned, and how they thought to improve the problem they chose. Their creative minds get started working on how to present their information and solution.
The Model portion of the Challenge gets kids’ hands busy. This is where they build a representation of what they are researching (according to the Challenge requirements), incorporating simple machines and movement into their creation. Teams are able to utilize a motor to power movement in their model, or they can move an element of it by hand. The Jr. FLL Challenge is based on the same general topic as the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Challenge. It is open-ended, designed for younger kids, and customizable for every ability level.
About the Coach
Coach Bob Shaw has led FIRST® LEGO League Robotics teams in Florida for 5 years. He also runs an afternoon robotics program at MacFarlane Park IB Elementary. In 2010, he was recognized as the Florida Mentor of the Year for his work with FLL®. He believes that winning is fun but is secondary to ensuring that kids have a positive learning experience. He places as much emphasis on character building as he does on fostering technology skills.
Visit the Expo homepage at http://inanimatereason.com/expo/
Filed under: FIRST events, Jr. FLL, STEM news | Tagged: Amazing Jr. FLL Snack Attack Expo, Bill Shaw, Inanimate Reason, Jr. FLL, MOSI, Snack Attack | Leave a Comment »
It was a full house at the Jr. FLL Snack Attack Expo at MOSI today, with over a dozen Jr. FLL teams (five from Carrollwood Day School alone!) and hundreds of friends, family and MOSI visitors enjoying a full day of FIRST fun.
