PANA, Ill. (WAND) - Most adults don't know how to build a robot from start to finish, let alone kids. But at Pana Jr. High, that's exactly what the 7th graders do.
7th grade science teacher, Mark Schmitz uses Lego education kits to design a course for his students. This includes different objectives worth points based on their difficulty.
Students then receive their kit, which included a small battery and connector pieces, that students design and build to achieve their goal. They then code the robot to complete the course in the way they will win the most points.
"You have to code the machine to where it does what the computer says, said Ryker Peters, a 7th grader. "So there are different walks that you put on to make it like pull the arm up which grabs things, or you can back up forward or just different things on it."
Throughout the school year, students may need to adjust their robots and their codes to ensure they are operating perfectly. 7th grader Chancellor Lucas says this has helped him develop mental endurance and the ability to problem solve.
"Sometimes I run the code again and again to figure out what exactly went wrong, and I'm usually pretty calm when that happens unless it's a big mistake," said Lucas. "The problem solving skill could be used in things like math where if you make an issue you have to go back and look for it."
Both Lucas and Peters said this class and the lego project made them interested in pursuing a STEM career in the future. Both boys said they like to work with their hands, and are interested in the mechanics of a lot of the items they use on a daily basis.
"This project applies to almost everything we do here," said Schmitz. "Engineering is at the heart of it, but it's also math, it's also thinking, working through adversity. All of these are really fantastic skills for kids moving forward."
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