OVERVIEW

Brief Description: Students connect light and touch sensors to the RCX to learn how they function.
Subject: Engineering/Technology
Topic: scientific exploration
Grades: 1 - 8
Lego Materials:
    RCX: y
    Sensor(s): LEGO Touch , LEGO Light     Set(s): None
    LEGO Pieces: You also need two motors.
    Minimum ROBOLAB: none

Additional Materials:
Standards:

Math
Data Analysis and Probability Standard - Formulate questions
design investigations to address a question and consider how data-collection methods affect the nature of the data set (3 - 5)
pose questions and gather data about themselves and their surroundings (Pre-K - 2)
Data Analysis and Probability Standard - Develop and evaluate
discuss events related to students' experiences as likely or unlikely. (Pre-K - 2)
Science
none selected
Technology
Standard 10 - Students will develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.
Asking questions and making observations helps a person to figure out how things work. (K - 2)
Standard 12 - Students will develop the abilities to use and maintain technological products and systems.
Discover how things work. (K - 2)

IMPLEMENTATION

Preparation Before Students Arrive:
none

In Class Activity:

Light Sensor Connect the light sensor to port 2 on the RCX. Press the VIEW button several times. Tell students to notice how the arrow moves around the screen. Explain that this is the light level on a scale from 1 to 100.
Have students look at the light on the front of the sensor. Aim the light sensor at the light in the room. Now, hold the sensor about six inches from the surface of the desk with the light pointing down. Move the light sensor toward the table slowly. Keep an eye on the reading on the screen of the RCX.
Ask students to explain what happens as the sensor gets closer to the table. Why?
Touch Sensor Connect the touch sensors to inputs 1 and 3. Connect two motors to outputs A and C. Press the PRGM button until program 2 is selected. Press the RUN button. The two motors should rotate. Press the touch sensor connected to port 1, then the touch sensor attached to port 3. Ask students what happens to the motors.
Press the RUN button again. Has anything changed?

PROGRAMMING

none

WORKSHEETS/HANDOUTS

Detailed description of activity, questions, and possible activities.	download handout (Microsoft Word File)
Detailed description of activity, questions, and possible activities.	Download handout (Adobe Portable Document Format)

OTHER INFORMATION

Modifications: The activity could be split into two activities- one for each sensor. After the activity with each sensor, students could build and incorporate the sensor into a design.
Hints:
Associated Literature:
Extensions: Questions:
1) If a light sensor is pointed at a light bulb, what value will the RCX display?
2) If the RCX can understand 100 different light values, how many different values does the RCX understand for the touch sensor? What do you think these values are?
3) What will happen if you hook up a touch sensor to port B?

Activities
1) Build a remote control car with a wired remote control.
2) Test the light intensities emitted by the lights in the classroom. Compare them to the lights in the hall and to the sunlight coming through the window.
3) Build cars that stop when they touch a wall.

SAMPLE RESULTS

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