Drum Roll Please… the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. Challenge theme has been released: Hello CREATURE CRAZESM!
It’s here, it’s here! FIRST LEGO League Jr., has officially kicked off its 12th annual challenge and it will not disappoint! It’s that time of year again to grab your favorite group of budding innovators, to kick off this year’s FIRST LEGO League Jr event: CREATURE CRAZESM! Join Elisa, the honey bee, as she inspires and leads your team to learn about honey bees and discover the many wonderful animals that live alongside her.
With 40,000+ participants and 6,800+ teams the FIRST LEGO League Jr. challenge is keeping true to its mission by proving that it’s never too early to discover new ideas, work as a team and share your experiences and discoveries with others. In the 2016-2017 challenge CREATURE CRAZESM, challenge teams will:
Coaches will guide their teams through the Explore It, Create It and Share It phases of the Challenge while ensuring that our children will learn in an environment that proves it’s never too early to discover STEM.
Teams will start this year’s challenge by discovering all they can about the honey bee using the Inspire set for inspiration and exploring the honey bees’ habitats and why they are so important to our world. Teams will choose an animal that shares one of the habitats with the honey bees. Team members are encouraged to learn as much as they can about their selected animal and the habitat and any challenges that their animal and the honey bee may face- Will you swing like a monkey? Fly like a bat? Or hop like a frog? It’s up to you and remember, no matter what you do, have fun- the sky’s the limit!
Build a LEGO model that shows all that you have discovered about your animal, the Inspire Set, and the honey bee living in the same habitat. All models must use a LEGO motor to make sure at least one part of your model will move. Your team will then create a SHOW ME poster which will help you teach others about what you have learned from the processes that your team encountered. It should tell about your research, your animal, your model and your team.
There are so many ways that your team can share this experience and all that your team has learned. You can invite your family and friends to a private presentation, participate in a FIRST LEGO League Jr. Expo where you will share what you have learned and created during the CREATURE CRAZESM season with other teams and “Reviewers” or you can show case your work on the FIRST LEGO League Jr. Online Showcase
The CREATURE CRAZESM challenge is the perfect environment for students to focus on listening, reflection and speaking upon all that they have learned in an environment where FIRST CORE VALUES [link to core values] are always present. Students who participate in the FIRST challenges, show improved problem solving skills, strengthened communication skills, and find fun and unique ways to share their experiences and discoveries with others. To discover more about the 2016-2017 FIRST LEGO League Jr., CREATURE CRAZESM challenge [READ MORE].
With FIRST LEGO League Jr., the fun lasts all year long! Registration is in full swing with plenty of time to build or join a local team so be sure to sign up soon.