Lego League Rolling Along

Here was the status note I sent after tonight’s Lego League meeting:

We made great progress this evening! We’re now in the thick of building out the terrain and the five instruments that make up our model. The launch pad and sounding rocket are finished, complete with a lever-equipped launch platform (simple machine number 1!) to send the sounding rocket flying. Our two weather vanes have also been attached to our 15″ x 15″ base. The arm to suspend our satellite is coming into shape nicely. Finally, we’ve made a good start on both the inclined plane glider launch pad (simple machine number 2!) and the glider that will measure our slice of ocean. Thanks to everyone who brought Legos to enhance our model.

Tonight was almost 100% building and it was clear that this is what the kids have been waiting for. Great ideas were flying almost as fast as little fingers, cobbling on Legos to the the terrain faster than you’d think possible. Imagine a champion race horse that had spent session after session listening to how he should run around the track instead of running around the track. Like a thoroughbred finally set free, the kids powered the Legos onto the model, churning out one good idea after another, working up a lather…ok, perhaps the metaphor is a bit over-done. They did seem to be energized and having fun.

It goes to show that the coaches have just as much to learn about how to make the meetings fun as the kids do about climate, teamwork and simple machines.