Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-July 20, 2011 Issue

Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • July 20, 2011 The Glen Rock Engineering & Technology Association recently hosted the Glen Rock Jr. First Lego League Expo at the Glen Rock Middle School gym. The league, which is in its first season, consisted of nine participating teams, totaling approximately 50 Glen Rock children, ages six through nine. This year, the task for each Jr. FLL team was to research, design, and use Lego bricks to build a model of a medical device. The models had to include at least one “simple machine” (such as a lever, pulley, or wheel and axle) and have some kind of movement, either by motor using a programmed motor or by moving by hand. A driving principle of the Jr. FLLs is that the children do the work. The participants on each team researched medical devices on the Internet, and some took field trips to 4-29-09 karen/janine hospitals. Each team spent almost three months in weekly sessions learning about levers, gears and axles, cams, pulEmmanuelHelp3x.75(4-29-09) leys, and other simple machines. They also learned simple 3 x .75 computer programming using “drag and drop” software designed specifically for young children. Seven of the teams participated in the expo, bringing their months of hard work, team spirit, and excitement to show to the reviewers and the borough what they had accomplished: The Banana Serpent Monsters Emmanuel asks... Can You young Borough’s Help? Glen Rock engineers explore robotics at expo Kids from older robotics programs demonstrate their competition robots. built a motorized wheelchair with a motion sensor and jet engines. Their hard work and energy earned them the Most Explosive Award. The Lego Battlers built an artifi- cial heart which used a sensor to determine whether to beat faster or slower. For their willingness to take chances, they (continued on page 14) ��