It took 439 Lego blocks and component "brain" to turn Jessie Abela and Melanie Stevens-Franko's school project into a working robot.
Once assembled, all it took was a touch of a button to bring it to life.
With its two prominent eyes overlooking a body on wheels, looking like a real-life version of the movie robot WALL-E, it was a huge hit last week with the kids at the Aboriginal Choice School.
Guided by a book of instructions, Abela, a Grade 6 student, used the touch pad on the robot's body to punch in the programing instructions. Much to her amazement, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. The touch sensor worked like a charm, making the robot turn and shift direction when it ran into a wall or her foot. When the two girls shone a flashlight on the floor of the hallway, the robot's light sensor allowed it to follow the beam of light. It also responded to hand claps.
"I like seeing how they work and what they can do," said Abela. "I was really shocked when it actually moved. I didn't think it was going to work because it's made out of Lego.
"I was proud of myself, me and my friend Melanie. We got to figure out a whole bunch of technology."
They were part of the IBM/First Nations Technology Council technology camp, which gave students in Grades 5-7 a taste of what it would be like to be a scientist. The robotics project made the students into mechanical engineers. Then they became electrical engineers, putting together snap circuits by adding components to an electronic board to make fans, radios, alarms and lights. The Scratch drag-and-drop animation program taught them how to be computer programmers, allowing them to make avatars in their own video games.
"I liked making the robot," said Stevens-Franko. "There's the brain, and then you add all the sensors. It's pretty fun. This is an awesome experience."
"I learned how the circuits connect and how it all works together," said Grade 7 student Chaz Thompson. "I think it's really fun."
Making science fun for kids is exactly what First Nations Technology Council co-ordinator Sue Hanley wants. Prince George was the second stop on a cross-B.C. tour that will bring the IBM camp to other First Nations schools around the province.
"Our mandate is to engage First Nations people and make sure they have the computer skills needed to get jobs and continue on with post-secondary education and engage kids in technology so they stay interested in math and science," said Hanley,
"The teachers have seen what a difference technology makes. One of the kids was doing a science assignment and got bored and was having a bit of an issue in class using conventional methods, so he went into the principal's office and was allowed to do his project using Scratch, the computer animation program, and he was happy he could do it that way.
"This is what they refer to as 21st century learning, where each individual student has a learning plan and they learn according to the best way they do learn."
IBM provided 10 laptop computers, 10 sets of Lego robots, the snap circuit boards and the expertise of Andrea Pavia, IBM's manager of corporate citizenship, who spent two weeks training staff from the First Nations Technology Council to take over the delivery of the program so it can continue.
"This is 21st century learning and I would like to see more children involved with it," said Pavia. "Kids are getting hands-on experience in science, engineering, and there are numeracy and literacy components. Students have to follow instructions when they build the Logo robots.
"These are the all things kids need to succeed once they graduate. You bring it to the kids' level so they understand these are the things they can do if they stay in school and ideally go on to post-secondary."
In February, the Aboriginal Choice School plans to use teleconferencing to link up with aboriginal astronaut John Herrington of Utah, a commander who took part in the space shuttle program, when he speaks at the First Nations Technology Council conference in Vancouver.
The school is also planning a project involving First Nations elders which would allow children to go out on the land with them, using GPS devices to make maps.
