FLL Tournament Preparation

Resource: Michelle Maas:

General Information

Read the entire challenge!
Review the rubrics for judging
KIDS DO THE WORK!
Parents/adults/mentors do NOT
Build the robot or tell the kids what to build or how to build it.
Program the robot
Come up with the project idea or solution
Write the project script for the kids
Talk in judging sessions
Teach the kids how to present to judges
Stand. Don’t sit (unless directed to by the judge)
Don’t talk over each other
Be polite and respectful when answering questions
Keep a respectful distance from the judge’s table (don’t lean over their table)
Say “Thank You” at the end
Do mock judging sessions with the kids using the rubrics (set a timer)
Consider deciding on team name early on so it can be registered with High Tech Kids and so that it creates an identity for the team.
Most teams choose a name that relates to the current year’s theme/topic
Advanced teams use a generic name that is used all the years they are together as a team. This is useful for teams that are going to do FLL for several years as it helps the judges to remember you from year to year.
Check for challenge updates

At Tournament

Bring your required forms for ALL team members to the tournament
Sixteen teams compete in a division. Most tournaments have 2 divisions
Teams in a division are ranked against each other.
You will not be given your ranking. Instead you will be given your Quartile rank for each area.
FIRST generally doesn’t like a team to win more than one core award (project, core, robot).
There is no single winner of the tournament. The number of teams advancing at the tournament may be announced during coaches meeting at beginning of tournament.
Consider bringing family to join
Consider bringing lawn/camp chairs
Bring power supply for computer and extra batteries for robot
Bring extra supplies for repairs and new development
All teams are invited to participate in the head to head competition.
Concessions are available including something for lunch
A packet will be provided to all teams after final ceremony which will include:
Medals for all team members
Feedback from each of their judge sessions.
Table score sheets
If you must leave early, please coordinate with High Tech Kids to get your packet mailed to you (there is a charge).
Be enthusiastic
Wear team uniform
An EP uniform will be provided.
If you would like to design your own uniform, you get $10/kid to spend on custom uniforms.

Core Vales

Ensure that you team knows a few of the core values and can explain them (there are 8)
Do team building activities occasionally
Find examples online
Observe the kids
Do the kids talk over each other?
Have them practice taking turns or use a sign to indicate that they have something to say.
Are the kids more combative than cooperative
Consider finding activities that they can only be successful if they work together.

At Tournament:

Only 1 adult/mentor may join the kids in the judging room.
The kids will be asked to complete a team building activity.
It is okay to ask the judges questions (to clarify)
There is usually not a single right answer and you are not directly graded on the completion of the task.

Advanced Teams

Consider having the kids set goals for the year (overall; core values; project; robot design; programming; missions)
If they do this, have them written down and review before tournament to see where the team is towards those goals.
Consider setting a schedule for accomplishments
Consider being a demo team
Do activities together outside of practice and FLL
Consider community service work (especially if it relates to STEM education or your project)
Help other teams
Have a process for making decisions (not just voting).

Project

Hydrodynamic Challenge: “Improve the way people find, transport,use, or dispose of water”

Be sure you team’s solution addresses the challenge and the kids can articulate that.
Copy notes or brainstorming sessions (kids writing in a notebook, take pictures of whiteboard and print them off and put them in a notebook
Resources
Start with resources/links in the challenge packet
DOCUMENT your resources!
Create a bibliography – style is not relevant
DON’T use Wikipedia Google as “core” source!
Use a variety of materials: books, videos, articles (online articles are articles, NOT websites); people; websites.
Virtual people count as people (emails, phone calls, video chats)
Help kids find professionals to talk to
Have the kids interview their professional (be prepared with each person to ask a question)
Have somebody take notes
Discuss the interview with the team afterwards.
Have a solution to their problem
PRACTICE your presentation

At Tournament

Only kids set up
Set up time is included in 5 minute presentation time
All kids should participate in the presentation and should be able to answer questions about the project.
Be sure to articulate all aspects of the project in the presentation (follow rubric)
Limit what you give the judges (they don’t have much time to read every page of your project notebook)
This is an open judging session so you can bring in friends and family to watch
Do not bring robot to project judging session
Question segment of judging:
Teach kids to not talk over themselves.
Have them take turns answering questions.
Teach the kids to keep their answers succinct and allow the judge to ask questions!
Unless explicitly stated, every kid should not answer every question (1 or 3 kids to a question is good).

Advanced Teams

Print a bibliography of resources and hand to judges
Separate out by type: books, articles, people, websites, videos
Consider having your presentation memorized (don’t read from notes)
Solutions are rarely one and done. They require iterations. Document the progress
SHARE solution with the professional(s) that you met with early in the season.
Accept feedback from professionals and consider how to modify your solution
Share with professionals that can:
Help your revise your solution
Use/benefit from your solution
Help you manufacture (or protect – i.e. Patent) or implement your solution
Consider creating prototypes
Consider how to collect data to understand the depth of the problem or benefit of the solution
Do research on existing solutions (to the problem identified) and document.
Be able to describe how your solution improves what currently exists or why an existing solution is not viable in a situation that your solutions covers.
Consider how your solution would be implemented
Have a cost analysis for manufacture and/or implementation
If you advance, be sure to demonstrate improvements/progress you have made since the last tournament. Show improvement/progress from each previous tournament.
Revise your presentation to reflect the latest updates.
Don’t discuss ideas that weren’t developed – focus on ideas and solutions that were vetted.
Be prepared to discuss “Next Steps” in your project
Commit to completing the project even if you don’t advance
Attend a tournament ahead of yours and ask to watch a couple teams’ presentation

Robot Design/Programming

Try to use at least one sensor in the robot
Have kids comment their code
Try to design a modular robot that allows for quick changing of attachments
Utilize attachments to accomplish missions
Consider how attachments can be connected to a motor
Consider iterating through attachments
Work on making mission execution consistent (performs consistently the same 90% of the times)
Consider using jigs to help with robot placement

At Tournament

Before entering the room, make sure the computer (not iPad) is on and logged in. Student should place it on the table where the judge directs
No adults should be holding any supplies including the computer
Be sure the kid knows how to get into the computer if it locks
The team will generally start together at the table showing a few missions
Demonstrate your best missions first
Best because it is consistent, you overcame a difficult challenge, or you have a unique solution
After about 5 minutes 2 programmers will move aside to meet with the programming judge (DON’T take the robot) while the remaining team members will stay at the table.
The remaining members should be able to articulate how the robot was built, how attachments are attached, be able to run missions and describe the team’s strategy on the table (order of the missions) and why
Program should contain useful comments
Use box comments (these are freely placeable and do not connect to the main code track) instead of comment blocks
Be able to articulate why the robot design was chosen, what it is good at (and what it isn’t)

Be able to discuss modifications to the design (and why it is beneficial)
Show in-process attachments or missions that are not finished – especially if they demonstrate an engineering challenge.
Be able to articulate where your ideas came from (if you copied something you saw, be able to explain how your design is different)
Although this is an open session, it is hard to see what is going on and the room is usually cramped so not the best for large extended friends and family.

Advanced Teams

Create an Engineering Notebook
Include robot design; attachments; missions; jigs; programs
Create a strategy for missions to accomplish
Rate them on at least two scales (ie. Difficulty of attachment; difficulty of programing; proximity to base; overall complexity; ability to combine with another mission; ability to use same attachment or jig as another mission; possible points; ability to improve skills by doing that mission).
Show this to the judge!
Use a line follower program
Consider programming robot to be able to center and orient self for mission accuracy
Consider a wall follower attachment
Create reusable “code blocks (functions)”
Kids should be able to explain in the program, why the robot does what it does.

Table Competition

Consider a cart to store robot, attachments and jigs
Take to table for mission and to judging
Have a plan for the order of missions
Practice switching attachments and running all missions in 2.5 minutes.
Download scoring app
Search videos on YouTube to get ideas about what other teams are doing
If you have a question about if something is legal/allowed, send an email to High Tech Kids or ask a referee at a tournament.