No prior Lego experience is required. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class.
Students will work in teams of two—friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners.

eFun Explorations Academy—Where Play is Serious Fun!

Summer 2008 Schedule

Mission to Mars Lego Robo Challenge
Visit the Red Planet and face challenges similar to those faced by scientists and space engineers!

SPORTS FOR THE MIND: Inspired by FIRST LEGO League, the Mission to Mars challenge (for students ages 8-15) combines a hands-on, interactive program with a sports-like atmosphere. Students will have the opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to solve a variety of missions on a field within a time limit.

Humans have been fascinated by Mars for thousands of years. However, exploring space is a dangerous undertaking. Robotic exploration provides the opportunity to answer numerous unresolved questions like: Has Mars ever supported life? Could life still be on Mars? Is there ice on Mars? Can Mars be terraformed to support human life?

Some of the missions the robot will work to accomplish will be exiting the Tetrahedron Base, launching a sample canister, clearing a solar panel, connecting habitation modules, freeing a rover, moving ice cores to base, moving boulders into a launch circle, and testing their all terrain capabilities. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

*Section 581 meets at the Moraine Valley Education Center at Blue Island, 12940 S. Western Ave., Blue Island
 

Ocean Odyssey LEGO Robo Challenge
Our oceans are of vital importance to the health of the Earth, yet only 1% percent of these magnificent bodies of water have been studied.

SPORTS FOR THE MIND: Inspired by FIRST LEGO League, the Ocean Odyssey challenge (for students ages 8-15) combines a hands-on, interactive program with a sports-like atmosphere. Students will have the opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to solve a variety of missions on a field within a time limit.

We have explored more outer space than our oceans. Oceans provide us with many resources and activities from the fish we eat, oil drilled from the ocean floor, to extracts from seaweed used to make ice cream. Oceans fuel this planet’s most vital ecological processes, like the water cycle, and the carbon-dioxide cycle. Yet, we know very little about how we are impacting this important resource.

Some of the missions the robot will work to accomplish will be deploy a submarine, conduct a transect mapping, protecting a pump station, service a pipeline, sample fish species, build an artificial reef, clean up a cargo shipping accident, and find/recover archaeological artifacts. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

*Section 581 meets at the Moraine Valley Education Center at Blue Island, 12940 S. Western Ave., Blue Island


Introduction to 2D Game Programming
You think playing games is fun? Check out how much fun it is to create your own game!

In Introduction to 2D Game Programming, students will learn about a wide variety of game genres, including adventure, strategy, role playing, simulation, racing, platform, sports, rhythm, puzzle, casual, and educational. Students will learn all basic programming techniques necessary for creating simple games using an open source game engine and programming environment. A variety of game programming topics will be covered, including game world representation, game loop creation, basic artificial intelligence techniques, sprite manipulation, and sound effect and music track control.

Additionally, in this course, students will also be introduced how they can use their newly learned skills contribute to the One Laptop Per Child initiative. OLPC is a worldwide effort to deliver laptops to children in developing countries with free, open-source educational software. Students taking this course will learn enough to be able to contribute to community efforts to develop new activities for this philanthropic effort.

The course will culminate with the student designing/creating a 2D game similar to classics such as Dig Dug, Pac-Man, Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Galaxian, Frogger, Space Invaders, Tetris, Millipede, RallyX, Q-Bert or any board game or card game. The course is designed specifically for beginners and would be appropriate for students ages 13-18 with a wide variety of backgrounds. No prior game programming experience is expected. All materials will be provided in class. Ages 13-18

Dinosaur Park Robo Challenge
Imagine that dinosaurs have come back from the Cretaceous Period – and they are on display, but things have gone horribly wrong…

SPORTS FOR THE MIND: Inspired by FIRST LEGO League, the Dinosaur Park Robo Challenge (for students ages 8-15) combines a hands-on, interactive program with a sports-like atmosphere. Students will have the opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO MINDSTORMS robot to solve a variety of missions on a field within a time limit.

Recent advances in cloning technologies and discovery of dinosaur DNA strands raises the question – can dinosaurs ever be cloned and brought back to life? In this exciting course, students will pretend that dinosaurs have returned and are on display for people to see. Handling dinosaurs is dangerous business though – so the students will need to design, build and program robots to help with the tasks.

Some of the missions the robots will work to accomplish will be rescuing stranded tourists, capturing an escaped T-Rex, feeding the Raptors, moving dinosaur eggs, etc. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15
 

Robotics and Computer Programming for Teens
Bill Gates states that “the robotics industry…is developing in much the same way as the computer business did 30 years ago. Some of the world’s best minds are trying to solve the toughest problems of robotics, such as visual recognition, navigation and machine learning. And they are succeeding.”

Explore basic robotics and computer programming through a series of hands-on projects. Students will use a variant of the C programming language called ROBOTC. Design, construct and program robots to solve exciting real-world inspired challenges. After an introduction, students will work with a partner to develop their own robot for the final day competition or exhibition.

No prior experience necessary. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 13-18
 

Amusement Park Robo Challenge
Amusement Parks are fun! Let’s envision a future where intelligent robots manage the park and perform necessary maintenance.

SPORTS FOR THE MIND: Inspired by FIRST LEGO League, the Dinosaur Park Robo Challenge (for students ages 8-15) combines a hands-on, interactive program with a sports-like atmosphere. Students will have the opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO MINDSTORMS robot to solve a variety of missions on a field within a time limit.

State-of-the-art robots are being developed for a wide variety of purposes. Bill Gates, in a January, 2007 article in Scientific American, predicts that the day is coming soon when there will be a robot in every home (and probably several). South Korea is even developing two robot theme parks. Students in this course will explore the future of automated theme parks – they will design, build and program robots to manage the ordinary, and not so ordinary, tasks at an amusement park.

Some of the missions the robots will work to accomplish will be to replenish prize supplies, stop a run-away merry-go-round, deliver bumper cars to their pit, start the opening parade, etc. Students can even design their own new amusement park attraction. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

Engineering and Robotics Adventures for Teens
According to the Junior Engineering Technical Society, “Did you know that 4 out of the top 5 most lucrative degrees is in engineering? ... That engineering degrees make up nearly ˝ of the top ten degrees in demand? ... That the most common degree for a top CEO is engineering? ... Or that engineers work in sports, music, design, dance, medicine, energy, the environment, and art?”

Explore science, technology, engineering, and math concepts and learn through guided research and engineering projects. Activities are designed to motivate and prepare students for study and careers in engineering. Students will enjoy solving problems and working in a team while learning about various engineering disciplines. The course’s curriculum was developed by the Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University.

No prior experience necessary. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. All materials will be provided in class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 13-18

Science Investigator and Explorer
Innovative, hands-on science explorations for girls and boys using LEGOs and computers.

Developed by The National Robotics Engineering Consortium’s Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University, the Science Investigator camp provides students with an opportunity to think creatively to try to explain how things work and test their ideas using evidence from observation and measurement. Students will work with a partner with tools and tasks that promote scientific inquiry.

Several curriculum areas will be covered, including: energy, force, speed, friction, scientific fair testing, purposeful inquiry, predicting and measuring, collecting data, making conclusions, designing, creating, testing, modifying, using 2-dimensional instructions, creating 3-dimensional models, and working cooperatively in a team. These authentic inquiries will involve active building, exploring, investigating, and communicating together. Students will use LEGO Mindstorms RCX computerized bricks with sensors to conduct some of their inquiries and will utilize software packages to collect data and perform data analysis.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

Aquabots: Voyage to Sea Lab Nautilus
An undersea adventure for robotics explorers beneath the mysterious Bermuda Triangle.

Developed by The National Robotics Engineering Consortium’s Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University, the AquaBots: Voyage to Sea Lab Nautilus adventure provides students with an opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to solve a variety of missions on a playing field within a time limit.

Some of the missions the robot will work to accomplish will be activating a SONAR scanner, saving a giant squid, delivering kelp packets, connecting an air pipeline, capping an oxygen tower, activating a research derrick, extracting vent sensors, and retrieving the Flight 19 Avenger. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two or three - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

P.R.O.B.E. Planetary Space Mission
Rocket to another world for an amazing robotics adventure you will never forget…!

Developed by The National Robotics Engineering Consortium’s Robotics Academy at Carnegie Mellon University, the P.R.O.B.E. Planetary Space Mission provides students with an opportunity to design, build, and program a LEGO Mindstorms robot to solve a variety of missions on a playing field within a time limit.

Some of the missions the robot will work to accomplish will be moving sensors Inside a Cave Mouth, Placing Lava Sensing Spheres in Cones of Volcanoes, Moving a Base Hut Inside an Arc, clearing rocks for Base, Positioning a Methane Gas Detector, Retrieving Planetary Mineral Formations, and Rescuing the Stranded ‘Moon Rat’. An exhibition will be held on the final day of class where teams demonstrate their robot to family and friends.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

The Summer Robot Pentathlon Games
The Olympics aren’t just for people any more. Come build and program your robot for a variety of challenges that have been inspired by the Summer Games while you wait for the Beijing 2008 Games to begin!

The Summer Robot Pentathlon Games are a collection of challenges that will test any robot. Design, build, program, and test a robot to perform in events that include RoboWrestling, RoboDash, RoboBowl, RoboStrongMan, and RoboLine. The winner will be determined by the best overall performance in ALL of the events.

Students will build and program their robots and get them to “wrestle”, race, knock down bowling pins, push a heavy object, and follow a line as quickly as possible in preparation for a tournament on the final day. Robots will go head-to-head to determine a victor.

No prior Lego Mindstorms building or programming experience is required. All materials will be provided in class. Students will be taught everything they need to know during class. Students will work in teams of two - friends are welcome to sign up together and can be partners. Ages 8-15

Registration begins April 21.
Get ready for fun!

To register, call (708) 974-2110 or visit the Registration Office in Building C.
Questions? Contact Larry Langellier at langellier@morainevalley.edu or (708) 974-5627, or Workforce Development and Community Services at (708) 974-5735.

Tuition refund policy—It is the student’s or parent/guardian’s responsibility to drop a course at least three business days (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) prior to the start of class to receive a full refund. No-shows do not constitute cancellation. No credit may be used toward another section for missed classes.