The VEX IQ Competition (VIQRC) Slapshot Playground in VEXcode VR and the accompanying VIQRC Activity Lab, can be used as part of your curriculum. This Activity Lab walks you through coding the robot to remove discs from dispensers and then score the discs.
Overview of the VIQRC Slapshot Activity Lab
VEXcode VR Activity Labs are sequenced Activities with some additional scaffolding and supports added to help students as they complete the Lab. The Activities are all designed to be student-facing so they can be used to extend student engagement with VEXcode VR Playgrounds, like VIQRC Virtual Skills - Slapshot. Activity Labs are designed to be flexible, so that students can engage with them as is, or activities can be extended or adapted to best meet your students needs and your teaching style.
Each Activity in the Lab includes an overview of what the robot should accomplish, a bulleted list to help break down the task into smaller components, and helpful hints if students need assistance while coding.
There are 10 Activities that make up the VIQRC Slapshot Activity Lab. All of these Activities are listed below, including what concepts are covered, and the number of each activity.
In Knock the Dispensers (1) and Spin the Dispensers (2), students will code the robot to remove discs from all three types of dispenser (blue, yellow, and purple). They will learn how to use the Intake and Arm motors in order to accomplish each of the tasks.
In Take It and Score It (3), students will build on their code to pick up one of the discs released from a dispenser using the Intake, then score the disc. This furthers their understanding of the Intake motor to get a higher score in Slapshot.
In Where to Start (4) and Time It! (5), students will explore the different starting locations available and then put together all of their skills from the previous activities to clear discs from three dispensers in the fastest time possible.
In Explore Locations (6) and Follow the Shortest Route (7), students will create a coordinate system for the VIQRC Slapshot Playground and use the coordinates to perform calculations to move from one location to another using the shortest possible route.
In Aim the Goal Zone (8) and Multitasking Snapshot (9), students continue to use their coordinate grid to move to dispensers and remove discs from the dispensers. They are challenged to change the velocity of the Intake to score as many discs in the 4-point zone as possible. They will apply their skills with the coordinates to plan the trajectory of the disc.
In Smart Planner (10), students will apply all of the skills they have learned in Activities 1 through 9 to get their highest possible score in VIQRC Slapshot!
Teacher Resources
The VIQRC Slapshot Activity Lab is a sequenced version of the Dispenser Dash, Take a Shot, and Aiming Disks VEXcode VR Activities. Solutions for each activity can be found in the VEXcode VR Teacher Portal and is also linked here.
To help facilitate your students completing this Activity Lab, you can also use the following VEX Library articles.
- View this article to learn more about facilitating coding conversations with students.
- Learn more about using pair programming to support student collaboration in this article.
- Read this article to learn about helping students to build resilience as they work through a project.
To learn about the robot used in the VIQRC Slapshot Playground, the features of the Playground, and more, see these articles from the VEX Library.