What is VEX GO?
Resources like this are designed to provide you with the structure and support necessary to integrate STEM into your learning environment. We’ve tried to provide you with everything you need - from a novice teacher bringing technology and innovation to their schools to a more experienced teacher creating a 21st Century classroom.
Who is it for?
Classroom Teacher
An elementary teacher can encourage STEM learning through hands-on step by step lessons, interactive learning centers, and independent activities that spur investigation, curiosity, and creativity using VEX GO.
STEM/STEAM Teacher
Implement Computer Science principles from CSTA and ISTE standards in a classroom for an entire year using the VEX GO STEM Labs. Teachers have access to the step by step lessons that encourage collaboration, interdisciplinary learning, and feature real world activities. VEX GO also features additional activities for students to enrich their STEM learning.
STEM Coordinator/Administrator
A STEM coordinator or an administrator can build a continuum for K-12, which will enhance a school’s STEM program and their professional development. STEM Coordinators can use VEX GO as a tool to expand and instill STEM values into their current curriculum; VEX GO can also serve as a resource for teachers to positively impact their classroom through increased student engagement and hands-on learning activities.
VEX GO is also a part of the VEX K-12 STEM continuum. This allows schools to both vertically and horizontally align their STEM goals. Students can grow their STEM skills and competencies year after year - As the students grow, the products in the VEX continuum grow. Furthermore, because teachers are all working within the same continuum, they can effectively collaborate and plan for the success of all of their students.
Makerspace
A makerspace educator can use VEX GO in a variety of ways due to its flexibility. The STEM Units can offer support to design and provide projects in makerspace in subjects such as science, math, engineering, simple machines, and more. VEX GO offers open-ended design opportunities through activities and builds to engage any student in a makerspace. VEX GO gives support to the educator through online professional development, teacher notes, and teacher resources, all designed to allow flexibility for use in a lesson or as supplemental material for any activity.
Librarian
VEX GO gives librarians support to easily get started teaching technology. With portable storage, quick and easy builds, and troubleshooting tools such as the pin puller, VEX GO gives librarians an essential STEM tool to easily implement in any library. VEX GO provides librarians with support through professional development, teacher notes, and step by step lesson plans to implement the multitude of different STEM Units, enrichment activities, open-ended activities, and design challenges. By committing step by step guidance, VEX GO is a resource for any librarian looking to strengthen the curriculum in their 21st Century library.
Afterschool Club
VEX GO fits into any afterschool club or program by giving students the ability to explore and collaborate on STEM Labs and independent activities. Through these engaging activities, students are actively engaged in testing out and designing challenges that relate back to interdisciplinary subjects such as science, math, and reading in addition to concepts in engineering and design theory.
Summer Camp
VEX GO offers a summer camp with a wide variety and collection of activities. With STEM Labs, center activities, independent activities, and open-ended challenges, VEX GO offers flexibility to a summer camp looking for a wide variety of content to fit into a longer course. VEX GO can be used at a summer camp to teach children about coding, engineering, simple machines, and a multitude of different subjects.
Homeschool
VEX GO gives exceptional support to homeschool families. VEX GO’s flexibility easily allows any parent to get started right away teaching concepts such as coding, engineering, or simple machines. VEX GO gives students the opportunity to program, explore, and engage in STEM activities with the help of their teacher or independently using STEM Labs and enrichment activities.
Is it easy to get started?
Yes, and here’s why. Three easy steps to start with VEX GO. First, unpack VEX GO. Second, look at the STEM Labs. Third, gather materials. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. You need to spend no more than 5 minutes unpacking, looking at the teacher resources in the STEM Labs, and then beginning your lesson.
Which STEM Labs are for me?
Teachers and schools desire a plan for instruction that aligns with their goals. Check out our recommendations for pacing instruction based on the school calendar, the classroom schedule, and student learning needs.
When can I use the STEM Labs?
Lesson-Aligned Practice
Each STEM Lab can be taught in a long or short format that directly aligns to Common Core ELA and Math and NGSS standards. STEM Lab implementation takes minutes to engage and propel any science, math, ELA or social studies lesson!
Topic Review
With STEM topics in a wide range of subjects such as science, math, engineering and ELA, each STEM Lab or mini-activity can supplement a rich school curriculum with assessment and engaging review for students of all ages. With a multitude of activities and practice, students can personalize their learning with choiceboard activities and exciting experiences to build, learn, and play.
Enrichment/Differentiation
Present students with engaging activities that can be used in a small group or independently to strengthen problem solving skills. In addition to problem solving, empower students with computational thinking skills using authentic learning that dives into subjects such as ELA, math, science, and engineering.
Personalized Learning
Sharpen students skills through a VEX GO Choiceboard in each STEM Unit that allows students to choose their own learning path beyond the teacher-directed lesson.
How do I implement the STEM Labs?
The Implementation Guide gives you step by step guidance on how to get started teaching STEM in your classroom. This guide will show you how quickly and easily you can begin teaching a STEM Lab.
What is the structure and duration of the STEM Labs?
Unit Overview (Engage, Play, Share)
STEM Labs facilitate authentic collaboration, problem solving, and discussion. Each Unit presents students with a hands-on building experience. STEM Labs include three major sections: Engage, Play, and Share.
Engage
The Engage section explains how to introduce the Lab and help students to form a personal connection with Lab content. There are two subsections within the Engage section: Acts and Asks. The Act subsection provides ideas about how to implement the lesson using actionable steps, while the Asks subsection provides verbal prompts that suggest what to say for each step outlined in the Act subsection. The Engage section functions as a teacher's manual, and is meant to be read to students, not by students.
Play
The Play section explains what steps students will follow to complete an activity. This section is split into two parts, Play Part 1 and Play Part 2, with a Mid-Play Break in between. Students will complete hands-on activities, and the Play section provides specific instructions so you never have to worry about how to instruct students to do something. The Mid-Play Break includes guided questions assess students' understanding and respond to any questions students may have. Like the Engage section, the Play section is a teacher reference, meant to be read by teachers, not by students.
Share
The Share section explains how to make learning visible by creating a discussion where students can talk about their learning during the STEM Lab. This section guides you through multiple categories of questions designed to facilitate discussion with students, including questions regarding what students observed in the activity, questions that require students to predict how lesson concepts could apply to real-world scenarios, and questions that require students to reflect on their collaboration during the activities.
What student materials do I need?
Teacher Resources - Materials List
A list of all the materials for your classroom that will be needed for your classroom to implement the VEX GO STEM Labs, Mini-Lessons, and activities.
VEX GO - Recommendations
Two students per VEX GO Kit is recommended for both collaboration and student learning. At most, no more than 4 students can work as a team together with a VEX GO Kit.
What resources do I have to help me teach?
Teacher Notes
Vocabulary
- Vocabulary allows teachers to emphasize and use in a real world context using different activities, classroom suggestions, and strategies to implement vocabulary at its highest level.
Acts/Asks
- Acts/Asks walks a teacher step by step in the Engage and Play sections for easy implementation.
- Acts/Asks allows teachers to feel supported in questioning strategies, and how to demonstrate STEM topics such as motion and force.
Troubleshooting
- Troubleshooting presents tips and tricks from elementary school teachers who give their own first-hand experience implementing the STEM Labs.
Graphics/Animations
Each STEM Lab displays graphics and animations that allow students and teachers to be on the same page and easily understand the desired result of a lesson or challenge. By allowing for both teachers and students to be on the same page visually, the VEX GO animations and graphics provide easy implementation of each STEM Lab and activity.
How do I assess the students?
Present and determine student growth through digital documentation examples, student-driven visible thinking strategies, and metacognition-reflection questions that offer questions in observing, predicting, and collaborating.
Is it aligned to standards?
VEX GO STEM lab units and lessons are aligned with standards from NGSS, CSTA, ISTE, and Common Core Math/ELA.
How do I communicate with parents?
A Letter Home connects and strengthens the relationship between the parent and child with questions and vocabulary to implore conversations about Computer Science and STEM in relation to all of the VEX GO activities.
Which STEM Lab Unit should I get started with?
Pacing Guide
Teachers and schools desire a plan for instruction that aligns with their instructional goals. Check out our recommendations for pacing instruction based on the school calendar, the classroom schedule, and student learning needs. The pacing guide allows you to see how you can organize STEM Lab Units based on your focus. For example, if you want to focus on Math, the pacing guide shows which STEM Lab Units can be utilized.
Getting Started is Easy.
STEM Labs are designed to be supplemental educational resources. Therefore, each STEM Lab Unit can stand alone - they do not have to be done in a prescribed sequence. Additionally, every STEM Lab within a unit does not have to be completed. This allows STEM Labs to easily be integrated into any educational setting.
Introduction to Building
If you want to get students started building with VEX GO, this is a great unit to begin with. In this unit, students will explore the VEX GO Kit to learn the names and functions of key pieces by building structures to take on a voyage to Mars!
Get Ready...Get VEX...GO! PDF Book & Teacher’s Guide
Use this interactive book and the accompanying Teacher’s Guide to introduce students to VEX GO in a fun and interactive way. The story contains a simple building activity, so that students can engage with their kits in their groups as you read. The prompts in the Teacher’s Guide can be used to offer additional information, questions, or discussion prompts to keep students engaged from start to finish.