Madison elementary’s LEGO robots chug to performance win

The work of the LEGO Robotics Team at Madison Elementary School stole the show at the Alabama FIRST LEGO League State Championship.

Madison Elementary School's Ageless Agents 101 robotics team (Photo contributed)

Madison elementary’s team, Ageless Agents 101, won first place in robot performance at the state championship held at Grissom High School in Huntsville on Jan. 12.

LEGO Robotics team members are sixth-graders Riley Bong, Jimmy Carter Jr., Chenoa Gentle and Joshua Kennedy; and fifth-graders Moshe Heym, Joshua Marion, Hugh Mitchell, Michael Nichols, Bradly Spindle and Maren Stauch.

Madison elementary’s enrichment specialist Mia Reed is the team’s teacher sponsor. Jim Carter is the parent coach.

“The students began with five different robot designs in mind,” Reed said. “They developed an evaluation rating scale in order to decide which design was the best.”

During construction, the robotic designs were rated for speed, accuracy, versatility and balance. The Madison elementary team decided accuracy was most important and selected the robot that had the highest accuracy rating.

“The team began building the robot in September and met three times per week until the regional competition on Nov. 10,” Reed said.

During their work on LEGO robotics, the Madison elementary students “have learned the true meaning of teamwork and cooperation. They have bonded over the course of the season and explain it best with their team motto, ‘Cooperate — don’t dominate,'” Reed said.

The students “are quick to say there is no one leader in the group. They make all decisions as a team,” she said.

At Madison elementary, fifth- and sixth-grade students can try out for the LEGO Robotics program with written and performance-based assignments, along with a teamwork project.

The FIRST LEGO League is a robotics program that generates excitement about science and technology for youth who are nine to 16 years old. Teams can be school-based, aligned with an existing club, home-schooled or a group of friends.

For more information, visit firstlegoleague.org.