Skip To Main Content
The Gordon School

Robotics

Robotics in Kindergarten to eighth grade, every year

 

left: the Middle School competitive robotics team that won the Robot Design award at the December 2017 qualifying tournament 
 
Gordon uses robotics in Kindergarten to eighth grade as a way to teach computer coding, engineering, and team problem solving.

Since 2001, when robotics at Gordon consisted of an after school First LEGO League team and a fourth grade lesson, the curriculum has expanded to include all three divisions and a variety of coding environments and hardware options.

As the program has grown, Gordon Middle School teams have continued to compete regionally, and younger students have shared award-winning presentations at the FIRST LEGO League Jr. Expos.

ffff

Robotics in the classroom

 An extension of STEAM work schoolwide

The Middle School robotics team is an after school extension of classroom work in engineering, programming and problem-solving. All Gordon students study robotics in the fourth grade and, in 2013, robotics spread into younger grades as well. 

Since 2014, every student in Kindergarten to eighth grade has been using robotic technology in the classroom. An integrated curriculum has been introduced that ranges from Beebots in the younger grades to laptop-driven NXTs and EV3s in Middle School. 
 
In 2016, Nursery, Preschool and Kindergarten students began using Kibo, a robotics system designed especially for young learners. 

ffff

Statewide competition at Gordon

  • Gordon began hosting the Rhode Island FIRST LEGO League Qualifying Tournament in 2014.
  • Over twenty teams, with more than three hundred people, come to Gordon’s campus for this event.
  • Competitive robotics is a spectator sport, and the public is welcome to visit and watch throughout the day. Most of the public competition events occur between noon and 3pm.
  • It is a full day of science and technology innovation, providing life skills in competition, teamwork, collaboration and respect.
  • In 2015, Gordon won the overall championship for the event. 
  • At the 2014 competition, Gordon‘s team won first place in the Robot Games, and second place overall. photos and a list of participants and awards from 2014
  • Younger students have given award-winnng presentations at league expos, as well, taking the Innovative Programming award at the most recent FIRST LEGO League Jr’s Rhode Island expo in 2020.