Resources to build your Innovation Project

You may have noticed a few changes to the FIRST ^® LEGO^® League Challenge materials for the CITY SHAPER^SM season.  The Challenge Guide format used for several years has been updated with the printed Engineering Notebook and Team Meeting Guide, which are being shipped to teams.

There are also many CITY SHAPER resources available on the FIRST LEGO League Resource Library, including mission model build instructions, the kickoff video, and a one-page synopsis of the Challenge.

Haven’t received your Challenge Set yet? You can still get started on your Innovation Project by researching architecture and architecture-related problems in your community.

So, let’s start at the beginning:

In the Innovation Project, your team will:

• Identify a problem with a building or public space in your community.
• Design a solution.
• Share your solution with others and then refine it.

If you don’t have your Engineering Notebooks and Team Meeting Guide yet, it might be helpful to know how we define “building” and “public space.”  A building is simply a human-made assembly with a roof and walls intended as a place for people to live, work or play.  A public space is an area or place that is open and accessible to all people. This include plazas, squares and parks, and connecting spaces like sidewalks and streets.

Architects, engineers and builders – along with many other professionals – tackle problems with buildings and public spaces every day.  Some of the most pressing problems include things like building with sustainable materials, creating energy efficient structures, reducing traffic congestion, repairing aging infrastructure, increasing accessibility and inclusivity, and reducing the damage caused by natural disasters.  Each CITY SHAPER Robot Game Mission could be an example to help your team get started in the Innovation Project.  It might help to view the CITY SHAPER Kickoff Video with your team to see if you can come up with a problem you would like to explore:

Here are a few web sites* to get you started on your CITY SHAPER journey:

Architecture – General:

• 18 Cool Examples of Architecture for Kids
• The American Institute of Architects (AIA) – Topics
• CITYLAB Solutions
• ThoughtCo. – High-Interest Lessons – Architecture for All Ages
• Illustrated Architecture Dictionary – Buffalo Architecture and History
• Ancient History Encyclopedia – A Visual Glossary of Classical Architecture
• The Atlantic – Housing Through the Centuries (video)
• I am an Architect – Inspire Architecture (video)

Accessibility and Inclusivity:

• Arch Daily – Accessibility: The Latest Architecture and News
• Architizer – 10 Thoughtfully Designed Buildings for People with Disabilities
• UN – Disability, Accessibility and Sustainable Urban Development

Disaster Mitigation:

• The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
• Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) – K-12 Learning Materials
• Los Angeles County Emergency Management Department – What is Hazard Mitigation?
• Whole Building Design Guide – Seismic Design Principles 

Energy Efficiency / Sustainability in Architecture:

• inhabitat – Energy Efficient Architecture
• University of Calgary – Energy Efficient Building Design
• inhabitat – France Requires All New Buildings to Have Green Roofs or Solar Panels
• U.S. Dept. of Energy – Energy 101: Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings
• NRDC – Energy Efficient Buildings
• Elemental.Green – 10 Eco Building Materials Revolutionizing Home Construction

Infrastructure:

• 100 Resilient Cities – News
• NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering – Restore and Improve Urban Infrastructure
• City Parks Alliance – Parks as Infrastructure

As always, if you have questions about the CITY SHAPER Innovation Project, please contact FLLProjects@firstinspires.org.

 

*External links were selected and reviewed at the time of this blog entry’s publication. However, FIRST^® is not responsible for the content of external websites