1. FIRST LEGO League Jr
Coach’s Perspective

2. Tonight’s Agenda Introductions, ORTOP, FIRST, FIRST LEGO League Jr
Introduction to FIRST LEGO League Jr
What you receive and what else you need
What you will do
How you will do it
Introduction to WeDo 2.0
What is the WeDo 2.0
What comes with WeDo 2.0
How to use the WeDo 2.0

3. Progression of Programs
FIRST LEGO League Jr – Kindergarten to 4th grade, 6 kids MAX
FIRST LEGO League – 4th to 8th grade, 10 kids MAX
FIRST Tech Challenge – 7th to 12th grade, 15 teens MAX
FIRST Robotics Competition – High School, no size limit

4. Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program (ORTOP)
ORTOP is the Official FIRST Affiliate Partner for the FIRST programs in the state of Oregon.
501c3 Non-profit
Provides local support for teams and coaches
Creates official expo events
Open doors to the worlds of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for all of Oregon’s youth.
Loridee Wetzel ext 2

5. Getting Started
Nationally Register with FIRST at
Keep up to date with Oregon at
Read our blog:
Follow us on Facebook:
Blogs are also sent as s to all nationally registered teams and anyone who signs up to receive the version of the post.

6. In the Box Each team receives a box from FIRST with
1 Inspire model - LEGO model that the team builds together. It has a moving element. This is the first thing the team will build together. It comes in 2 bags labeled with a 1.
1 Team Meeting Guide – This is the coach manual and your lesson planning aid for the challenge.
7 Engineering Notebooks – These are for the team members, with one copy for the coach. Each child receives one notebook that they will use at each team meeting to read (if capable), draw, and make notes. Each session in the Team Meeting Guide corresponds to a similar section in the Engineering Notebook.
Miscellaneous LEGO Bricks – pieces your team can use in meetings and for the final model they will build at the end of the season. Your team is not limited to the pieces in this kit

7. Additional LEGO Items One motorized element
LEGO WeDo 2.0 set (recommended)
LEGO motor and battery pack
LEGO MINDSTORMS System, like EV3 or NXT
LEGO WeDo 1.0 set
Additional gears and axles, especially handy if your team is using a motor and battery pack
Additional building pieces and/or minifigures
XL base plate

8. Show Me Poster
In addition to the model your team will make a Show Me Poster on a Tri-fold or Poster board.
Team Biography – have team members interview each other and write a couple sentences about each other for the board.
Research about the Aqua Adventure Challenge
The selected water use your team learned about
A description of or diagram that lead to the construction of the model
The Show Me Poster is a lot like a science fair board, but is more fun! It’s goal is to showcase all the kids have accomplished in the season in a concise visitor friendly way.

9. FIRST LEGO League Jr Core Values
How we do it, is just as important as what we accomplish
We are a team.
We do the work.
Our coaches help us learn, but we find the answers ourselves.
We share our experiences and discoveries with others.
We are helpful, kind, and show respect when we work, play and share. We call this Gracious Professionalism®
We are all winners.
We have fun!

10. What’s in the Team Meeting Guide
Pages 3-9 – Introduction to the program and Coaching
Page 6 is very helpful for understanding how team meetings work
Pages 8-9 provide resources and tips that are helpful for all teams
Pages – 12 Team Meeting Sessions
Each session is scheduled for 1.5 hours
Each session has a warm up, lesson, and “Do” section
Page 30 – Glossary of terms
Pages – Note space

11. Working the Team Meeting Guide
Read your session BEFORE you start.
Watch the Time! The sessions are planned for 1.5 hours – many sessions will need to be broken apart for the program.
See what is expected – is it appropriate for your team?
LEGO can distract from focus, make sure they are needed before you get them out.
Even if needed, you may need to keep them in a container or out of site until the appropriate time.
Go your OWN way if needed!
If the kids are very excited about a concept – do more!
If kids are not engaged with a concept – move on!
Don’t forget to include time to speak with an expert or go on a tour!

12. Forming a Team
2 adult coaches, up to 6 kids per team. Recommended 4 kids for grades K-2.
Where does your team meet?
Neighborhood Team (most common) – meets in one of the coach’s homes. Usually a single team, but may be a pair of teams. Meets periodically (from 2 times a month to 2 times a week).
Afterschool Team – organized through a school or afterschool program. 1 to 5 teams meeting for minutes once or twice a week.
Classroom Teams – meets inside the regular school day as part of the class science program. Class is divided into team. 90 minutes once or twice a week are set aside for team meetings, team members work on affiliated parts throughout the school week.

13. Costs National Registration (Required Annually) LEGO system
Single Team: $99
Season Pass $895 / $1750
LEGO system
WeDo 2.0 (recommended): $ $249.95
MINDSTORM EV3 system: $~300 - $469.95
Motor and Battery Pack $15 - $80
Official Expo: $80 - $40 on a sliding scale
All costs are PER TEAM

14. More than 1 team at a time
Start with the Core Values to focus the group for the day
Help each team build an identity and work with Gracious Professionalism®
Full Group:
Introduce the day’s lesson and materials
Work through the reading (if any)
In teams:
Work on individual and team challenges
Utilize the Engineering notebook for storing ideas
Emphasize the mini-build exercises

15. https://ortop.org/flljr/fll-jr-home/
Questions?
If you ever are stuck, have questions, or concerns:
Loridee Wetzel
ext 2