1. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY Igniting young minds. Teaching life skills. Nurturing passions for science and technology. Practicing “Gracious Professionalism™.” F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY (501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization) ®

2. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY Workforce development non-profit founded in 1994 Build partnerships with industry, education, and the community We focus on college and career success, delivering programs in: Construction Technologies Green Tech Computer Training Digital Media Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Health Care Office Administration Mission: Build partnerships that lead to college and career success for Central Texans while meeting employers' workforce needs

3. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY  It’s a competitive sport.  It’s a life experience.  It’s opportunity.  It’s community.  It’s amazing.

4. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY FIRST learning … … never stops building upon itself, starting at age 6 and continuing through middle and high-school levels up to age 18. Young people can join at any level. Participants master skills and concepts to aid in learning science and technology through innovative projects and robotics competitions, while gaining valuable career and life skills.

5. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY FIRST ® LEGO ® League  Helps children, ages 9 to 14, discover the fun in science and technology while building self-confidence, knowledge and life skills “I want to build things nobody else has even thought of yet.” Charles Peterson, FLL Team Member (10 years old) What is FLL ® ?

6. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY How It Works PROBLEM SOLVING AND CREATIVITY  Present children with a real-world problem  New scientific theme each year TEAMS OF CHILDREN AND MENTORS  Work as a team  Learn with adults and mentors DO IT ALL IN 8 WEEKS  Building, programming, testing, investigating solutions  May choose to participate in an Official Tournament or local event What is FLL?

7. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY FLL Teams  APPLY math and science to research, design, build and program autonomous robots  USE LEGO MINDSTORMS ® technologies  GAIN hands-on experience solving real-world problems Robot Game Research Project  LEARN from and interact with adult mentors What is FLL?  WORK as a group to overcome obstacles and meet challenges  ENGAGE with their community

8. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY 2011 Challenge Keeping Food Safe Through the 2011 FOOD FACTOR ® Challenge, FLL teams will explore the topic of food safety and examine the possible points of contamination our food encounters – from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and storage – then find ways to prevent or combat these contaminates.

9. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY FLL impact: growth Team Growth FIRST ® LEGO ® League (FLL ® ): 2011 Season 19,800 teams 198,000 children, ages 9 to 16; 9 to 14 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico (Grades 4-8) 50+ countries 560 Qualifying Tournaments; 117 Championship Tournaments; 3 Open Championships; 1 World Festival

10. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY  We are a team.  We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.  We honor the spirit of friendly competition.  What we discover is more important than what we win.  We share our experiences with others.  We display Gracious Professionalism in everything we do.  We have fun. FLL Core Values

11. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY Dr. Woodie Flowers, FIRST National Advisor  Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST  It's a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community  Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process FLL Core Values

12. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY  Without volunteers like you staffing the events, Central Texas FLL wouldn’t be able to exist  Thank you for dedicating your time and energy to the students Welcome & Thank You!

13. F OR I NSPIRATION AND R ECOGNITION OF S CIENCE AND T ECHNOLOGY  On the web www.usfirst.org www.firstlegoleague.org  Lonny Stern | Director, STEM Council lstern@skillpointalliance.org lstern@skillpointalliance.org  Jessica Galfas | FLL Affiliate Partner jgalfas@skillpointalliance.org jgalfas@skillpointalliance.org CENTRALTXFIRST.ORG More information

14. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judge Training Ben Black Judge Advisor ben.black@ni.com ©2011 The United States Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST ® ) and the LEGO Group. Used by special permission. All rights reserved. FIRST ® LEGO ® League (FLL ®) is the result of an exciting alliance between FIRST and The LEGO Group. Official FLL Operational Partners are permitted to make reproductions for immediate judging and Operational Partner use only. Any use, reproduction, or duplication for purposes other than directly by the immediate FLL Operational Partner as part of FLL participation is strictly prohibited without specific written permission from FIRST and the LEGO Group. The FIRST LEGO League name and logo are trademarks of FIRST and the LEGO Group.

15. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Welcome and Thank You! Thank you for agreeing to serve as a judge for a FIRST ® LEGO ® League event! You were asked to serve as an FLL ® judge because we believe that your professional accomplishments make you an ideal role model for the students – as well as the engineers and other professionals – participating in the program In other words, you are a hero, and we are delighted that you could find the time in your busy schedule to assist us in reaching our mission!

16. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Intro to FIRST and FLL What is FLL? Gracious Professionalism ® FLL Core Values What is an FLL Tournament? Preparing to Judge What to Expect What Information You Need to Know Types of Judging Core Values Robot Design Project FLL Awards Judging Process Team Evaluation Awards Deliberations FLL Judge Training

17. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Introduction to FIRST and FIRST LEGO League

18. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Philosophy Everyone is a winner FIRST LEGO League is designed to be a celebration of achievement Judges learn from participants Mentors learn from teams Students leave wanting more It's not about building robots; it's about robots building people

19. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Core Values We are a team. We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors. We know our coaches and mentors don’t have all the answers; we learn together. We honor the spirit of friendly competition. What we discover is more important than what we win. We share our experiences with others. We display Gracious Professionalism in everything we do. We have fun.

20. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training What is an FLL Tournament?

21. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Robot Game design, build, test, and program autonomous robots that must perform a series of tasks, or missions The Project conduct research and create an innovative solution to an aspect of the Challenge and present that solution The Challenge Theme Changes Every Year

22. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Keeping Food Safe Through the 2011 FOOD FACTOR ® Challenge, FLL teams will explore the topic of food safety and examine the possible points of contamination our food encounters – from exposure to insects and creatures, to unsterile processing and transportation, to unsanitary preparation and storage – then find ways to prevent or combat these contaminates. 2011 Challenge

23. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Three Consistent Core Areas The Challenge “What you do in FLL” The Challenge “What you do in FLL” “How You Approach FLL” FLL is known around the globe not only for what we do (the Robot Game and Project), but also how we do it, with Core Values at the heart. Our judging materials and process reflect these three equally important aspects of FLL.

24. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group The Season Working in teams of up to 10 kids and guided by at least one adult coach, team members have about 8 weeks to: – Build an autonomous robot that will, in 2 minutes and 30 seconds, complete pre- designed missions – Analyze, research, and invent a solution for the Project assignment, and present it to their community

25. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group The Tournament The culmination of all that hard work for many teams is participation in an FLL event FLL events are much like sporting events! – Referees monitor and score the robot game – Judges meet with teams in Core Values, Project and Robot Design sessions – Teams earn awards and trophies – It’s a pumped-up environment with music and excitement, and there is a ton of cheering

26. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Competition Philosophy Teams Have a Chance to Compete and Show What They’ve Learned A celebration of the teams’ accomplishments during the season The Tournament is about giving children a unique and stimulating experience Learn the value of teamwork Bring the FLL Core Values they learn back to their communities Everyone has fun!

27. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Preparing to Judge “In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

28. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Keep the Children in Mind FLL tournaments are supposed to be FUN! Focus on FLL mission to get children excited about science and technology Children worked hard all season to make it to the tournament…we and they appreciate your doing your homework too “There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes.” – Doctor Who

29. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judge the teams based upon the information provided to you by the tournament organizer and by FLL Personal opinions that are not based on these materials and the team’s performance should never be part of the judging process Make sure to avoid potential conflicts of interest Keep the Children in Mind Be Fair “When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen.” Ernest Hemingway

30. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group What to Expect Judging Children Some children are talkative, while others are very shy You may have to ask more questions of some teams to arrive at the same information that another team gives you voluntarily Be prepared to re-word your questions if you find that the children are struggling to understand or answer Try not to ask questions that allow the teams to answer with a yes or no, and encourage the teams to elaborate on their answers. Have age-appropriate expectations

31. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group All children are unique and special Each has strengths Each has challenges Each has different ways to deal with or overcome challenges Some of these differences may be misunderstood or misinterpreted Be positive and patient What to Expect Understanding Differences Praise the young and they will flourish. – Irish Proverb

32. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Some children may take longer to process and answer – Characteristic of many high ability students May sometimes get left behind compared to kids who are quick on their feet – May be a personality style - reflective vs. impulsive. Some children may have good rote memory – May have many facts memorized and therefore seem more rehearsed What to Expect Understanding Differences All children have individual differences. Remember this fact and adjust your expectations accordingly.

33. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Ask leading/probing questions to stimulate thought process – “What do you think would have happened if you had done… ?” – “What was the hardest part of… ?” – “Why do you think your design is the best approach to accomplish the missions? Engage a distracted, detached, or “fiddly” child by name and calmly ask about their area of expertise on the team – “what did you contribute” or “how does this work” questions let them demonstrate their positive contributions to the team – Ask direct questions that include only one thought at a time What to Expect Asking Questions “It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.” – James Thurber

34. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group What to Expect as a Judge Before The Tournament Please review challenge, logistics and judging information before event day, including as applicable: – Robot Game Missions and Rules – Challenge Project Assignment Prep Packs available for each Judging Area Attend any judge trainings and meetings Attend Opening Ceremonies FLL Mission and Core Values Challenge Information Specific Information for This Year Online Updates/Q&A Tournament Logistics Schedule Event Maps Rubrics and Primers Team Evaluation Criteria Awards listing and descriptions

35. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Meeting with the Judge Advisor to review Event schedule Judging procedures Judging Deliverables Last minute items Meet your judging partner(s) and the rest of the panel Attend the Opening Ceremonies Before Judging Sessions Interview teams Make sure sessions stay on schedule Evaluate each team according to rubric criteria and note constructive comments Keep additional notes of team specifics if needed Note and report: cases of adult intervention demonstrations of GP & FLL Core Values During Team Evaluations Submit award nominations and rankings by your judging pair Participate with all area judges to determine award candidates/merged preliminary ranking Work with judges of other categories to determine the Champion’s Award winner(s) Work with all judges to finalize remaining awards and prepare scripts During Deliberations Attend the Awards Ceremony (if possible) Help distribute medals, awards and other team recognition Join the high-five line, congratulate all teams and have fun! During the Awards Ceremony What to Expect as a Judge Day of the Event

36. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Core Values Judging Robot Design Judging Project Judging Types of Judging

37. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Core Values Judging “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” – Edmund Hillary

38. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Core Values Rubric Judging Criteria

39. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Core Values Primer

40. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Core Values Multiple Ways to Judge Core Values “Ninja” Observers – Watching the students as they interact throughout the competition Judging sessions – 5 min activity – 5 min Q&A

41. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Teams must uphold and display FLL Core Values at ALL times, not just in Core Values judging sessions An egregious issue in the eyes of the judging team may disqualify a team from receiving any awards, advancing within the region’s tournament system or participating in other FLL events for the remainder of the season Increased awareness of Core Values policies (Core Values Input Form), for all volunteers, including: – Adult Intervention – Gracious Professionalism Note that Core Values input may reflect both unusually negative or positive observations Core Values Judging Award Eligibility

42. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Robot Design Judging

43. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Robot Design Rubric Judging Criteria

44. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Robot Design Primer

45. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Discussion format Teams have time to interact with judges to demonstrate: – Design process, choices, and final robot design – Programming – Competition strategies Technical knowledge, including robot design, programming and efficiency are all judged Robot Design Additional Information

46. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Allowable Parts, software and all rules must be followed on the table to win Robot Performance or any Robot Design awards – May use additional parts in Robot Design Judging when clearly identified It’s OK when Robot Design assessment does not align with Robot Performance scores…but if so, good to take a second look Robot Design Award Eligibility

47. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Text-based software Other “outside” software – Examples: – Custom NXT-G blocks LabVIEW – RobotC Can’t ensure equal coaching for all teams – Lessen this unfairness by capping the power of the tools Software What is NOT Allowable Includes:

48. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Click to go direct to Robot Game page where missions can be found Robot Game Missions Descriptions and rules for all missions are available on the web at www.firstlegoleague.orgwww.firstlegoleague.org

49. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Project Judging “Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery

50. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Project Rubric Judging Criteria

51. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Project Primer

52. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Where to Get The Project Via Internet http://firstlegoleague.org/challenge/foodfactorproject

53. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Length – 5 minutes, including setup time – 5 additional minutes for judge questions Teams may – perform a skit – present PowerPoint – sing a song – choose any creative way to share their research Project Additional Information

54. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Team must complete all ongoing requirements: Identify a Real-World Problem Create an Innovative Solution Share your research and solution Also any season-specific requirements: Can vary e.g. Power Puzzle Energy Audit Team must demonstrate completion of all requirements during presentation portion Live presenter; A/V as enhancement only – Can’t simply “plug and play” Project Award Eligibility

55. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training FLL Awards Overview

56. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Don’t worry about how the deliberations work! Your Head Judge will facilitate this process on the day of the event! Awards Deliberation

57. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Core Awards Champion’s Award 57 Champion’s This award recognizes a team that embodies the FLL experience, by fully embracing our Core Values while achieving excellence and innovation in both the Robot Game and Project. Required at all official events

58. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group This award celebrates a team that is empowered by their FLL experience and displays extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit. This award recognizes a team that is able to accomplish more together than they could as individuals through shared goals, strong communication, effective problem solving and excellent time management. This award recognizes a team whose members show each other and other teams respect at all times. They recognize that both friendly competition and mutual gain are possible, on and off the playing field. Core Values Core Awards 58 Inspiration Teamwork Gracious Professionalism™

59. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group This award recognizes a team that utilizes diverse resources to formulate an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of the problem they have identified. This award recognizes a team’s solution that is exceptionally well-considered and creative, with good potential to solve the problem researched. This award recognizes a team that effectively communicates the problem they have identified and their proposed solution to both the judges and other potential supporters. Project Core Awards 59 Research Presentation Innovative Solution

60. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group This award recognizes a team that designs and develops a mechanically sound robot that is durable, efficient and highly capable of performing challenge missions. This award recognizes a team that utilizes outstanding programming principles, including clear, concise and reusable code that allows their robot to perform challenge missions autonomously and consistently. This award recognizes a team that uses solid engineering practices and a well- developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot. 60 Programming Strategy & Innovation Mechanical Design Core Awards Robot Design

61. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group This award recognizes a team that scores the most points during the Robot Game. Teams have a chance to compete in at least three 2.5 minute matches and their highest score counts. Score-based, NOT JUDGED; officiated by referees Award ALWAYS goes to the highest score after 3 official rounds – May use local awards to recognize elimination or alliance round winners, if used If a tie, go to second highest, then third highest runs Robot Performance remains the only exception to one (team) award per team Robot Performance Core Awards 61 Robot Performance

62. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Children are expected to do the work; adult coaches and mentors are guides – Don’t assume that the children couldn’t do a project or certain programming – ask them! – Benefit of the doubt ALWAYS goes to the team If adequate evidence that adults did the work for the children – or if children tell you that their coach or mentor did the work – review the situation with your Judge Advisor Event policies vary, but many tournaments limit the number of adults allowed into judging sessions – Interference by adults during judging sessions is prohibited Adult Intervention Policy Awards Considerations

63. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Judging Process Overview

64. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judging Process Key volunteer responsible for the overall team judging experience and all judging outcomes Leadership role before, during and after the event Typically supported by Head Judges who lead each of the 3 judging areas Facilitator for the FLL Deliberations Process He or she gets to worry about the next slide…. Head Judge Role

65. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judging Process The perspective from a judge’s shoes is much simpler… Individual Judge Role

66. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judging Process Judging Team Three Judging Areas All Judges You will work with other judges throughout the tournament using FLL’s process to evaluate teams and determine awards Note that you may work with different judges at different times Awards Ceremony Develop Script & Distribute Awards Final Awards Deliberations Determine Champion’s Then All Other Award Winners Initial Deliberations Determine Preliminary Rankings for Each Area Award Call-Backs and Additional Information Review and Discuss Top Teams Nominate and Rank Teams Determine Top Teams Seen by Each Pair Judging Sessions Evaluate TeamsProvide Feedback

67. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Team Evaluation and Feedback Overview

68. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judging Sessions Judge groups meet with assigned teams according to schedule Greet them, break the ice to de-stress, give them a (very quick) outline of the process Ask questions – samples are available in Judging Prep Packs or use your own Interact with children as much as you can! Starting Each Judging Session “Hi, welcome to your Project judging session. If you have any handouts, we’ll take those now. Start your presentation whenever you are ready, and we’ll ask you some questions when you finish. Remember that you have 5 minutes.” Do everything you can to put each team at ease and encourage a fun experience!

69. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judging Sessions Each judge pair evaluates teams using the rubric Provide constructive, specific feedback- written and verbal Evaluate Each Team and Provide Feedback “We were impressed with the effectiveness of your program to deploy the satellite. It would have been nice to see those same programming principles applied to improve the efficiency of your other programs”

70. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Constructive Comments Examples

71. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group There must be evidence that a team has not completed the work on their own Be absolutely sure that you have all the information Judges may not: – ask for personal information, such as age – ask to take possession of a team’s intellectual property (for example computer programs or research) to be stored on their personal media or computers Teams may elect to provide this information of their own accord, but the information should be returned to the team following the event Judging Sessions Looking for Coach Involvement

72. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group FLL Judge Training Awards Deliberations

73. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group What happens here, stays here Treat each other with respect Communicate honestly Contribute constructively There can be several right answers – You’re JUDGES! Work together to reach consensus Stay focused and participate Help keep us on schedule Listen attentively Have fun! Deliberations Room Covenants

74. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Led by the Judge Advisor, ALL Judges meet to discuss Champion’s Award candidates previously identified by the Head Judge Team Judges discuss the strengths of all teams in consideration and review any other relevant factors such as Core Values issues, final Robot Performance scores, other volunteer input, etc. A voting process is used to determine the Champion’s Award winner(s) Teams that do not win a Champion’s Award are then considered for Core Awards based on preliminary rankings provided by each area Final Deliberations Champion’s Award Determined First

75. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group All you need to remember… Look over your portion of the rubric before the competition Familiarize yourself briefly with the game and the project description Review the pre- tournament prep packet Prepare some open-ended questions Show up on time Stay positive, and have fun!

76. ©2011 FIRST ® and The LEGO Group Judge Training COMPLETE! Thank You for your Time, Energy and Service! Questions? Comments? Please contact: ben.black@ni.com “We can do no great things, only small things with great heart.” Mother Theresa