Significantly CSG
Middle School robotics team competes at state tournament CSG’s Middle School FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) LEGO® League (FLL) robotics team, the Unibots, competed at the Ohio Championship Tournament on Feb. 8 and 9, 2014, at the Ervin J. Nutter Center in Dayton. The team of seven qualified for the state tournament by competing well against teams from across the state in both the regional and district events. Each year, FIRST proposes a new challenge which is at the forefront of science, technology and engineering.
(front row, left to right): Evelyn Stuntz ’18, Katrina D’Arms ’20, Vara Mehra ’20 (back row, left to right): Saba Mehra ’15 (US mentor), Raelina Yu ’19, Ali Maniace ’19, Tara Joshi ’18, Allison Gammons ’18, Coach Michael Vernier (doctoral student, The Ohio State University)
To prepare for this year’s challenge, Nature’s Fury, the
a website where users can make their own apps.
team designed and built an autonomous robot using
The app allows the users to play a game that gets
MINDSTORMS NXT, and programmed the robot
progressively more difficult as one navigates through
using the MINDSTORMS software Inventions 2.1.
it while simultaneously presenting information on
At competition, the robot was given 2.5 minutes to
how to be prepared for an earthquake.
®
complete as many missions (specific maneuvers on a defined course) as possible.
The Middle School FLL program is coordinated by Form VII math teacher, Ann Marie McDonnell. Upper
Additionally, each year a research component mirrors
School students who are former members of the
the challenge course. The Unibots chose to focus on
Middle School FLL team have been diligently mentoring
earthquakes, choosing Niigata, Japan, as their specific
this team including: Hannah Bloch ’17, CC D’Arms ’17,
community. For their project, “Beat the Quake,” the
Natalie Keyes ’17, Saba Mehra ’15, and Olivia Yadav ’17.
team developed an app to help educate children on
Robotics is an integral part of STEM initiatives at the
how to prepare for an earthquake using Touch Develop,
CSG Middle School level.
Middle School focuses on critical thinking It’s a great time to be a student in the Middle School at CSG! In autumn 2013, in addition to launching a Middle School 1:1 tablet program, CSG also introduced a new interdisciplinary humanities curriculum that links the study of English and history. The goal is to deconstruct the artificial barriers between the two disciplines and focus on the development of thinking skills common to both. The program supports CSG’s schoolwide vision that students learn best by solving problems creatively and collaboratively while connecting knowledge across disciplines. These new courses are a careful blend of grammar and writing, literature, history, and geography, with a clear emphasis on skill development in critical thinking and writing, chronological reasoning, vocabulary development, Developing skills in critical thinking is a key component of the Middle School’s new humanities curriculum.
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FORTE ET GRATUM • SPRING 2014
primary source analysis, geopolitical relationships, and literary exposition. The curriculum is guided by state standards for history and the national Common Core standards for English.