The Innovation Project is comprised of three main components:

1. Identify a problem related to the season’s topic
2. Develop a solution to the problem
3. Present the solution

Follow the Rubric! (like I do below) Link to the rubrics:

IDENTIFY (The Problem)

Your team must identify a problem related to the topic that they are interested in solving. They do this through research, which can include:

1. Field trips
2. Talking with people who work a job related to the topic (this can be family friends, neighbors, university professors, industry workers)
3. Talking to a librarian
4. Internet research
5. Scientific articles
6. Surveys
7. Anything else that is helpful

Remember: The kids pick the problem, not the adults. This is important not only because FIRST LEGO League requires that “Kids Do the Work”, but also because the kids will feel ownership over the issue if they are allowed to pick something they are truly interested in solving.

Your team should chronicle its research, including what it learned from each source and how what they learned led to other discoveries.

DESIGN (Generate Ideas for Solution)

Once your team has clearly defined what problem it wants to solve, then it must come up with a solution to the problem. This involves more research (see above).

After your team feels it has done sufficient research, it should generate a list of potential solutions. Once it has a list of potential solutions, it should–guess what?–do more research: (1) Will the solution solve the problem/be effective?, (2) Will it generate other problems?, (3) Are there similar solutions out there (if so, how is theirs an improvement)?, (4) Will the community use the solution?, (5) How much will it cost?, (6) Is it feasible?….

Your team should then decide what solution it wants to pursue and it should be prepared to share with the judges how it reached this decision.

Remember: “Kids Do the Work”. Do not pick a solution for the kids, let them come to their own solution. Trust them, they are so much more innovative than we are. Also, don’t steer the kids away from “unrealistic solutions”; instead, help them see the potential problems with their solutions and see how they solve them. Teach them to be problem-solvers. The judges do not care so much about the solution the team comes up with, they care about the team’s process for arriving at the solution. This is a great opportunity for the team to shine in the areas of creativity and persistence (part of the core values rubric).

One year my team decided that it wanted to create an early earthquake detection system for bridges. Their first idea was to store snakes in boxes on bridges (apparently some snakes can detect earthquakes before humans). Obviously there are several issues with this solution, but rather than steer the team away from its idea, I asked a lot of probing questions that led to discussions, more research, a meeting with a UW professor, and the team eventually developed a plan to tap into seismic detection buoys that are already used off the coast of Washington. By monitoring those buoys, signs on Seattle bridges can give drivers up to 15 seconds warning that an earthquake is coming. My point is to always follow your team’s lead; you’ll be amazed at what the kids come up with.

Next your team should come up with an “effective” work plan for developing its solution. Some teams find using flow charts particularly helpful.

CREATE (Design a Solution)

This is where your team develops its solution. The solution can be an original idea or it can improve on an existing idea. The team is expected to present a prototype of its solution to the judges during the presentation (the prototype can be a simple drawing or a complex, functioning model, whatever the team chooses). Remember: The kids build the prototype.

This is a good place for the kids to learn “new skills and ideas” (part of the core values rubric). In past years my teams have learned how to solder, operate a hydraulic press, program in Python, use PowerPoint, develop an elevator pitch, etc.

ITERATE (Share, Collect Feedback, and Improve)

After coming up with its solution and prototype, your team needs to share its idea with potential beneficiaries/users and professionals in the field. Often you can share with individuals the team met through its research, but your team shouldn’t be afraid to reach out to others. I’ve found that most adults are very receptive to meeting with kids who are interested in learning more about their field of expertise, particularly now that it’s possible to do it via Zoom. Encourage your team to send an email (explaining who they are and why they are interested in meeting with the person) and if that person isn’t responsive, don’t worry about it, just have the team contact someone else. Over the years my teams have met with the CEO of Alaska Airlines, FedEx drivers, UW professors and graduate students, Seattle City Council members, bakers, waste disposal workers, shell fish farmers, a senior VP at Amazon, police officers, and professors in Utah and Canada, just to name a few. Don’t be shy!

The purpose of these meetings is to get feedback on your team’s solution. Was the product well-received? Did the potential users/professionals see any potential problems? Did they have any suggestions? How can the solution be improved?

Your team should take this feedback and improve on the solution. The team should be sure to document the iterations because, as stated earlier, the judges want to see the team’s process.

COMMUNICATE (Presentation)

Your team has five minutes to present its solution to the judges. Please note, the judges may give your team a minute or two to set up, but expect the five minutes to start shortly after the kids enter the room and the judges will nicely cut off the team if the presentation goes past five minutes.

The presentation should be informative and engaging. Remember: The kids write the presentation. It can be in the form of a skit, a standard business presentation, or a combo of both, whatever suits your team’s personality best. I highly recommend structuring the presentation around the rubric as the judges only have a few minutes to fill out the rubric between judging sessions, so make it easy on them to fill it out.

The presentation is an opportunity for the team to show its personality and how the members relate to each other. This is also a great opportunity for a kid to shine who may not be as technically inclined as others. Is he artistic? He can be in charge of the props and costumes. Is she a great writer? Encourage her to write the presentation. Does he have a great sense of humor? Have him sprinkle jokes into the presentation. Is she a confident speaker? Have her help the other kids with their speaking skills.

Note: Kid-made props are great and encouraged! Let them blow you away with their creativity. One year my team made an 8 x 4 foot airplane that they “flew” into the presentation. When they finished their mini-skit, they turned the plane around and the other side was covered with posters containing all of the important information they wanted the judges to know. Keep in mind, however, that the prop has to fit through the doorway to the judging room. Also, do not assume that the team will have access to Wi-Fi or power in the judging room.

The judges will ask kids questions about their innovation project after the presentation concludes. This can be nerve wracking for the kids, but remind them that the judges like kids and want them to succeed. Also, the kids are now experts on their project. They should take pride in that fact and have fun sharing what they learned. Being able to answer questions from strangers is a skill that is going to serve them well in their future endeavors, so it’s very much worth helping them develop this skill. I suggest having them practice taking questions from adults they don’t know and who aren’t already familiar with the team’s solution. It’s also important that all of the kids participate in answering questions. This might mean that you have to help some kids learn to give others an opportunity to talk and encourage other kids to speak up.

Here is a link to the Cryptic Cookies’ RePlay Project Presentation (the presentation was recorded because it was during the pandemic; your team’s presentation will be presented live, in-person):

Here is a link to their Core Values presentation from the RePlay season. It’s a good example of how to incorporate humor into the presentation:

Important:

I often think of FIRST LEGO League as a marathon, not a sprint. By this I mean don’t expect novice teams or teams with only one or two years experience to create a masterful solution and presentation. Instead, break down the team’s goals into bite-sized chunks and focus on building on the kids’ successes each season. Focus on building a strong foundation the first season, then solid walls the next season, a sturdy roof the third season, and before you know it, your team will have a beautiful house of important skills that they will use the rest of their lives.

But most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Thanks for coaching!

Heather

This article is by the coach of an award-winning team called Cryptic Cookies Bits & Bots.