Programming Two Buttons

This activity will introduce students to programming with if then else blocks as well as using sensing and operator blocks to have the robot check if the Brain Up or Down buttons are pressed. If the Brain Up button is pressed, the Clawbot's arm will raise. If the Brain Down button is pressed, the Clawbot's arm will lower. This builds off of the previous activity and will also set the groundwork for the User Interface Challenge in the Rethink section.

For the User Interface Challenge, the students will need to program their Clawbot to raise the arm, lower the arm, open the claw, and close the claw all using buttons on the IQ Robot Brain.

For more information about the if then, if then else, brain button pressed, or the spin blocks, visit the help information within VEXcode IQ Blocks. For more information about this built in help tool, click here.

The following is an outline of what your students will do in this activity:

- Use the existing ArmUp2 to build the ArmUpDown project provided and predict what the project will do.

- View a flowchart to help explain the flow of the blocks in the project.

- Refine their explanations of what the ArmUpDown project does.

- Watch the If Then Else Blocks tutorial video.

- Edit their project by using if then else blocks.

- Stop and Discuss: Students will reflect on their predictions on what the project will have the Clawbot do compared to their actual observations.

- Program the claw using the same project outline from programming the arm.