Robotics Team Researches at Adler Planetarium

Wheaton Christian Grammar School’s FLL Robotics team has been a part of WCGS since 2016. The team uses math and science to research a specific problem in the world to help search and find a new, viable solution. The students on this year’s team are focusing on identifying a physical or social problem humans face during long-duration space exploration.

To help the students determine what issue they want to focus on, team leaders, Mrs. Lauriat and Mrs. Rodriguez, took the Robotics team to the Adler Planetarium where they visited the Space Visualization Lab. In this working laboratory, scientists, technology experts, artists, and educators work together to create new ways for people to virtually explore the Universe.  Our team had the opportunity to talk with two scientists about major hazards that astronauts face when planning a return trip to the moon.

Because of their time spent at the Adler Planetarium, the Robotics Team decided to focus their research to design an innovative solution that solves the hazard of radiation on humans when in space. The hope is to design a lunar (moon) colony that can eliminate the effects of radiation on the astronauts.

As they study God’s universe, the team has been taught and reminded of Psalm 19:1-2, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.” God’s world is being revealed to them day after day as they research. They see how God created our planet to help humans maintain life and how space exploration offers no life-supporting attributes such as food, water, air, and protection from extreme temperatures. 

The opportunity to go to the Adler Planetarium was a wonderful experience for WCGS’s students. It not only allowed them to build their scientific knowledge, but it also helped them build friendships and functionality as a team. As far as the excitement for their project, Mrs. Lauriat says the team is “excited about working to find a solution to help astronauts stay physically safe during space exploration.”

There are 55,000 teams participating in the First Lego League (FLL) this year. WCGS’s FLL Robotics Team will represent Christ and WCGS at the qualifier in December. We are grateful for such a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about God’s creation and apply what they are learning to a real-life problem.