Since many of the students hadn't worked with NXTs, they found it hard to design their own cars the first time around. We decided that having them follow the instruction manual would be a good way to familiarize them with the kits and would put everyone on the same level. Only a couple of groups finished, but most were close to being done with their car by the end. We had those students who were more experienced pair up with those who weren't, which definitely helped a lot. I noticed that some students were really able to focus when they had instructions in front of them and did not want to put it down when it was time to clean up. Next class, we will have them finish the cars and move on to the next activity if there is enough time. We will have extra challenges ready for those who are already finished.
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