Justin Sanchon
Salamanca (EFE).- More than 400 children from schools in six Spanish provinces have had thousands of small Lego pieces scattered on tables this Saturday, with the aim of learning and enjoying science and, specifically, with the energy.
The Hospedería Fonseca in Salamanca has hosted the VII Edition of the First Lego League Qualifying Tournament, organized by the Science Park of the University of Salamanca (USAL), an international program that promotes scientific and technological vocations.
It is, as the coordinator of this event, Marcos Mateos, explained to EFE, “an annual challenge for kids between the ages of 4 and 14” that begins at the end of summer and for months prepares to expose the “scientific work carried out with the pieces of Legos”.
On this occasion, this league of Lego pieces has tried to deepen the little ones in their knowledge, and the development of values, about energy, so that on the tables set up in the Fonseca Hospedería you could see from windmills wind, even solar panels, electric stoves, gas vehicles… all made with Lego pieces.
Rafa Navarro, a teacher at the Calasanz School in Salamanca, has become a volunteer at the event this Saturday and, dressed in a white coat, a red wig and large plastic glasses, tries to learn about the work of the little ones and asks them , as a teacher with years of experience, on energy issues.
Some respond with monosyllables, with brief phrases, or a girl, from the Virgen de la Salud school, in Alcañices (Zamora), answers Rafa Navarro that the windmill that his team has made with Lego pieces “moves with the hand ” or that some cables that join different figures of his work “serve to carry electricity”.
They are part of the younger area, who, as Marcos Mateos explained, during this academic year -since September- have carried out “scientific projects that, with the help of teachers, allow them to deepen their knowledge of science”, and in the case of this edition, “on energy”.
“They bring the projects from their schools, display them on different tables and a technical team evaluates them. In addition, it is about promoting Lego values, such as teamwork, respect for others, collaboration and social support”, added Mateos.
smiling and nervous
The Hospedería Fonseca has become a place where, from early in the morning, high-pitched voices are heard, parents who surround the tables with their children, more than 100 volunteers who try to keep everything in order, children who proudly show their works, others who get angry when a piece falls… but all of them smiling and nervous for a playful day.
In the area for the elderly, those between 9 and 14 years old, more tension is perceived because no work is displayed on the tables, but they are preparing to participate in a circuit that they have to carry out with a Lego robot, while that they can add more pieces, and always with energy as the main element.
The development of this test has been carried out in the main auditorium of the Hospedería, full of students and parents of the 23 teams of children between 9 and 14 years old, where the emotion, the tension, the nerves were more than evident.
All of them had to make the Lego robot move around a circuit and complete some tests, such as moving a windmill, changing parts of an engine… an exam in which patience was mixed with dexterity and ability to move Lego pieces.
And, meanwhile, Rafa Navarro, in his clown costume, continues touring and analyzing the work of the little ones, and asks Nerea, from the Energía Positiva NSR+ team, in Zamora, about one of the pieces in her work: “These are panels that receive the sun, you get energy,” the little girl replies, nervously and with a small voice and wide-open eyes.
The team ‘Los chicos robóticos’, from Navalmoral de la Mata (Cáceres), have shown their work consisting of a battery that makes a Viking ship move, accompanied by solar panels, with their batteries, which resemble an amusement park .
18 teams
And so, Navarro has toured the 18 teams between the ages of 4 and 9, boys and girls who have learned a little more about science and energy, who already know what solar panels are for or the work carried out by a mill wind.
Now, the only thing left to know is the name of the two selected teams that will go to the First Lego League Spain grand final and those who travel to different cities around the world to participate in the First Lego League International Tournaments will leave from here.
As the coordinator of the First Lego League of Salamanca, Marcos Mateos, has pointed out, “the teams have been invited to reflect on the way in which energy is generated, transported, stored and consumed”, in addition to asking them to find “sustainable solutions using current tools and technologies”. EFE