Session 1 - 8/4 - 2026 Season Begins!

04 Aug, 2026

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3, 2, 1, LEGO!

The 2026 Season officially begins today. The season reveal video will post to YouTube today at noon Eastern.

Since half our team won't be able to attend this session, we'll forgo any team decisions until Session Two next week, including:

• Team member roles and responsibilities.
• Base robot design.
• Innovation challenge selection.

We'll use this session as a review of last season and to refresh on coding and building. Those who miss the meeting, please review the agenda below, including the links to videos and rubrics.

Agenda

1. Welcome and Season Schedule

• Three-and-a-half months
• 13 sessions: Aug 4, 11, 18, 25; Sep 1, 8, 15, 22; Oct 6, 27; Nov 3, 10, 17
• Qualifier mid-November

2. Session Plan (1-4 pm)

• Start at 1pm sharp!
• Lesson (20-30 min)
• Innovation Challenge (50 min)
• Break to load-in table, robot kits, etc (10 min)
• Robot Game (90 min)
• Stop at 4pm sharp. Help clean up and load-out gear to truck.

We don't get to store our table at the library anymore, so we have to carry it, along with our other gear, to/from my truck every day. It's not our fault, it was a Library change in policy.

3. Discuss Last Year's Performance:

• Our assessment of:
  • Robot Game
  • Innovation Challenge
  • Presentations
• Review 2025 Rubrics: FLL-2025-Rubrics

4. Presentation Skills Lesson

• Watch FLL Presentation Skills videos
  • What are the elements of a good presentation?
  • What should we work on first?
• Recite tongue twisters

5. Documentation Lesson

• What should we be keeping track of?
  • Ideas
  • Research discoveries and sources
  • Contacts and information gathered
  • Trials and metrics
  • Problems, possible solutions
  • What else?
• Hand out notebooks

BREAK - Get Robot Kits

6. Code and Build Review

We'll break out kits and laptops, introduce new teammates to the coding environment, and practice setting up code. We'll also discuss some coding principles that I'll cover in more detail in a future lesson: using comments, standardizing code, "tech debt," and repeatability. Experienced teammates will also introduce new teammates to coding/robot concepts like loops, conditionals, MyBlocks, and feedback loops as they are able.

7. Watch reveal video on the FIRST LEGO League Official YouTube Channel

• Discuss innovation challenge and missions.

8. Wrap-up and Review, assign work for next week.

9. Help clean up and load out gear.

Review for Next Week

1. Watch examples of winning teams' attachments. FLL Robot Game playlist on YouTube. Don't try to copy their designs. Instead, think about the principles they apply, like doing multiple things at the same time, or using passive hooks and ramps instead of actuated mechanisms.

2. Practice speaking, using the techniques in the videos, in front of your family, friends, or a mirror.

3. Start researching challenges related to biodiversity research, support, public policy, technology, etc. Think BROADLY!

4. Research robot coding techniques. Don't rely on your own innovation--it's not stealing, it's learning!

5. Watch this season's Mission Challenge Video.

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