Four groups of kids from the Becker area were among the teams that competed at the High Tech Kids First Lego League Robotics tournament in Lakeville Nov. 19.  

 

The theme for this year’s challenge was Hydro Dynamics.  Teams were required to design and program a robot to complete missions of their choice on the playing field.  They were also required to complete a project which identified a problem in the human water cycle and then presented a solution for it.  

 

The teams were judged in four areas:  Robot Performance, Robot Design, Project and Core Values.

 

The sixth grade team — Di-Hydrogen Oxide — was selected as one of five teams to advance to the sectional tournament Jan. 6-7 in New Brighton.  They also won the tournament project award for their prototype of a Bluetooth-paired moisture sensor, which they designed and built to measure the moisture level in a potted plant with hopes to further develop it for use in gardens and lawns.

 

The local 4-H group — The Shredders — is comprised of members from Big Lake, Becker and Zimmerman. They researched the need for drinkable water and recycling at the Sherburne County Fair. They are proud to say their research has helped to obtain city water and recycling at the fair by 2018. They have created a recycling container cover to remind people to recycle at large venues.

 

 They will also be moving on to the sectional tournament in January.

 

Teams from the local area include the Becker Schools, Sherburne County STEM and community education groups.  

 

The fifth grade Becker team consists of Eli, Elliot, Saul, Gavin, Mathew, Candice, Aiden, Mark and Lily.

 

The Stormers consist of  Jack, Elijah, Hunter, Evan, Quinn, Charlie and Ashlyn.

 

The sixth grade boys team consists of Jackson, Alex, Isaac, James and Adam.

 

Team Shredders consist of Deacon Krieg, Colton Dorweiler, Kayla Meyer, Jon McCormack and Sam McCormack.

 

Mentors and coaches are Ann Sura, Mike Sieg and Nicole Wentland.

 

To learn more about FLL teams, visit the Becker School website, local community education sites, and the Sherburne County 4-H STEM club.