Two Ottumwa teams placed in Iowa’s FIRST LEGO League Championship on Saturday at Iowa State University. The competition included a robot race, research topic, and core values. The theme this year was hydrodynamics, teams had to explore how we use, transport, and dispose of water.
The Evans Middle School Talented and Gifted team, the Krakens, took first place in core values against 60 teams. Core values focus is on teams that can work together and are well-rounded. This Lego group solved their problem by taking artificial sweeteners out of drinks before they are dumped into the water supply. This has been identified as one of the top three water pollutants that are not treated because of the cost. Team members were: Caleb Norman, Jarrett Wellings, Madilyn Greene, Michael Cain, Luke Graeve, Lydia Roling, Sara McElroy, Reese Bradford and Carter Kendrick. The team was coached by Heidi Bradford, Talented and Gifted teacher from Evans Middle School.
An elementary TAG team, the Water Warriors, competed against 59 other teams. They were awarded honorable mention for their project research. Their project looked at the quality of bottled water and created an app to help consumers know which brands are safest.
Water Warriors is made up of six fifth-grade and four fourth-grade students. Team members included: Veni Kotev, Camdyn Crouse, and Kate Pagorek, Eisenhower Elementary; Talise Plate, Horace Mann Elementary; Mia Bishop, James Elementary; Carlos Jimenez and Isabel Fisher, Wilson Elementary; and Jayadev Kurmadas, Lydia Schmidt, and Brandon Hemminger, Liberty Elementary. The team is coached by Breanna Hinmon, a K-5 TAG teacher for the Ottumwa Community School District. OHS mentors for the team were Josie Young and Tyler Brown.
Team Water Warriors