Seaford Lego Team Shines at Tournament

A team of Seaford youngsters recently participated in the fourth annual For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology(FIRST) Lego League (FLL) Jr. tournament at at Longwood High School and came away with a “Model Design Award” for the second straight year.

The Seaford Lego team, comprised of Marco and Sofia Perez, Clarissa Cohen, Kelsey Gil along with Ryan and Tyler Reeves, were among 14 teams that participated in the Snack Attack Challenge. Guided by coaches Maryann Pazmino-Perez and Andrew Cohen, the students built a model made of Lego elements and motorized moving parts along with a team Show-Me Poster to present to judges for review.

FIRST Lego Leage Jr.  is a hands-on program designed to capture young children’s curiosity and direct it toward discovering the possibilities of improving the world around them. It is primarily focused on building an interest in science and engineering in children ages six to nine.

The program features a real-world challenge, to be solved by research, critical thinking and imagination.  In the Snack Attack Challenge, students took a “hands on” approach to the topic of food safety by exploring how proper preparation and storage can help us stay healthy. To help with their research, the team took part in a field trip to Catapano Goat Dairy Farm on the North Fork of Long Island. They learned about the different stages in the milking process, tasted different flavors of goat cheese and were able to milk goats themselves. 

For their design, the team built their own version of a Dippin’ Dots maker that would drop different flavors (LEGO pieces) through tunnels and combine them in a rotating tray allowing you to scoop up the ice cream. The design incorporated a truss structure with five simple machines and a motorized moving part controlled by a computer program.  

Last year’s model, that also captured a “Model Design Award”, was for a CAT Scan machine. In next year’s Jr. FLL challenge, teams will learn about the challenges some seniors may have getting around, or staying active and fit.