FLL Explorer Academy · Week 6 of 8

Test, Fail, Improve

75–90 min Teams of 3–4 Grades 3–5 Full kit needed

By the end of today, you will…

  • Run your build and code together and observe what actually happens
  • Use a Failure Log to turn problems into useful data
  • Give structured positive feedback to another team (gallery walk)
  • Make one targeted improvement based on what you observed
What you need

Materials for Week 6

  • Built robot from Weeks 4–5 with hub, motor, and sensor
  • Sticky notes + markers (gallery walk)
  • Engineering notebooks
  • Chromebooks
Part 1 10 min

Failure is data

In engineering, "it didn't work" is the beginning of the answer, not the end. Every test that fails tells you something specific. Your job is to figure out WHAT it told you.

The 3 questions after every test

  1. What did we expect to happen?
  2. What actually happened?
  3. What's one possible reason for the difference?
Teacher notes ▾

Open with a real example: the first 20 Space Shuttle main engine tests all failed in different ways. Each failure gave engineers data they couldn't have gotten any other way.

Ask the class: "What's the difference between failing and giving up?" — the answer is whether you record what happened and try again.

Part 2 30 min

Test your build + Failure Log

Run your build and code from Weeks 4 and 5. Use the Failure Log below to record what happens — one row per test run.

Failure Log

Record each test run. Click "Log this round" to lock your observations before making any changes.

Round 1 Logged
Round 2 Logged
Round 3 Logged
Copy to notebook: Transfer your best round to your engineering notebook.
Teacher notes ▾

Walk around during testing. A common pattern is students making changes before fully observing the outcome. Encourage them to pause first: "Before you change anything, write down exactly what you saw."

Also watch for teams where one person does all the testing. Ask the Driver to run the next trial, the Specialist to record it.

Part 3 20 min

Gallery walk

Leave your build set up at your table. Rotate to each other team's build for 3 minutes. Look carefully — don't touch. Then give feedback using this format:

  • "One thing I noticed that worked well was…"
  • "One question I have about this part is…"

Write your feedback on a sticky note and leave it at their station.

When you get back

Read the sticky notes at your station. Pick one idea or question that sparks something for your team. Write it in your notebook:

"One thing from the gallery walk we want to try:"

Teacher notes ▾

This is the Gracious Professionalism Core Value in action. Before the walk, remind students: no put-downs, no "ours is better," no fixing someone else's build.

The format ("one thing that worked well" + "one question") is deliberate — questions are safer than critiques and often more useful.

If a team's feedback is too vague ("it looks cool"), redirect: "What specifically looked cool? Why did that design choice work?"

Part 4 10 min

Engineering notebook entry

Today's entry — Week 6
Write or draw your answer to each prompt:
The test result that surprised me most was:
The change we decided to make (and why):
One idea from the gallery walk we want to try:
Which Core Value did our team show today?
Teacher notes ▾

Give teams space to choose their Core Value independently. If teams share their answer, follow up with: "Can you describe a specific moment from today that shows that?" — specificity makes the reflection more meaningful.

Specificity is what makes Core Values reflection meaningful rather than performative.

Terms of Use