Building, construction, engineering, and design are the obvious STEM skills that people think of when they’re considering LEGO but it’s effective in so many more ways. It lends itself to so many open-ended activities and is suited to almost all ages. LEGO is the perfect resource for developing STEM skills in children. Start thinking outside the square a little bit and you’ll be surprised what you can do with LEGO! What STEM skills does LEGO develop? Try using LEGO with other materials or for purposes other than building. Come up with new creations rather than just follow the standard LEGO instructions. Creativity is very important so find an activity that involves planning and design. Construction and engineering are important, but so is experimentation and exploration. Frequently Asked Questions What makes a good LEGO STEM activity?Ī good LEGO STEM activity should involve more than just putting blocks together. Handmade Kids Art has described how they used the activity to talk about how architects communicate their plans to construction workers – a great idea! Warning though: I did this activity with my son and the clean up is hard work. Art has become an important part of STEM in recent years (many places have even added an A to make it STEAM) so why not use your bricks to design a blueprint for a city? Dip bricks of different sizes into white paint and use them to print the buildings and bridges for a cityscape (blue paper or cardboard works best). Use LEGO bricks to make a gorgeous art print that any LEGO fan will be happy to put on their wall. They’ve used flat LEGO to make pictures rather than 3D models and I’m super keen to try this at my house! A unique challenge with imaginative results. Picklebums have shared their children’s experience with this activity and I’m amazed at their original designs. Tell your kids they can come up with any design they like but they can only use a baseplate and their flat LEGO pieces. It would really get the creative juices flowing and turn your LEGO into art materials. I love this idea and it’s one I’ve never seen before. They use LEGO Duplo, but you could use whatever kind of LEGO you prefer. Lemon Lime Adventures has a great explanation of how their shadow towers turned out. Watch how the shadow changes during the day or alter the tower and explore how that affects the shadow. Put it down on the ground and use chalk to draw the shadow’s outline. Have your kids make a tower from LEGO bricks (they could also include other materials) as tall as they like and in whatever design they fancy. Shadow TowersĪ great STEM activity for a sunny day and an awesome way to learn about light and shadows. Great for a no-fuss activity that doesn’t need any extra materials. Build a LEGO pizza, build a model of your house, build something that flies), but if your child requires something more challenging, there are plenty of options on the internet for you. They’re easy to download and I like their simplicity (eg. Go with whatever you think your child will respond to! I like the challenge cards from A Few Shortcuts. It could be quick and easy, or more challenging and time-consuming. Read the questions for reflection here.Challenge cards have a simple LEGO-related task for your child to complete. These questions or prompts will help to promote meaningful discussions individually and in groups. These questions will encourage discussion of the results and increase critical thinking skills. Use these reflection questions with your kids after they have completed a STEM challenge. Make sure to include them in your next engineering challenge or project. Think like an engineer! Talk like an engineer! Act like an engineer! Get kids started with a vocabulary list that introduces some awesome engineering terms. Sometimes the best way to introduce STEM is through a colorfully illustrated book with characters your kids can relate to! Check out this fantastic list of teacher-approved engineering books, and get ready to spark curiosity and exploration! Engineering Vocab You may find it hard to understand how they are similar yet different. Is a scientist an engineer? Is an engineer a scientist? It might not be very clear! Often scientists and engineers work together to solve a problem. Learn more about the Engineering Design Process. There are many different design processes that all engineers use, but each one includes the same basic steps to identify and solve problems.Īn example of the process is “ask, imagine, plan, create, and improve.” This process is flexible and may be completed in any order. Each one of the resources below has a free printable! Engineering Design ProcessĮngineers often follow a design process. From the design process to fun books to key vocabulary terms…you can feel confident providing these valuable skills. Below you’ll find various engineering resources to supplement the many engineering projects on the website.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |