Full STEAM Ahead: 2nd Grade Builds Lego Campus Model

STEAM 2nd Grade

Lego Campus Model Lesson Plan

Teacher: Mrs. Yandell

Date: 11/21/16

Overview & Purpose

In this activity, students across three 2nd grade classrooms were challenged to design and build the buildings here at CCS.  Students will investigate the properties of building sturdy structures by constructing lego walls.  Good communication and collaboration are necessary to complete this project.

Education Standards

1. 21st Century Communication and Collaboration
2. Engineering Design Engineers typically work together to solve the problems that face society. Engineering design is the process of creating solutions to human problems through creativity and the application of math and science knowledge. The basic steps within the design process include:
1. Identifying a problem – Observing a problem and seeing a need for a solution.
2. Researching possible solutions – Coming up with ideas to address the problem.
3. Picking the best solution – Determining which idea best addresses the problem. This decision may involve monetary, practicality, material, and property concerns.
4. Building a prototype – Build a working model of the chosen design v. Testing the prototype – Be sure the working model solves the problem and holds up to any important material property tests.
5. Repeating any steps needed to improve the design – The engineering design process is not always a step-by-step

Objectives

1. Determine the best design for a sturdy structure
2. Define engineering design as the process of creating solutions to human problems through creativity and the application of math and science knowledge.

Materials Needed

1. Legos
2. Building board

Verification

Steps to check for student understanding

1. Did your group work well together?
2. Was your building structurally strong, or did it fall apart?
3. What is something that your group could have done better?
4. Was your group able to complete the project?

Activity

Describe activity that will reinforce the lesson

The goal of this project is to build the CCS campus using lego bricks.  Students will work in groups of four to five students and be assigned to build one of the buildings here at CCS.  Students must address the critical steps to a design process, and they must build structurally strong walls.  When all classes have completed their buildings, we will put them all together on a poster board to represent our campus.  We will display this projects at grandparents day!

Overall, I want this projects to represent how God created us all differently. Each person has unique God given talents.  Let this project be a representation of how when we come together, united under Christ, we can do great things!

Romans 12:4-8

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Recap written by Jessica Yandell:

The goal of this project was to build the CCS campus using lego bricks.  Students worked in groups of four to five students and assigned to build one of the buildings here at CCS.  Students addressed the critical steps to a design process, and build structurally strong walls. Engineering design is the process of creating solutions to human problems through creativity and the application of math and science knowledge. The basic steps within the design process include:

1. Identifying a problem – Observing a problem and seeing a need for a solution.
2. Researching possible solutions – Coming up with ideas to address the problem.
3. Picking the best solution – Determining which idea best addresses the problem. This decision may involve monetary, practicality, material, and property concerns.
4. Building a prototype – Build a working model of the chosen design v. Testing the prototype – Be sure the working model solves the problem and holds up to any important material property tests.
5. Repeating any steps needed to improve the design – The engineering design process is not always a step-by-step

Excitement filled the room during this project; each students was eager to participate and accomplish the task.  If there was conflict among any of the groups, I reminded the students to revert back to conflict resolution contract, such as a game of rock paper scissors to settle the conflict.

Prior to the project, I reminded the students to take into consideration the height of the buildings here at CCS.  I asked the students, “is the highschool gym shorter or taller than their classroom building?” I wanted them to build strong structures, but also accurate representations.  However, by the second week we were running low on legos, so I asked the groups to build the outline of the exterior walls, and then build the walls taller if there were remaining legos.  During the project,  I provided a poster board with a simple sketch showing where each building would be placed, as well as rough dimensions.  This was used as a guide to for each group to know the size and shape of their buildings.

Once all of the classes completed their buildings, I placed their structures on a poster board to display the CCS campus.

**Overall, I want this projects to represent how God created us all differently. Each person has unique God given talents.  Let this project be a representation of how when we come together, united under Christ, we can do great things!

Romans 12:4-8 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.