STEAM Lab | Brett Roberts The Comedian for Kids

Everyone loves LEGOs. These STEAM Labs will encourage kids to learn while they are having fun. Each lab uses over fifty pounds of LEGOs. The minute the bags of LEGOs are opened, the kid’s eyes widen, and they let out shouts of joy. They say things like, “These are the most LEGOs I’ve ever seen!” Not only do these labs use a lot of LEGOs, but they have unique LEGOs that go along with these labs. So, even if your school or library has LEGOs for free play, you won’t have these accessories.

LEGO STEAM Minifigure Lab

In this LEGO lab, kids get to make a LEGO minifigure and put it through challenges. There are enough parts to make over three hundred LEGO minifigures in this workshop. Each child will make a minifigure that is totally unique. And, an amazing thing happens every time a child makes a minifigure. Children always make up a little biography for their character. It’s incredible how much kids care about the characters they create. Children literally get to make a friend. Then their LEGO friends get to go through three STEAM challenges. Children are always allowed to go at their own pace. Some kids will make it through all three challenges, and some kids will only do one. That way, children at different age levels can all participate. This lab is designed for kids six and up. Tweens and teens especially love it. Everything needed for this lab will be supplied except for tables. (Children do not get to take home minifigures.)

STEM EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS

Crosscutting Concepts

Scale, proportion, and quantity, Structure and function, Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation, Scale, proportion, and quantity

Science and Engineering Practices

Asking questions and defining problems

Developing and using models

Planning and carrying out investigations

Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Vocabulary

Area, Float, Force, Load, Sail, Sink, Stable, Unstable, Stable, Unstable, Load, Weight, Fair, testing, Measuring, Safe, Balance, Mass, Position, Weight,

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics

Mathematical Practice

MP1 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

MP5 Use appropriate tools strategically

MP6 Attend to precision

MP7 Look for and make use of structure

Measurement & Data

K.MD.A / 1.MD.A / 1.MD.C / 2.MD.A / 2.MD.D

Writing Standards

W.K.2 / W.1.2 / W.2.2

Speaking and Listening

SL.K.3 / SL.K.6 / SL.1.3 / SL.1.5 / SL.2.1 / SL.2.3

LEGO STEAM Race Car Lab

In this lab, children use fifty pounds of LEGOs, LEGO wheels, a thirty-foot-long racetrack, and other tools to explore the science of “how things go” as they conduct investigations, solve problems, and explore early engineering. This STEAM lab features all aspects of STEAM, plus key science concepts of gravity, inertia, friction, push/pull, and more. Children will be learning, but they will be having so much fun they won’t notice the fact that they are learning. Children will be more interested in racing their car down the track. This lab is for children six and up. Tweens and teens especially love it. Everything needed for this lab will be supplied except for tables.

STEM EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS

Crosscutting Concepts

Patterns

Cause and effect: Mechanism and explanation

Scale, proportion, and quantity