Lego Education Bringing Engineering & Robotics into Everyday Life

School:: Van R Butler Elementary
Subject:: STEM Education
Teacher:: Brittany Bigler
: Brittany Wyatt
Students Impacted:: 900
Grade:: K-5
Date:: October 10, 2023

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

The Alys Foundation - $1,449.70

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 552

This grant helped bridge the gap between students and robotics/coding. I am the STEM teacher at my school, so I teach our whole student population of over 900 students. This grant impacted all of our 3rd through 5th grade students who visit my classroom. This grant helped aid in purchasing enough Lego Spike Robotic Kits to allow for a classroom of 24 students to have a 2:1 ration per kit. With students working in collaborative pairs, they are able to be provide real life design challenges through the Lego Education Units to build, code and solve a problem using the Engineering Process.

Students will be given a Science concept to explore through the act of following step by step guided instructions to help them achieve a finished Lego Build. After the students have built the creation students are then asked to create a sequence of code that will allow for their creation to perform the fuction or task associated with the story problem. For example, students can explore simple machines through building a lever designed tool to help create an innovative bowling machine. Students are then challenged to use geometrical knowledge about types of angles for the build to achieve a strike towards knocking down all of the Pin in one shot. Students have to modify their designs and code to achieve the desired build and complete the design challenge.

This has been a positive way of integrating STEM into my classroom space as a very engaging hands on learning environment. The students are 100% engaged and can apply learning concepts to solve everday real world problems. Students are also able to learn teamwork and how to appeciate other peoples' ideas when it comes to compromise skills. The students have really shown that they love being challenged to meet a specific task and apply learning concepts while having fun solving everyday problems!

Original Grant Overview

Goal

To connect students to a learning environment that aids in collaboration, problem-solving and building! Students will solve everyday real world problems through the use of Lego Education Spike Kits. These kits will allow students to build together through the act of playing with Lego's while fostering their computer science skills. Students will be able to bring their builds to life by coding their Lego creations to perform specific tasks that correlate with a step by step lesson/problem.

What will be done with my students

The kits will become a common everyday practice/ station within the Stem Lab that serves a class from every grade level every day. This will be a continuous learning opportunity for ALL students to participate in as the year progresses. The kits will also help serve the students for many years to come.
Each time a classroom visits the STEM Lab a small group of students will be given the opportunity to solve a STEM/Engineering challenge with their small group of learners. The teacher will serve as facilitator to help guide the group through problem solving, collaborative thinking, and computer Science Skills.

Benefits to my students

The Lego Spike Prime Kits will benefit ALL the students by connecting them to computer Science skills, while fostering a love for education and teaching the students that the Engineering Process is always adapting and that we can always make an improvement to our design. The kits will also give the students a safe space to potential take risks as a learner and to learn to handle failures that may arise during learning opportunities. The coding aspect gets to provide each student with an opportunity to showcase their own learning while coding which can provide each child with an extensive learning experience. Exposure to Lego Education could help foster the students love for robotics and to help guide student into higher opportunities to join Lego League Teams, or pursue a love and interest in Robotic and Engineering opportunities for many years to come. The kits can also bridge an equability divide and provide computer science exposure to students who come from a lower socio economic status in which they might not get opportunities to interact with Robotics and Engineering.

Budget Narrative

This Grant would include 4 Lego Spike Essential Kits which serve about 3-4students a piece.

2 Creative Lego Brick Set is designed for our younger Pre-K- Kindergarteners

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Lego Education Spike Essential Kit	$319.95
2	Lego Education Spike Essential Kit	$319.95
3	Lego Education Spike Essential Kit	$319.95
4	Lego Education Spike Essential Kit	$319.95
5	Creative Lego Brick Sets	$84.95
6	Creative Lego Brick Sets	$84.95
	Total:	$1,449.70

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