Classroom Management with

LEGO Materials




Set The Tone

-This is science equipment

- Learn the names of the parts


Not surprisingly, the natural inclination is to view LEGO elements as toys. It is important to distinguish between LEGO DACTA kits used with these activities and the LEGO toy sets many students may have at home.

LEGO DACTA kits are developed by LEGO Dacta, the educational division of the LEGO group, and include features designed specifically for classroom use.
- Building instructions for many different models
- Models selected for curriculum relevance
- A storage tray to assist with inventory and management
- Sufficient quantity for student team use

Treat the LEGO DACTA kits as science equipment to establish this subtle, yet important distinction for your students.


When students learn about the microscope, they learn the names of the parts and their functions before they use them. So, too, with LEGO materials. By learning the names of the parts, a mind-set is formed which differentiates these pieces from the toys used at home. Naming the pieces also aids in instruction. When a model calls for a "1 x 8 beam," everyone knows which piece to use. Application: When controlling variables in an experiment, knowing that models are made of identical pieces is very important. A student who describes a model as having "one of those little red things" is not using the precise language of a scientist.



General Terminology for Naming LEGO Elements


Axles - long black rods used for mounting wheels, forming joints, etc. Axles are named by comparing them to a piece with studs and counting how many studs long they are.

Beams - pieces one stud wide, of varying lengths, with holes in the sides. A beam is named by its dimensions in studs.

Bricks - wider pieces named by the number of studs in the length and width.

Gears - toothed wheels named by the number of teeth around their edges.

Plates - thin, flat pieces named by the number of studs in the length and width.

Studs - the bumps on the top of the LEGO elements

At home, students are comfortable with dumping out the contents of the box of parts and assembling either from instructions or from their imaginations. That is another difference between these science kits and the home toy kits. These do not get dumped. The list of Work Rules reinforces this idea.


Work Rules

  1. No element leaves the kit that is not part of the assigned model.
  2. Any element out of the kit must be on the model.
  3. No loose elements are allowed on the desktop!

These are some common sense rules that emphasize the fact that this is a situation different from playing with LEGO materials at home. The greatest occasion for lost elements is when they are loose on the desk and roll onto the floor, often without being noticed. If you are using the complete kit, then it is easy to enforce the rules. The idea here is that an element is either on the model or in the kit.

There are instances, especially with younger students, when it is appropriate to distribute only the parts needed for an investigation, not the entire kit. Using a zipper-type plastic bag with the kit number or other identification on it works very well.


To keep small elements from rolling off the desk, a small piece of terry cloth can be included in the bag. The texture of the cloth stops small pieces, especially bushings and connector pegs, from rolling onto the floor.


Accountability

- Assign kits to teams

- Have folders for accountability


Kits can be labeled with stickers of different colors or numbers. Each team (teams of two are recommended) is assigned a kit which they will use for the duration of the unit. This gives an added incentive to be careful with the many small parts; if a part is lost, it may hamper the ability to complete a future model.