STEAMing Up With Legos

Who doesn’t love Legos?? Heidi Bushway Verkler at North Tahoe School noticed that students in the STEAM elective classes at the middle school really enjoyed building, creating, and problem-solving with them when learning about coding and robotics. 

After attending the Computer Using Educators Conference, she was introduced to the BricQ Motion and SPIKE Lego system, which replaces the Mindstorm EV3 system. This new system provides scaffolding and support from their online curriculum by helping make abstract physical science concepts come alive. The colorful bricks move from drag and drop block coding language to the python language, which the students at NTS move into and utilize with another robotic system.

She was inspired to write a grant to Excellence in Education to replace the now retired Lego Mindstorm EV3 system of robots. Her grant was approved for the full amount requested of $6110. 

Program Benefits
Students who benefit from the Lego system we funded are the students who are part of the STEAM elective at NTS. On a yearly basis, about 150 students come through the STEAM Lab and learn about the many facets of STEAM education—robotics being one of the main concepts. Students who come into the program from Kings Beach Elementary will be able to expand upon their prior knowledge and learning at the elementary level of the Lego education program. Students at NTS will be part of the secondary level of the Lego programs and will dive more into computer science, coding, simulations, collaboration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

The program starts with the 6th graders. The Lego BricQ Motion kits provide guided practice throughout the supportive online curriculum. Students then proceed into the extension lessons that are part of the system and move into Lego SPIKE Prime secondary lessons. These lessons are also good for 7th graders just learning about coding and robotics. The SPIKE Prime program moves into more complex building and coding, moving from the block coding to the python language. 

The Lego BricQ and SPIKE curriculum is online and easily accessible through the students’ Chromebooks.