Building Bright Minds Brick by Brick with Lego STEM Kits!
When science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills come to mind, we don’t immediately associate it with creative aspects, but creativity does exist in the world of STEM. Playing with ideas increases learning, which sparks abstract concepts that lead to creative results. That is why Think Together diligently works to prepare students with the tools they need to succeed by adapting STEM lessons to them in a way that makes learning fun and creative.
One of those lessons is introducing students to our Lego STEM kits, where they can use their imagination to build a Lego amusement park with fully functioning rides and some carnival games, like bowling! Through these activities, students learn how to work together as a team, develop critical thinking skills, computer code movements, express their creativity and present their project to their peers once completed.
For Paramount Unified School District fourth grader Steven, these STEM activities are right up his alley because he aspires to be a scientist one day! It was an exciting experience for him to step into the shoes of an engineer and thinks it’s important for kids to know these skills, so they’re aware of what some career paths might require knowing.
“We learned how engineers work very hard, and they don’t give up until they get it. It was hard connecting the engine to the Legos, but we figured it out by like listening to the steps. My favorite part about the activity is seeing it move,” Steven excitedly says.
Fifth grader Leila had an absolute blast participating in a completely new activity. The challenge came for her and her team when they had to think about how to code the separate rides to move fluidly.
“We made a Ferris wheel, and then we connected it to the Chromebook to make them work. I learned that it’s not easy for a construction person, it’s not an easy job,” says fifth grader Delilah. “It was hard because we were trying to make one thing spin and the other ride would spin, but I was proud of myself for doing it because I thought I couldn’t do it.”
Think Together program leader Andrea Suarez, who led the Lego STEM kit activity, expressed how the goal was for students to learn how speed and collision correlate to get things in motion. It was a thrilling thing to see her students put their thinking caps on.
“I think it’s important for them to learn STEM skills because science is all around us. They use it every day, even if they don’t realize that they’re using it,” Andrea says. “It’s something that they’re going to need for the rest of their lives, it’s in everything that we do. The most exciting part was seeing everything that they came up with; their creativity really shined through.”
Think Together provides students with lessons covering STEM, English Language Arts, Sports and STEM in addition to offering academic support. Afterschool programs have the power to guide students towards a bright future and ensure they are coming to school.
We invite you to join us on October 24 at 3:30 p.m. on our YouTube channel to see firsthand the impact of afterschool programs, like Think Together, on youth across California as we celebrate the nationwide event, Lights On Afterschool.
