LEGO.com/education
What are the curriculum
highlights?
The process of children actively building, exploring,
investigating, enquiring and communicating together
develops a huge range of benefits. Additionally there
are the more traditional content outcomes. See the
curriculum grid for more details. Here is an overview:
Science
Investigating, collecting, storing and transferring energy,
force, speed, the effect of friction; simple machines,
magnetism, calibrating and reading scales, scientific
fair testing, purposeful enquiry, predicting and measuring,
collecting data, making conclusions and more.
Technology
Making solutions for needs, choosing appropriate
materials and processes; designing, making, testing
and modifying; exploring systems and subsystems,
safety and control systems, using 2-dimensional
instructions; creating 3-dimensional models; working
cooperatively in a team and more.
Mathematics
Maths in the service of science: measuring distance, time,
speed (velocity), weight (mass), notions of accuracy in
calibrating and reading scales, tabulating and interpreting
data. Informally calculating ratios and more.
Curriculum grid
Grab a pencil and note pad and sit just for a few minutes
watching and listening as a pair of your ‘Buddy Builders’
in class collaborate on any one of these special LEGO®
science and technology projects. Just for fun, try noting
down key knowledge, skills and attitudinal outcomes as
they become apparent to you.
We hope you’ll soon be convinced of the huge range of
valuable academic, creative, problem-solving, personal and
complex social curriculum outcomes achieved in these
simple activities – that are hard to achieve in traditional
classroom activities.
In the grid on the following page we have listed only the
more traditional major skill and knowledge outcomes most
schools require for lesson planning.
But we all know the kids will be enjoying learning so much
more!
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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What are the curriculum highlights?
LEGO.com/education
Key Science Curriculum
Key D & T Curriculum
Scientific enquiry including predicting,
estimating, observing, measuring,
conducting careful investigations,
recording plus:
Working with materials and components,
incorporating mechanisms into structures,
systems and subsystems, evaluating
products plus:
Sweeper
• Gearing up for speed
• Balanced and unbalanced forces
• Pulley drives for safety
Big Game Fishing
• Reducing speed and increasing
force using string and pulleys
(block and tackle)
• Ratchet and pawl safety system
• Designing products/ games
Freewheeling
• Using wheels and axles to move loads
• Inclined planes and measuring
distances
The Hammer
• Levers, cams and inclined planes
• Exploring friction
Forces & Motion
• Control and timing of actions
• Designing mechanical toys
Made to measure
Trundle Wheel
• Gearing down
• Reading and calibrating scales to
measure distance
Letter Balance
• Levers, pulleys and balanced forces
• Reading and calibrating scales to
measure mass
Click-Clock
• Gearing up, pendulums and falling weights
• Reading and calibrating scales to
measure time
• Feedback system controlling speed
of fall of the weight
Windmill
• Capturing wind energy to run machines
• Storing and transferring energy
• Ratchet and pawl as safety and
control mechanism
Land Yacht
• Capturing wind energy for transport
• Transforming energy (gearing down)
• Flywheel as a speed control mechanism
Flywheeler
• Storing kinetic/moving energy
• Balanced and unbalanced forces
Energy
Magnetism
Magno-Bird
• Metals and non metals
• Detecting magnetic fields
• Properties of materials
• Designing products/games
Circus Magna
• Like poles repel, unlike poles attract
• Behaviour of magnets
• Automatic counting systems
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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LEGO.com/education
Links to QCA Schemes
of Work
There are significant links between the LEGO Education
units and the QCA schemes of work.
In Design & Technology units for years 5 and 6 there is
considerable emphasis on understanding mechanisms.
In the QCA D&T Unit 5C: Moving Toys, children learn about
controlling movement with a cam mechanism as part of a
simple toy.
The QCA D&T Unit 6C: Fairground enables children to gain
understanding of an important mechanism, using belts and
pulleys.
Although the focus of the QCA D&T Unit 6D: Controllable
Vehicles, is using electricity to drive and control, there is
scope for controlling using simple mechanisms.
There is also scope for dealing with science concepts.
Several LEGO Education units extend the understanding
required for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action, and
two enable the teaching of magnetism as required by the
QCA Science Unit 3E: Magnets and Springs.
The QCA Science focus Unit 4E: Friction is embedded in
several models as is 3C: Characteristics of Materials.
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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Links to QCA Schemes of Work
LEGO.com/education
Sweeper
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 6D: Controllable Vehicles.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action.
Big Game Fishing
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 6C: Fairground.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action
and 3C: Characteristics of Materials and revisits
magnetism.
Freewheeling
You can use this activity to meet the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 2A: Vehicles.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 2E: Forces and
Movement and 4E: Friction.
The Hammer
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 5C: Moving Toys.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action
and 4E: Friction.
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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Links to QCA Schemes of Work
LEGO.com/education
Trundle Wheel
This activity develops an understanding of
mechanisms similar to that required for QCA
Design & Technology Unit 5C: Moving Toys.
This activity extends the understanding
required for the QCA Science Unit 2E: Forces
and Movement and provides an interesting
opportunity to carry out a wide range of
measurement investigations.
Letter Balance
This activity develops an understanding of
mechanisms similar to that required for QCA
Design & Technology Unit 5C: Moving Toys.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action. It
provides a great opportunity to carry out a wide
range of measurement investigations.
Click-Clock
You can use this activity to meet the requirements
of the QCA Design & Technology Unit 5C: Moving
Toys.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 6E: Forces in Action.
Windmill
You can use this activity to meet the requirements
of the QCA Design & Technology Unit 5C: Moving
Toys.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA science Unit 6E: Forces in Action.
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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Links to QCA Schemes of Work
LEGO.com/education
Land Yacht
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 6D: Controllable Vehicles.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA science Unit 6E: Forces in Action,
4E: Friction and 3C: Characteristics of Materials.
Flywheeler
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 6D: Controllable Vehicles.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 2E: Forces and
Movement and 4E: Friction.
Magno-Bird
You can use this activity to meet some of the
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 5C: Moving Toys.
This activity extends the understanding required
for the QCA Science Unit 3E: Magnets and
Springs.
Circus Magna
You can use this activity to meet the requirements
for understanding magnetism in the QCA Science
Unit 3E: Magnets and Springs and some of
requirements of the QCA Design & Technology
Unit 6C: Fairground.
LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Knob configuration are trademarks of the LEGO Group. ©2006 The LEGO Group.
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