Classroom Activities

Control Plan Lego Build

Objective: Lesson will work on developing teamwork, respect, initiative, and pride in their work.

Students will work in teams of two or three to construct an exact copy of a giraffe.  During the first round the students will get to see the original for 30 seconds and then have one minute to build.  They will have 10.5 minutes to try and complete the task.  During the second round the students will be given 20 minutes and a control plan to complete the task.

Grades 3-12        40 minutes

Dealing with Adversity

Objective:  Lesson will work on developing teamwork, respect, initiative, and pride in their work while dealing with adversity.

Students will work in teams of two or three and be given twenty-five minutes to build a Lego giraffe using a control plan. Throughout the build process different situations will arise and they will need to deal with them to complete the build.

Grades 3-12        35 to 40 minutes

Precision Measurement and Spotting Defects

Objective:  Students will be introduced to measuring tools and get practice using them.  They will also get to inspect parts for defects.

The students will be given a brief explanation of the different measurement devices and how they are used throughout the shop.  They will then get the chance to measure different parts using the tools that have been demonstrated.  The students will move from station to station using the different tools while filling out an activity sheet as they go.  Each station will ask the students to measure a different aspect of a part with the appropriate tool.  The students will also be given the chance to look at different parts for defects or FOD.

Grades 3-12        35 to 40 minutes

Lean Training

Objective: Students will streamline manufacturing process, learn teamwork, and produce enough product in the time given to become profitable.

Students will try to streamline the manufacturing process to make a profit.  The students will complete a timed run of manufacturing a product and determine how profitable they were.  After the first run they will be given time to make the process more efficient.  They will then complete a second run to see if they were able to make more money with a more efficient process.  If the activity can be done over a 90 minute or more time frame the students will learn more about the Lean process.

Grades 7-12        40 to 90 minutes

Supply Chain STEM Activity

Objective: Students will streamline manufacturing process, learn teamwork, and produce enough product in the time given to become profitable.

Students will think outside the box to innovate, create prototype designs, and turn their design wins into high-volume manufactured products. They discover the criticality of supply chain (source, make, deliver,  reuse/recycle) as they work with suppliers to procure parts, manufacturing to mathematically assess efficiency, transportation to physically move manufactured goods, and customers to understand the importance of quality and communication. At the end of the activity, students will understand the complex system involved in creating and delivering a product and acquire hands-on familiarity with the multiple career paths needed to make it happen.

Grades 5-12        90 minutes