# Brickomatic · Complete lesson library
Version 4 · 2026-09-22 · Draft for educator review
Illustrated edition: 2026-10-12. Standards review date is shown separately above.
90 activities: 10 per grade K–8; 27 Science, 27 Math, 18 Engineering, and 18 Technology. 54 new activities plus revisions to the original 36.
Original activities mapped to selected US standards targets. Targeted practice does not cover every element of a standard. Educator review, local adoption checks, and classroom trials are required; this library is not standards-body endorsement or a complete curriculum. CSTA references use the 2026 edition. UK language localization does not imply UK curriculum alignment.
Every activity leaves room for artistic choice. Nine core engineering lessons, one per grade, add an explicit original arts goal and observable evidence. These are not claimed as full alignment to an arts standards framework.
90 illustrated, grade-specific activities. Artwork introduces a situation; students invent the solution. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
All 90 lessons include an activity-specific setup, practical material alternatives, distinct creative prompts and teacher guidance. Grade-specific targets are retained. Materials trials and classroom validation remain pending.
This review export preserves the authored lesson language. All 90 teacher guides and all 90 student challenges are included, along with success criteria, prerequisite links, support, extension, materials, investigation clues, and standards references. It is a content review, not evidence of classroom effectiveness.
## How to review
- Check the learning target, grade demand, scientific and mathematical accuracy, and the limits of the claimed alignment.
- Try each activity with four real connecting bricks and its listed materials. Pieces may differ in size and color; paper supplies equal units and labels when needed.
- Check language and timing with the intended learners. Kindergarten and early reading clues may be read aloud by an adult.
- Review the challenge and success criteria without giving pupils a completed build or teacher-only answers.
- Check accessibility, practical support, and the open space for original artistic decisions.
Packet examples use one group, four confirmed bricks, 35 minutes, and “On level” support. The displayed age is grade + 5 solely to illustrate the planner setting, not an independent developmental recommendation. Actual plans adapt group allocation, support, and 20/35/45-minute timing.
Prerequisites suggest useful earlier learning, not mandatory completion or a gate. Kindergarten readiness: observe and describe, count a small collection, communicate an idea, and take turns. Adapt responses to pointing, drawing, speaking, or building.
## Coverage
| Grade | Science | Math | Engineering | Technology | Total |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Kindergarten | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Grade 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
## Standards sources
- [NGSS disciplinary core ideas and performance expectations](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf)
- [Common Core State Standards for Mathematics](https://www.thecorestandards.org/wp-content/uploads/Math_Standards.pdf)
- [2026 CSTA PK–12 Computer Science Standards](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
Identifiers link to official references. Learning targets and activities are original summaries and designs, not reproduced standards text. CSTA 2026 uses its current elementary and middle-school identifiers; schools may still adopt an earlier edition.
## Lesson index
| Grade | Subject / strand | Lesson | Revision |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kindergarten | Science / Physical science | [Ready, set, slide!](#science-0) | Revised existing lesson |
| Kindergarten | Science / Earth and space science | [Our little weather story](#earth-0) | New lesson |
| Kindergarten | Science / Life science | [A place to thrive](#life-0) | New lesson |
| Kindergarten | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [A world you can count](#math-0) | Revised existing lesson |
| Kindergarten | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [A tiny sorting museum](#math-data-0) | New lesson |
| Kindergarten | Math / Geometry and measurement | [Shapes make a picture](#math-measure-0) | New lesson |
| Kindergarten | Engineering / Engineering design | [Welcome, little visitor](#engineering-0) | Revised existing lesson |
| Kindergarten | Engineering / Engineering design | [Stop that rolling pencil!](#engineering-problem-0) | New lesson |
| Kindergarten | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [The make-believe machine](#technology-0) | Revised existing lesson |
| Kindergarten | Technology / Data | [Ask, sort, discover](#technology-data-0) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Science / Physical science | [Hello, shadow!](#science-1) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 1 | Science / Earth and space science | [The Sun’s sky story](#earth-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Science / Life science | [Borrow an idea from nature](#life-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [A story that adds up](#math-1) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 1 | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [Four votes, one display](#math-data-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Math / Geometry and measurement | [Measure a miniature path](#math-measure-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A landmark you can recognize](#engineering-1) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 1 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A bridge for a paper traveler](#engineering-problem-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 1 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Teach a friendly robot](#technology-1) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 1 | Technology / Computing systems | [Meet the helpful parts](#technology-system-1) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Science / Physical science | [Same bricks. New world.](#science-2) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 2 | Science / Earth and space science | [Map an imagined island](#earth-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Science / Life science | [Send a seed on a journey](#life-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [A tiny number story](#math-2) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 2 | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [A park in four votes](#math-data-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Math / Geometry and measurement | [Design a measured trail](#math-measure-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Make it stand!](#engineering-2) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 2 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Deliver a tiny parcel](#engineering-problem-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 2 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Ready, set, repeat!](#technology-2) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 2 | Technology / Computing impacts | [A helpful invention, a human need](#technology-impact-2) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Science / Physical science | [Stay still. Start moving.](#science-3) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 3 | Science / Earth and space science | [A year in four snapshots](#earth-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Science / Life science | [Two lives, shared patterns](#life-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [A patchwork place](#math-3) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 3 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [Different names, same space](#math-equivalent-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [A festival in equal parts](#math-fraction-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A small square, a big idea](#engineering-3) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 3 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Shade for a tiny stage](#engineering-problem-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 3 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [A game with a choice](#technology-3) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 3 | Technology / Data | [One collection, two clues](#technology-data-3) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Science / Physical science | [Send a little energy](#science-4) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 4 | Science / Earth and space science | [Watch the wind move it](#earth-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Science / Life science | [A plant with a purpose](#life-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [Room to imagine](#math-4) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 4 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [A hundred little spaces](#math-decimal-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [Many ways to share a whole](#math-fraction-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Find the weak point](#engineering-4) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 4 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A sign someone can use](#engineering-problem-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 4 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Write it. Trace it. Improve it.](#technology-4) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 4 | Technology / Computing systems | [Debug the quiet device](#technology-system-4) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Science / Physical science | [Which way is down?](#science-5) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 5 | Science / Earth and space science | [Four parts, one Earth](#earth-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Science / Life science | [Matter on the move](#life-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [Map an imaginary world](#math-5) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 5 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [A pocket-sized project budget](#math-decimal-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Math / Fractions and decimals | [Make room for two plans](#math-fraction-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Choose a shared landmark](#engineering-5) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 5 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A sorting station that makes sense](#engineering-problem-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 5 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [The changing counter](#technology-5) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 5 | Technology / Computing impacts | [Does this job need a computer?](#technology-impact-5) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Science / Physical science | [Make the invisible visible](#science-6) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 6 | Science / Earth and space science | [Water takes many routes](#earth-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Science / Life science | [A team inside you](#life-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [Tell it with a ratio](#math-6) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 6 | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [Make the dots tell a story](#math-data-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Math / Equations and functions | [The hidden amount](#math-equation-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Write the landmark brief](#engineering-6) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 6 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Plan a route for rain](#engineering-problem-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 6 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Numbers, yes, and no](#technology-6) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 6 | Technology / Data | [Same data, different impression](#technology-data-6) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Science / Physical science | [A force, a mass, a change](#science-7) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 7 | Science / Earth and space science | [Fast change, slow change](#earth-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Science / Life science | [When resources change](#life-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [A world that grows](#math-7) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 7 | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [A fair draw, an uncertain result](#math-data-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Math / Equations and functions | [A plan with a fixed cost](#math-equation-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A town square with tradeoffs](#engineering-7) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 7 | Engineering / Engineering design | [A shelter that can pack away](#engineering-problem-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 7 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Can you break my game?](#technology-7) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 7 | Technology / Computing systems | [A message in pieces](#technology-system-7) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Science / Physical science | [Read a wave’s energy story](#science-8) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 8 | Science / Earth and space science | [A changing Moon, a steady light](#earth-8) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Science / Life science | [A trait in its setting](#life-8) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Math / Number, geometry and proportional reasoning | [Same shape, new place](#math-8) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 8 | Math / Data, statistics and probability | [Look for a relationship](#math-data-8) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Math / Equations and functions | [Build a growing story](#math-function-8) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Bring the best ideas together](#engineering-8) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 8 | Engineering / Engineering design | [Keep the message moving](#engineering-problem-8) | New lesson |
| Grade 8 | Technology / Algorithms and programming | [Build a reusable idea](#technology-8) | Revised existing lesson |
| Grade 8 | Technology / Computing impacts | [An invention for more people](#technology-impact-8) | New lesson |
## Kindergarten · 10 activities
---
### Ready, set, slide!
**ID:** science-0 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Gentle push · Same traveler · Stronger push. Compare two pushes using the same traveler and surface.
**Standard:** [K-PS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/k-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions)
**Learning target:** Compare motion after pushes of different strengths.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray for tabletop tests. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Observe and describe](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Compare motion after pushes of different strengths.
**Standards**
K-PS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray for tabletop tests.
Set four connected pieces and a tray at each station. Mark one start line. Try a gentle push that stays in the tray, then a slightly stronger one. Children keep their traveler unchanged for both tests.
Material options: A shallow box lid can replace the tray. Use the same level surface for both pushes; do not make a ramp.
**Before you start**
Observe and describe: Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
**2. Invite an idea**
A tiny traveler is setting off. Build one with four bricks. Can a gentle push and a slightly stronger push send it different distances across the same tray?
• Make a traveler you can slide.
• Try a gentle push, then a stronger push on the same tray.
• Tell or draw what happened.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What happened with your gentle push?
• What stayed the same when you pushed again?
Use gentle pushes inside a tray. Keep the traveler and surface the same. Ask: What changed when you pushed again?
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare two pushes using the same traveler and tray.
• I describe what changed about the motion.
Look for: The child compares how the same traveler moved after two pushes.
Watch for: Compare the same object. A stronger push does not mean a heavier object.
Exit prompt: Show or tell how your two pushes changed the motion.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Keep one traveler ready. Ask the child to show gentle and slightly stronger pushes while an adult names the motion.
**Extend the thinking**
Repeat each push three times. Explain whether the motion is always exactly the same.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare two pushes.
**Push**
A force that can change how something moves.
**Compare**
Look for what is the same or different.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray for tabletop tests
**Your mission**
A tiny traveler is setting off. Build one with four bricks. Can a gentle push and a slightly stronger push send it different distances across the same tray?
**Make & try**
1. Make a traveler you can slide.
2. Try a gentle push, then a stronger push on the same tray.
3. Tell or draw what happened.
**Make it yours**
Choose who your traveler is and where it hopes to go. Give it a shape that tells that story; keep the shape unchanged during your two tests.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare two pushes using the same traveler and tray.
• I describe what changed about the motion.
**One last thought**
Show or tell how your two pushes changed the motion.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Keep one traveler ready. Ask the child to show gentle and slightly stronger pushes while an adult names the motion.
**Optional learner extension**
Repeat each push three times. Explain whether the motion is always exactly the same.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-0#planner)
---
### Our little weather story
**ID:** earth-0 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Notice weather · Draw a symbol · Compare days. A weather symbol helps us record and compare what we notice.
**Standard:** [K-ESS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-ESS2-1)
**Learning target:** Use weather observations to describe a pattern over time.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Observe and describe](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use weather observations to describe a pattern over time.
**Standards**
K-ESS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Make four day spaces on paper. Read the supplied weather log aloud before children choose symbols. Keep the log visible so they can check each marker against a day.
Material options: Draw large symbols together if children do not yet read. Brick colors do not need to match weather types.
**Before you start**
Observe and describe: Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make a weather story with four brick markers. Which kind of weather appears most often in the story?
• Listen to the four weather observations. Give each marker a day.
• Draw a weather symbol for each day and put the days in order.
• Group matching symbols. Tell a partner what you notice.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Example weather log for an imaginary place: Monday sunny, Tuesday rainy, Wednesday sunny, Thursday sunny. These are sample observations, not today’s local forecast.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which days look alike?
• How does your symbol help us remember the weather?
Read the sample log aloud. Count observations together and distinguish a four-day pattern from a forecast. If time permits, begin a real class weather log for comparison.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I put four weather observations in order.
• I count a repeated type and describe the pattern.
Look for: Ask the child to identify a repeated weather type and support it by pointing to days.
Watch for: A short log cannot tell us what the weather will always be or guarantee tomorrow’s weather.
Exit prompt: Which weather happened most often? Point to the days that show it.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use two simple symbols: sunny and rainy. Point and count matching days together.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a fifth observation from today’s weather. Does the most common type change?
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can notice a pattern in a weather record.
**weather**
What the air and sky are like at a time and place.
**record**
Something we keep to remember what happened.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Make a weather story with four brick markers. Which kind of weather appears most often in the story?
**Your investigation clues**
Example weather log for an imaginary place: Monday sunny, Tuesday rainy, Wednesday sunny, Thursday sunny. These are sample observations, not today’s local forecast.
**Make & try**
1. Listen to the four weather observations. Give each marker a day.
2. Draw a weather symbol for each day and put the days in order.
3. Group matching symbols. Tell a partner what you notice.
**Make it yours**
Invent readable sky symbols. Let your weather story have its own mood.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I put four weather observations in order.
• I count a repeated type and describe the pattern.
**One last thought**
Which weather happened most often? Point to the days that show it.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use two simple symbols: sunny and rainy. Point and count matching days together.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a fifth observation from today’s weather. Does the most common type change?
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-0#planner)
---
### A place to thrive
**ID:** life-0 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Living thing · A need · A helpful place. Use observations to connect a living thing with what it needs.
**Standard:** [K-LS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-LS1-1)
**Learning target:** Notice patterns in what plants and animals need to live.
**Scope:** Guided comparison of supplied observations; not the whole performance expectation.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Observe and describe](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Notice patterns in what plants and animals need to live.
**Standards**
K-LS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the bean-plant and rabbit clues aloud. Give each pair a blank paper place and four markers. Ask children to show a need with a drawing, then point to the clue that supports it.
Material options: Use drawn labels beside identical bricks. A real plant, animal, photograph or habitat kit is not required.
**Before you start**
Observe and describe: Point to, draw, or describe an observation; compare two things.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make a tiny place where a plant and an animal can get what they need. Use your bricks as markers and draw the rest.
• Listen to the living-things clues. Tell a partner what each thing needs.
• Mark places for those needs. Draw or label your ideas.
• Compare the plant and animal. What do both need? What is different?
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Read-aloud clues: A classroom bean plant is watered and grows near a bright window. A pet rabbit drinks water and eats plant food. Plants need water and light; animals need water and food. These are information clues, not results from an experiment.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does the plant need?
• What does the animal need too?
Read the clues aloud. Let children point, draw, or speak. Ask which clue supports each choice. This uses supplied observations; a brick habitat does not test what living things need.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I show water for both living things.
• I use a clue to explain one difference in their needs.
Look for: Listen for one shared need and one difference, each connected to a clue. Photograph or keep the annotated habitat sketch.
Watch for: Plants do not eat soil. Animals need food; plants use light to help make their food.
Exit prompt: Tell one need that a plant and an animal share.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Offer water, light, and food picture labels. Ask the child to choose one need for each living thing.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a second animal. Explain which places it could share and which would need changing.
**Teaching scope**
Guided comparison of supplied observations; not the whole performance expectation.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare what a plant and an animal need.
**need**
Something a living thing must have.
**pattern**
Something we notice happening again.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Make a tiny place where a plant and an animal can get what they need. Use your bricks as markers and draw the rest.
**Your investigation clues**
Read-aloud clues: A classroom bean plant is watered and grows near a bright window. A pet rabbit drinks water and eats plant food. Plants need water and light; animals need water and food. These are information clues, not results from an experiment.
**Make & try**
1. Listen to the living-things clues. Tell a partner what each thing needs.
2. Mark places for those needs. Draw or label your ideas.
3. Compare the plant and animal. What do both need? What is different?
**Make it yours**
Invent a welcoming place. Choose a shape or drawing that shows how a living thing could feel at home.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I show water for both living things.
• I use a clue to explain one difference in their needs.
**One last thought**
Tell one need that a plant and an animal share.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Offer water, light, and food picture labels. Ask the child to choose one need for each living thing.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a second animal. Explain which places it could share and which would need changing.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-0#planner)
---
### A world you can count
**ID:** math-0 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Touch one · Say one number · Tell the total. Count every object once. Rearranging a group does not change its number.
**Standard:** [K.CC.B.5](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/K/CC/)
**Learning target:** Count objects in varied arrangements.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Count and compare](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Match one spoken number to each object and notice same or different shapes.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Count objects in varied arrangements.
**Standards**
K.CC.B.5
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Begin with four loose bricks on a mat. Ask children to touch or move each piece as they count. Leave a second space clear for rearranging the same collection.
Material options: Start with four; offer up to ten only when available. A teacher can write the numeral a child says.
**Before you start**
Count and compare: Match one spoken number to each object and notice same or different shapes.
**2. Invite an idea**
A tiny world needs a careful counter. Give your four bricks places or characters, count them, then move them around. Can you show why the total stays the same?
• Give your four bricks roles in a little world.
• Touch or move each brick once as you count. Tell, draw, or write the total.
• Move the same bricks to new places. Count again and explain what stayed the same.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will you make sure you count each one once?
• Did moving the pieces change how many you have?
Count bricks, not studs. Use ten or fewer. Ask children to move the pieces and count again.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I count each brick once and state the total.
• I explain why rearranging the same pieces keeps the total.
Look for: The child counts each brick once and keeps the same total after rearranging.
Watch for: A bigger-looking build does not always use more bricks.
Exit prompt: Move your pieces. Show that the total stays the same.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Move each counted brick into a new space while saying its number. Start with four pieces.
**Extend the thinking**
If more pieces are available, choose up to ten. Rearrange them and explain how you can check the total without missing or counting a piece twice.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can count each brick once.
**Count**
Say one number for each thing.
**Total**
How many there are altogether.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A tiny world needs a careful counter. Give your four bricks places or characters, count them, then move them around. Can you show why the total stays the same?
**Make & try**
1. Give your four bricks roles in a little world.
2. Touch or move each brick once as you count. Tell, draw, or write the total.
3. Move the same bricks to new places. Count again and explain what stayed the same.
**Make it yours**
Invent places and characters that belong together. Rearrange the scene to tell a new story using the same cast.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I count each brick once and state the total.
• I explain why rearranging the same pieces keeps the total.
**One last thought**
Move your pieces. Show that the total stays the same.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Move each counted brick into a new space while saying its number. Start with four pieces.
**Optional learner extension**
If more pieces are available, choose up to ten. Rearrange them and explain how you can check the total without missing or counting a piece twice.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-0#planner)
---
### A tiny sorting museum
**ID:** math-data-0 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Choose a rule · Make groups · Count each group. A sorting rule tells us which group an object belongs in.
**Standard:** [K.MD.B.3](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/K/MD/)
**Learning target:** Sort objects into categories and count the objects in each category.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A world you can count](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-0#planner) — I can count each brick once.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Sort objects into categories and count the objects in each category.
**Standards**
K.MD.B.3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Check which features the four pieces actually share or differ in. Leave room for two or three sorting groups. If the pieces are identical, draw two kinds of paper labels before introducing the museum.
Material options: Paper symbols provide a sorting feature when shapes and colors match. Use drawn group boundaries instead of sorting trays.
**Before you start**
A world you can count: I can count each brick once.
**2. Invite an idea**
Curate a museum of four bricks. Find a way to group them, then help a visitor count each group.
• Choose a sorting rule you can show or explain.
• Place each brick in one group. Count and label the groups.
• Tell a visitor which group has more, fewer, or the same number.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What is your sorting rule?
• Which group has more, fewer or the same?
Use exactly four bricks. If all pieces look alike, add paper labels with two drawn symbols and sort by those labels. Keep categories clear and nonoverlapping; accept one category if the chosen feature is identical.
**4. Quick assessment**
• Every brick follows my sorting rule.
• My group counts match the objects.
Look for: Observe one consistent sorting rule, one-to-one counting, and accurate group totals.
Watch for: A brick is counted once, even if it could have several interesting features.
Exit prompt: Show how one piece fits your sorting rule.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Offer two labeled circles. Move and count one brick at a time with the child.
**Extend the thinking**
Sort the same four objects using another rule. Explain what changed and what stayed the same.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can sort and count a small collection.
**category**
A group with something in common.
**count**
Find how many by naming each object once.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Curate a museum of four bricks. Find a way to group them, then help a visitor count each group.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a sorting rule you can show or explain.
2. Place each brick in one group. Count and label the groups.
3. Tell a visitor which group has more, fewer, or the same number.
**Make it yours**
Design labels and arrange your museum so a visitor wants to explore.
**You’ve got it when…**
• Every brick follows my sorting rule.
• My group counts match the objects.
**One last thought**
Show how one piece fits your sorting rule.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Offer two labeled circles. Move and count one brick at a time with the child.
**Optional learner extension**
Sort the same four objects using another rule. Explain what changed and what stayed the same.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-0#planner)
---
### Shapes make a picture
**ID:** math-measure-0 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Geometry and measurement · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Small shapes · Meet at edges · Larger shape. A larger shape can be made by joining smaller shapes.
**Standard:** [K.G.B.6](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/K/G/)
**Learning target:** Compose simple shapes to make a larger shape.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A world you can count](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-0#planner) — I can count each brick once.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Compose simple shapes to make a larger shape.
**Standards**
K.G.B.6
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Check that a brick has a flat rectangular base to trace. Show how to hold it still without supplying a finished picture. Leave room to join several outlines on the same sheet.
Material options: Draw rectangles by following a brick edge if tracing is difficult. Folding or adjacent outlines avoids scissors.
**Before you start**
A world you can count: I can count each brick once.
**2. Invite an idea**
Can small shapes become a bigger picture? Trace brick bottoms on paper and combine the outlines into a shape of your own.
• Trace a rectangular brick footprint more than once.
• Arrange drawn or folded paper rectangles to make a larger shape.
• Point to the small shapes inside your larger shape and describe how they meet.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where can you see a small rectangle?
• How do your shapes meet to make a bigger shape?
No scissors are required: draw adjacent outlines or fold paper. Bricks can hold paper in place. If composing a rectangle, align edges with no gaps or overlaps; other imaginative composite shapes are welcome.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I show the smaller shapes in my larger design.
• I describe where two shapes meet.
Look for: Ask the child to identify component rectangles and describe joining sides or positions.
Watch for: Turning a rectangle does not make it stop being a rectangle.
Exit prompt: Point to two small shapes inside your larger picture.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with two same-size traced rectangles. Explore side by side and end to end.
**Extend the thinking**
Find two different ways to combine the same component rectangles into larger shapes.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can join small shapes to make a larger shape.
**rectangle**
A flat shape with four square corners.
**compose**
Put parts together to make a whole.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Can small shapes become a bigger picture? Trace brick bottoms on paper and combine the outlines into a shape of your own.
**Make & try**
1. Trace a rectangular brick footprint more than once.
2. Arrange drawn or folded paper rectangles to make a larger shape.
3. Point to the small shapes inside your larger shape and describe how they meet.
**Make it yours**
Turn your combined shape into a character, vehicle, or place. The story is yours.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I show the smaller shapes in my larger design.
• I describe where two shapes meet.
**One last thought**
Point to two small shapes inside your larger picture.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with two same-size traced rectangles. Explore side by side and end to end.
**Optional learner extension**
Find two different ways to combine the same component rectangles into larger shapes.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-0#planner)
---
### Welcome, little visitor
**ID:** engineering-0 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Someone · Needs something · Your idea helps. Start a design by noticing who needs help and what they need.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Describe a design problem and what a visitor needs.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Share an idea](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Name a need and communicate an idea by pointing, drawing, or speaking.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Describe a design problem and what a visitor needs.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Ask each child to choose an imagined visitor and name one need. Agree one way a partner could check the idea, such as finding the meeting point. Set out four pieces and blank paper.
Material options: Describe or draw the visitor; no figure is needed. An adult can record the child's spoken design brief.
**Before you start**
Share an idea: Name a need and communicate an idea by pointing, drawing, or speaking.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make a tiny welcome place for an imagined visitor. What should it help the visitor do or feel?
• Tell a partner who is visiting and what they need.
• Use four bricks to make your welcome place.
• Explain one feature that helps the visitor and one thing you would try next.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Who is your visitor?
• Which part of your idea helps them?
Ask children to name a practical need as well as a feeling, such as a visible meeting point. Help turn the need into a simple check: Can a partner point to the meeting place? This is problem definition, not a contest for the tallest model.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I name my visitor and a need.
• I explain how one feature helps.
Look for: A child names a visitor’s need, identifies a useful feature, and responds to a partner’s interpretation.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Who is your visitor? Show one feature that helps with their need.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose between two visitors, such as a lost traveler or a tired explorer. Ask what that visitor needs first.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Use shape to express a welcoming feeling.
Look for: The child names a feeling and points to a shape chosen to suggest it.
**Extend the thinking**
Imagine a second visitor with a different need. Explain what you would keep or change.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain a visitor’s need and a design idea.
**need**
Something a user wants a design to help with.
**feature**
A part of a design.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Make a tiny welcome place for an imagined visitor. What should it help the visitor do or feel?
**Make & try**
1. Tell a partner who is visiting and what they need.
2. Use four bricks to make your welcome place.
3. Explain one feature that helps the visitor and one thing you would try next.
**Make it yours**
Choose a shape that feels welcoming. Tell us how it belongs in your imagined place.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I name my visitor and a need.
• I explain how one feature helps.
**One last thought**
Who is your visitor? Show one feature that helps with their need.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose between two visitors, such as a lost traveler or a tired explorer. Ask what that visitor needs first.
**Optional learner extension**
Imagine a second visitor with a different need. Explain what you would keep or change.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-0#planner)
---
### Stop that rolling pencil!
**ID:** engineering-problem-0 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Name the problem · Try an idea · Notice what happens. A test helps us notice whether an idea solves the problem.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Describe a simple problem and what a useful solution needs to do.
**Scope:** Problem definition with an exploratory test; partial coverage.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Round pencil; Shallow tray. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Share an idea](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Name a need and communicate an idea by pointing, drawing, or speaking.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Describe a simple problem and what a useful solution needs to do.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Round pencil; Shallow tray.
Choose a pencil that really rolls. Set the tray on a level table and mark a short starting place. Trial one gentle roll so the pencil stays contained; leave the stop design to the child.
Material options: A smooth round crayon can replace the pencil. Use a shallow box lid; avoid sharp pencils or sloping tables.
**Before you start**
Share an idea: Name a need and communicate an idea by pointing, drawing, or speaking.
**2. Invite an idea**
A pencil keeps rolling away. Invent a small place that helps it stay nearby.
• Tell a partner what the problem is and what your design should do.
• Use up to four bricks to make a pencil stop inside a tray.
• Gently roll the pencil toward it. Say what worked and one thing you might change.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What do you want the pencil to do?
• What happened when you tried your idea?
Use a round pencil and a shallow tray on a level table. Children describe the need before building. Ask whether the stop keeps the pencil in reach; do not reward height or complexity.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I explain the pencil problem.
• I say whether my test met our need.
Look for: Listen for a clear problem statement and a success condition, then an observation from a gentle test.
Watch for: A pretty design still needs to address the agreed problem.
Exit prompt: Tell one thing your pencil stop did and one change to try.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Act out a pencil rolling away. Ask the child to finish: “We need something that…”
**Extend the thinking**
Try approaching from a second direction. Describe a new need your design might have to meet.
**Teaching scope**
Problem definition with an exploratory test; partial coverage.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can say what a design needs to do.
**problem**
Something we want to improve.
**design**
An idea for making something work.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Round pencil. Shallow tray
**Your mission**
A pencil keeps rolling away. Invent a small place that helps it stay nearby.
**Make & try**
1. Tell a partner what the problem is and what your design should do.
2. Use up to four bricks to make a pencil stop inside a tray.
3. Gently roll the pencil toward it. Say what worked and one thing you might change.
**Make it yours**
Make the pencil stop feel like a small home, creature, or place of your own.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I explain the pencil problem.
• I say whether my test met our need.
**One last thought**
Tell one thing your pencil stop did and one change to try.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Act out a pencil rolling away. Ask the child to finish: “We need something that…”
**Optional learner extension**
Try approaching from a second direction. Describe a new need your design might have to meet.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-0#planner)
---
### The make-believe machine
**ID:** technology-0 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** First · Next · Last. An ordered routine tells us what happens first, next and last.
**Standard:** [EK-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Carry out an everyday algorithm.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Notice and communicate](https://brickomatic.io/classroom#readiness) — Describe an object or action and take turns with a partner.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Carry out an everyday algorithm.
**Standards**
EK-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Agree a short get-ready and tidy-up routine with the class. Draw a space for each step. Partners take turns saying a step and doing it with their four-piece character.
Material options: Use spoken directions and picture cards for emerging readers. A real robot or screen is not needed.
**Before you start**
Notice and communicate: Describe an object or action and take turns with a partner.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a brick character. What steps help you get ready, make it, and tidy up?
• Listen to your partner's get-ready steps.
• Build a character your own way.
• Follow tidy-up steps. Draw the routine.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What happens first?
• What should happen before we tidy up?
Ask which step must come before another and why. Let children change a step that a partner cannot follow. Assess the order of the routine, not whether both characters look alike.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I follow an ordered routine with a partner.
• I explain why one step needs to come before another.
Look for: The child follows or explains the routine and improves an unclear step.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Tell the first and last steps in your routine.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use three picture cards for get ready, make, and tidy. Point to each card as it happens.
**Extend the thinking**
Swap two routine steps on purpose. Explain the problem and restore an order that works.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can follow steps in order.
**Steps**
Small actions to do.
**Order**
What comes first, next, and last.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a brick character. What steps help you get ready, make it, and tidy up?
**Make & try**
1. Listen to your partner's get-ready steps.
2. Build a character your own way.
3. Follow tidy-up steps. Draw the routine.
**Make it yours**
Invent a character who would enjoy your making routine. Draw its get-ready and tidy-up steps as a tiny picture story.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I follow an ordered routine with a partner.
• I explain why one step needs to come before another.
**One last thought**
Tell the first and last steps in your routine.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use three picture cards for get ready, make, and tidy. Point to each card as it happens.
**Optional learner extension**
Swap two routine steps on purpose. Explain the problem and restore an order that works.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-0#planner)
---
### Ask, sort, discover
**ID:** technology-data-0 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Data · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Ask a question · Notice features · Use your records. A record of what we notice can help answer a question.
**Standard:** [EK-DAT-DC-08](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Use a small collection of data to answer a question.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A tiny sorting museum](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-0#planner) — I can sort and count a small collection.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Kindergarten · Ages 5
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use a small collection of data to answer a question.
**Standards**
EK-DAT-DC-08
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Inspect the four pieces before choosing a question they can answer. Draw four record spaces with room for two observations each. Model recording a fact without answering the class question.
Material options: Draw features or let an adult scribe. If all pieces match, an all-the-same result is useful data.
**Before you start**
A tiny sorting museum: I can sort and count a small collection.
**2. Invite an idea**
Help a tiny toy shop answer a question about its four bricks. Collect two facts about each one and make the answer easy to see.
• Choose a question, such as “How many pieces have two rows of bumps?”
• Notice two features of each brick and draw or tell a record.
• Arrange your markers or records to answer the question. Point to your evidence.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What feature will you look for?
• Which record helps answer your question?
Guide a class question that the actual pieces can answer. Features can include bump rows, length, or color. No different colors are required. Record two observed attributes per piece before answering one question.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I record two features of each of four pieces.
• I use the records to answer our question.
Look for: Check that the answer matches four records and the child can point to the supporting information.
Watch for: Data answer the question we collected information for; they do not tell everything about an object.
Exit prompt: Point to the record that supports your answer.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Ask one yes/no question. Read two observed features aloud and let children mark a record with drawings.
**Extend the thinking**
Ask a new question using the same records. Explain whether the recorded features are enough to answer it.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use information to answer a question.
**data**
Information we collect.
**question**
Something we want to find out.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Help a tiny toy shop answer a question about its four bricks. Collect two facts about each one and make the answer easy to see.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a question, such as “How many pieces have two rows of bumps?”
2. Notice two features of each brick and draw or tell a record.
3. Arrange your markers or records to answer the question. Point to your evidence.
**Make it yours**
Invent a shop name and friendly labels. Make your display welcoming and easy to read.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I record two features of each of four pieces.
• I use the records to answer our question.
**One last thought**
Point to the record that supports your answer.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Ask one yes/no question. Read two observed features aloud and let children mark a record with drawings.
**Optional learner extension**
Ask a new question using the same records. Explain whether the recorded features are enough to answer it.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-data-0#planner)
## Grade 1 · 10 activities
---
### Hello, shadow!
**ID:** science-1 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Light reaches material · Blocked or passed · Look at the screen. Different materials block or pass different amounts of light.
**Standard:** [1-PS4-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/1-ps4-3-waves-and-their-applications-technologies-information-transfer)
**Learning target:** Investigate materials placed in a light beam.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Flashlight, clear plastic, wax paper, white paper screen. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Ready, set, slide!](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-0#planner) — I can compare two pushes.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Investigate materials placed in a light beam.
**Standards**
1-PS4-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Flashlight, clear plastic, wax paper, white paper screen.
Place the flashlight and paper screen in fixed positions. Check an opaque brick, clear plastic and translucent paper yourself. Mark where each sample will be held so only the material changes.
Material options: Use clear packaging and tracing paper if available, checking their light behavior first. A battery LED torch is suitable; do not use a laser.
**Before you start**
Ready, set, slide!: I can compare two pushes.
**2. Invite an idea**
A shadow theater needs a new character. Invent one with four bricks. Compare your brick, clear plastic and wax paper in the same light: which makes the clearest shadow?
• Make your own brick character.
• Test a brick, clear plastic, and wax paper in the same light.
• Show which blocks, partly passes, or passes light.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What happens when light meets each material?
• Which part of your test should stay the same?
Keep the flashlight and paper screen still. Change only the material. Check that the chosen brick blocks light. Point the flashlight away from eyes.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare three materials with the same light setup.
• I use observations to explain how much light passes.
Look for: The child uses observations to compare all three materials.
Watch for: A shadow is blocked light, not something coming out of the object.
Exit prompt: Name a material that blocks light and one that lets light through.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with a brick and clear plastic. Point to the screen and describe bright or dark before adding wax paper.
**Extend the thinking**
Predict what two layers of wax paper might do, then compare with one layer in the same setup.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can test what light passes through.
**Shadow**
A dark place where light is blocked.
**Material**
What something is made of.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Flashlight, clear plastic, wax paper, white paper screen
**Your mission**
A shadow theater needs a new character. Invent one with four bricks. Compare your brick, clear plastic and wax paper in the same light: which makes the clearest shadow?
**Make & try**
1. Make your own brick character.
2. Test a brick, clear plastic, and wax paper in the same light.
3. Show which blocks, partly passes, or passes light.
**Make it yours**
Choose a character with a recognizable outline. Use its shadow to tell one moment of a story without copying another person's shape.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare three materials with the same light setup.
• I use observations to explain how much light passes.
**One last thought**
Name a material that blocks light and one that lets light through.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with a brick and clear plastic. Point to the screen and describe bright or dark before adding wax paper.
**Optional learner extension**
Predict what two layers of wax paper might do, then compare with one layer in the same setup.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-1#planner)
---
### The Sun’s sky story
**ID:** earth-1 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Morning observation · Midday observation · Afternoon prediction. Compare the Sun's apparent position from the same observing place. Never look directly at the Sun.
**Standard:** [1-ESS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=1-ESS1-1)
**Learning target:** Use a pattern of apparent Sun positions to make a prediction.
**Scope:** Pattern-based Sun prediction from supplied observations; partial coverage of Sun, Moon, and stars.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Our little weather story](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-0#planner) — I can notice a pattern in a weather record.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use a pattern of apparent Sun positions to make a prediction.
**Standards**
1-ESS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Set out the supplied morning, midday and afternoon clues. Give children a blank horizon line and three time spaces. Keep the investigation indoors; their job is to turn observations into a prediction.
Material options: Draw simple time symbols if reading is a barrier. No globe, telescope, flashlight or outdoor Sun viewing is needed.
**Before you start**
Our little weather story: I can notice a pattern in a weather record.
**2. Invite an idea**
Tell a daytime sky story indoors. Use your bricks as time markers and drawings to show where the Sun appears.
• Read the sky observations with your teacher. Mark morning, midday, and afternoon.
• Draw the Sun’s apparent path and add a horizon.
• Predict where it might appear late in the afternoon. Explain your clue.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Example daytime observations for a place outside the polar regions: morning, Sun low toward the east; around midday, higher in the sky; afternoon, lower toward the west. Exact directions and heights depend on season and location.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where did the Sun appear in the morning?
• What clue supports your afternoon prediction?
Use the supplied observations indoors; no direct Sun viewing is needed. Describe apparent movement across the sky, not an orbit of the Sun around Earth. Local paths vary by season and location.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I show an ordered morning-to-afternoon pattern.
• I explain a prediction using the observations.
Look for: Ask for ordered positions and a late-afternoon prediction based on the westward pattern.
Watch for: The Sun’s apparent daily motion is not evidence that it travels around Earth each day.
Exit prompt: Use one observation to predict a later Sun position.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide east and west labels and three time cards. Let the child point to the next position.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare a teacher-supplied winter and summer sky record. Ask what extra observations would be needed to predict sunset time.
**Teaching scope**
Pattern-based Sun prediction from supplied observations; partial coverage of Sun, Moon, and stars.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a sky pattern to make a prediction.
**horizon**
Where the ground seems to meet the sky.
**predict**
Say what may happen using a pattern or clue.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Tell a daytime sky story indoors. Use your bricks as time markers and drawings to show where the Sun appears.
**Your investigation clues**
Example daytime observations for a place outside the polar regions: morning, Sun low toward the east; around midday, higher in the sky; afternoon, lower toward the west. Exact directions and heights depend on season and location.
**Make & try**
1. Read the sky observations with your teacher. Mark morning, midday, and afternoon.
2. Draw the Sun’s apparent path and add a horizon.
3. Predict where it might appear late in the afternoon. Explain your clue.
**Make it yours**
Invent a small landscape beneath your sky. Use spacing and symbols to help someone follow time.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I show an ordered morning-to-afternoon pattern.
• I explain a prediction using the observations.
**One last thought**
Use one observation to predict a later Sun position.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide east and west labels and three time cards. Let the child point to the next position.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare a teacher-supplied winter and summer sky record. Ask what extra observations would be needed to predict sunset time.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-1#planner)
---
### Borrow an idea from nature
**ID:** life-1 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Notice a natural part · Name its job · Borrow an idea. The useful job of a natural structure can inspire a design.
**Standard:** [1-LS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=1-LS1-1)
**Learning target:** Use an external plant or animal part as inspiration for solving a human problem.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A place to thrive](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-0#planner) — I can compare what a plant and an animal need.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use an external plant or animal part as inspiration for solving a human problem.
**Standards**
1-LS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Fold a small paper parcel and mark start and finish places within easy reach. Invite children to notice a grasping or protecting body part before designing. Trial that the parcel can move using paper and bricks.
Material options: Use a loose paper scrap for the parcel. Folded paper can form a tool; tape, scissors and special animal pieces are optional.
**Before you start**
A place to thrive: I can compare what a plant and an animal need.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a tool that helps move a paper parcel. Borrow an idea from an animal or plant. Your bricks and paper are your design materials.
• Notice how your fingers grasp. Choose a nature clue or your own observation.
• Make and sketch a tool idea. Try moving a paper parcel across the table.
• Change one feature. Explain how the natural part inspired it.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Nature clues: Fingers bend around objects. A duck’s broad feet push against water. A turtle’s hard shell protects soft body parts. Choose one useful feature; your model will not do everything a real body part does.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does this natural part help a living thing do?
• How does your tool borrow that idea?
First identify the problem: moving the parcel without touching it directly with fingers. Children may use a brick-and-paper tool held in their hands. Ask how shape helps its job; do not present one correct design.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I connect a tool feature to a natural part.
• I describe what happened when I tried my tool.
Look for: Collect a labeled sketch linking a natural part to a designed feature and one observation from the trial.
Watch for: A nature-inspired model need not look like an animal. Its useful feature needs an explanation.
Exit prompt: Explain one connection between a natural part and your tool.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Focus on a hand or claw. Invite a child to show grasping before drawing a tool.
**Extend the thinking**
Try a differently shaped paper parcel. Which feature would you change, and why?
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can borrow a nature idea to solve a problem.
**structure**
A part and how it is shaped.
**function**
The job a part does.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a tool that helps move a paper parcel. Borrow an idea from an animal or plant. Your bricks and paper are your design materials.
**Your investigation clues**
Nature clues: Fingers bend around objects. A duck’s broad feet push against water. A turtle’s hard shell protects soft body parts. Choose one useful feature; your model will not do everything a real body part does.
**Make & try**
1. Notice how your fingers grasp. Choose a nature clue or your own observation.
2. Make and sketch a tool idea. Try moving a paper parcel across the table.
3. Change one feature. Explain how the natural part inspired it.
**Make it yours**
Give your tool its own character. Let its shape communicate its job, then invent a name.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I connect a tool feature to a natural part.
• I describe what happened when I tried my tool.
**One last thought**
Explain one connection between a natural part and your tool.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Focus on a hand or claw. Invite a child to show grasping before drawing a tool.
**Optional learner extension**
Try a differently shaped paper parcel. Which feature would you change, and why?
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-1#planner)
---
### A story that adds up
**ID:** math-1 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** A starting group · A change · An unknown number. A number story links a starting amount, a change and a question.
**Standard:** [1.OA.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/1/OA/)
**Learning target:** Represent an addition or subtraction story.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A world you can count](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-0#planner) — I can count each brick once.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Represent an addition or subtraction story.
**Standards**
1.OA.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give each pair four pieces and a sheet with three spaces: start, change, finish. Students choose which amount to hide with a question mark. Check that they can replay the story with the available pieces.
Material options: Begin within four objects. Draw extra characters for a larger number story; another twenty-piece collection is not required.
**Before you start**
A world you can count: I can count each brick once.
**2. Invite an idea**
Your tiny meeting place has a mystery number. Tell a story where characters arrive or leave, and hide one amount. Can a partner work it out and check it?
• Give your four bricks character roles. Choose how many start, arrive or leave.
• Tell an adding or taking-away story and hide one amount with a question mark.
• Show the missing amount with bricks, a drawing and a number sentence. Check that they tell the same story.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What number do we know?
• Which number does your story ask us to find?
Let the child choose the place and characters. Ask which amount is missing. Check that the story, drawing, and equation agree.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My story, drawing, and equation describe the same quantities.
• I find and check the missing number.
Look for: The child uses an equation and bricks to explain the missing amount.
Watch for: The equals sign means both sides have the same value.
Exit prompt: Show how your picture matches your number sentence.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use four pieces and an unknown result first. Act out one arrival or departure before writing the equation.
**Extend the thinking**
Put the unknown at the beginning or in the change. Explain how you can still find it using the same story.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can solve an adding or taking-away story.
**Add**
Put amounts together.
**Subtract**
Take away or find a difference.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Your tiny meeting place has a mystery number. Tell a story where characters arrive or leave, and hide one amount. Can a partner work it out and check it?
**Make & try**
1. Give your four bricks character roles. Choose how many start, arrive or leave.
2. Tell an adding or taking-away story and hide one amount with a question mark.
3. Show the missing amount with bricks, a drawing and a number sentence. Check that they tell the same story.
**Make it yours**
Choose a meeting place and give each character a reason to visit. Let the picture help a reader understand the number story.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My story, drawing, and equation describe the same quantities.
• I find and check the missing number.
**One last thought**
Show how your picture matches your number sentence.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use four pieces and an unknown result first. Act out one arrival or departure before writing the equation.
**Optional learner extension**
Put the unknown at the beginning or in the change. Explain how you can still find it using the same story.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-1#planner)
---
### Four votes, one display
**ID:** math-data-1 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One vote · One marker · Compare choices. Use one equal marker for each vote so the display is fair to read.
**Standard:** [1.MD.C.4](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/1/MD/)
**Learning target:** Organize data in up to three categories and answer comparison questions.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A tiny sorting museum](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-0#planner) — I can sort and count a small collection.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Organize data in up to three categories and answer comparison questions.
**Standards**
1.MD.C.4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Invite two or three mascot ideas. Prepare four blank vote slips and one shared display. Explain that one marker means one vote regardless of its size. Keep voting anonymous if children give real choices.
Material options: Invent all four votes instead of collecting preferences. Draw equal-sized symbols when the physical bricks have different sizes.
**Before you start**
A tiny sorting museum: I can sort and count a small collection.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a pretend class mascot vote. Use four brick vote markers to show choices and tell the story of the result.
• Invent two or three mascot choices and gather four pretend votes.
• Give each vote one marker. Draw a labeled display.
• Answer: How many votes altogether? Which has more? How many more?
**3. Guide discovery**
• How many votes does one marker show?
• How can you see how many more one choice has?
Use invented votes or one anonymous vote from each of four pupils. Keep all four votes visible. Unequal brick sizes must not imply unequal votes: each marker counts as one.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My display accounts for all four votes.
• I answer a how-many-more question accurately.
Look for: Ask for the total, one category count, and a correct difference between two categories.
Watch for: A larger brick is still one vote. A picture or marker key must stay consistent.
Exit prompt: Use your display to explain which choice has more votes.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use two choices and line up markers in paired rows to see the extra votes.
**Extend the thinking**
Imagine one voter changes choice. Redraw and explain which answers change.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a data display to answer questions.
**data**
Information we collect to answer a question.
**difference**
How much more or less one amount is than another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Plan a pretend class mascot vote. Use four brick vote markers to show choices and tell the story of the result.
**Make & try**
1. Invent two or three mascot choices and gather four pretend votes.
2. Give each vote one marker. Draw a labeled display.
3. Answer: How many votes altogether? Which has more? How many more?
**Make it yours**
Invent appealing mascots and an original display title. Keep each vote equally easy to see.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My display accounts for all four votes.
• I answer a how-many-more question accurately.
**One last thought**
Use your display to explain which choice has more votes.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use two choices and line up markers in paired rows to see the extra votes.
**Optional learner extension**
Imagine one voter changes choice. Redraw and explain which answers change.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-1#planner)
---
### Measure a miniature path
**ID:** math-measure-1 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Geometry and measurement · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same-size unit · Place end to end · Count the units. Measure with equal units placed end to end, with no gaps or overlaps.
**Standard:** [1.MD.A.2](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/1/MD/)
**Learning target:** Measure length by laying equal-length units end to end without gaps or overlaps.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Shapes make a picture](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-0#planner) — I can join small shapes to make a larger shape.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Measure length by laying equal-length units end to end without gaps or overlaps.
**Standards**
1.MD.A.2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Choose one brick edge as a reference length. Help students make one paper unit and a straight path several whole units long. Demonstrate matching endpoints without leaving gaps.
Material options: Fold a strip against the reference edge to make the unit. The other bricks may differ in size; they mark places only.
**Before you start**
Shapes make a picture: I can join small shapes to make a larger shape.
**2. Invite an idea**
Draw a straight path between two places in your tiny world. Find its length using a paper unit you make from one brick.
• Trace one brick edge to make a paper length unit. Draw a path several whole units long.
• Move the same unit end to end and mark each position. Count the units.
• Measure again. Explain how you avoided gaps and overlaps.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will you place the next length unit?
• Why do the units need to stay the same size?
Use one repeatable paper unit, even if bricks differ in size. Help pupils choose a path with a whole-number length in that unit. Bricks mark destinations; do not add unequal brick lengths as equal units.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I repeat the same unit with no gaps or overlaps.
• I state my path’s length and name the unit.
Look for: Check unit consistency, end-to-end placement, and a length expressed as a number of named units.
Watch for: The count means little without saying the unit. Larger units give a different count for the same path.
Exit prompt: Show how you measured without a gap or overlap.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Mark the first endpoint and first unit together. Let the pupil continue three more units.
**Extend the thinking**
Measure the same path with a unit twice as long. Explain why the count changes.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can measure with equal units and no gaps.
**length**
The distance from one end to the other.
**unit**
An agreed amount used for measuring.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Draw a straight path between two places in your tiny world. Find its length using a paper unit you make from one brick.
**Make & try**
1. Trace one brick edge to make a paper length unit. Draw a path several whole units long.
2. Move the same unit end to end and mark each position. Count the units.
3. Measure again. Explain how you avoided gaps and overlaps.
**Make it yours**
Invent the places at the ends of your path and draw signs that make the route inviting.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I repeat the same unit with no gaps or overlaps.
• I state my path’s length and name the unit.
**One last thought**
Show how you measured without a gap or overlap.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Mark the first endpoint and first unit together. Let the pupil continue three more units.
**Optional learner extension**
Measure the same path with a unit twice as long. Explain why the count changes.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-1#planner)
---
### A landmark you can recognize
**ID:** engineering-1 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Choose a purpose · Sketch a feature · Explain its job. A model's shape can help it do a job or communicate an idea.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Show in a sketch and model how shape supports a purpose.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Welcome, little visitor](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-0#planner) — I can explain a visitor’s need and a design idea.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Show in a sketch and model how shape supports a purpose.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Invite a place and a visitor before asking for a landmark. Provide a sketch space and a clear area for four pieces. Plan a partner viewing turn from two sides so the designer receives usable feedback.
Material options: Draw the visitor and setting. A partner can describe a silhouette aloud; no matching colors or miniature figures are required.
**Before you start**
Welcome, little visitor: I can explain a visitor’s need and a design idea.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a landmark that helps a visitor recognize an imagined place. Draw your idea, then make it with four bricks.
• Choose a place and sketch a feature someone could recognize.
• Build your landmark and view it from two sides.
• Ask a partner what the shape suggests. Explain one useful feature and revise your sketch.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What should someone recognise in your shape?
• Which feature has a useful job?
Keep the emphasis on communicating how shape serves a purpose. Let children invent different forms. A partner’s different interpretation is feedback, not failure or a reason to force a copied model.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My sketch and model share a purposeful feature.
• I explain how its shape helps a visitor.
Look for: Keep the sketch and model photo; ask the learner to explain how a specific shape helps recognition.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Show how one shape communicates or helps your design.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose one feature to emphasize, such as a wide doorway or a high marker. Sketch that part first.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Use silhouette to communicate a place’s identity.
Look for: The child explains a shape choice and compares it with a partner’s interpretation.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the viewing direction. Explain which feature remains recognizable and which becomes hidden.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can show how a shape helps a design.
**need**
Something a user wants a design to help with.
**feature**
A part of a design.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a landmark that helps a visitor recognize an imagined place. Draw your idea, then make it with four bricks.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a place and sketch a feature someone could recognize.
2. Build your landmark and view it from two sides.
3. Ask a partner what the shape suggests. Explain one useful feature and revise your sketch.
**Make it yours**
Create a silhouette someone could recognize. Tell a partner what it says about your place.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My sketch and model share a purposeful feature.
• I explain how its shape helps a visitor.
**One last thought**
Show how one shape communicates or helps your design.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose one feature to emphasize, such as a wide doorway or a high marker. Sketch that part first.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the viewing direction. Explain which feature remains recognizable and which becomes hidden.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-1#planner)
---
### A bridge for a paper traveler
**ID:** engineering-problem-1 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Near bank · A gap · Far bank. A span reaches across a gap. Decide how your own shapes can support it.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Use a sketch or physical model to show how shape helps solve a problem.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Extra sheet of paper for the bridge and traveler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Stop that rolling pencil!](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-0#planner) — I can say what a design needs to do.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use a sketch or physical model to show how shape helps solve a problem.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Extra sheet of paper for the bridge and traveler.
Draw two stream banks on paper, one chosen brick-length apart. Keep the scene flat on the table. Make a tiny folded-paper traveler for the load and leave the crossing design open.
Material options: Use another blank sheet for the crossing. Folding replaces tape or scissors; no real water or raised gap is needed.
**Before you start**
Stop that rolling pencil!: I can say what a design needs to do.
**2. Invite an idea**
A paper traveler wants to cross a drawn stream. Design a bridge with paper and up to four bricks.
• Draw a stream as wide as one chosen brick is long. Sketch a bridge idea.
• Make a model that spans the stream without support in the water.
• Place a small folded-paper traveler on it. Explain how one shape helps.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What must your model reach across?
• How does one shape help the traveller cross?
The stream is drawn on a flat table; no water or elevated gap is needed. Paper can fold but no tape or scissors are required. Compare the child’s sketch with the model rather than supplying a bridge shape.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My sketch and model show a crossing between two banks.
• I explain how one shape helps the bridge.
Look for: Look for a sketch and model showing a span, plus an explanation of a useful structural shape.
Watch for: A drawing need not look exactly like the model, but it must communicate how it could work.
Exit prompt: Explain one shape that helps your crossing work.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Mark two banks and ask which part needs to reach between them. Let the pupil explore paper folds.
**Extend the thinking**
Widen the stream on paper. Explain which feature would need to change before rebuilding.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can show how a shape helps my design work.
**span**
Reach across a space.
**model**
A small representation of an idea.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Extra sheet of paper for the bridge and traveler
**Your mission**
A paper traveler wants to cross a drawn stream. Design a bridge with paper and up to four bricks.
**Make & try**
1. Draw a stream as wide as one chosen brick is long. Sketch a bridge idea.
2. Make a model that spans the stream without support in the water.
3. Place a small folded-paper traveler on it. Explain how one shape helps.
**Make it yours**
Give your crossing a place in an imagined world. Let its shape express that setting.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My sketch and model show a crossing between two banks.
• I explain how one shape helps the bridge.
**One last thought**
Explain one shape that helps your crossing work.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Mark two banks and ask which part needs to reach between them. Let the pupil explore paper folds.
**Optional learner extension**
Widen the stream on paper. Explain which feature would need to change before rebuilding.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-1#planner)
---
### Teach a friendly robot
**ID:** technology-1 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Give directions · Partner tries · Make a step clearer. Testing directions with another person reveals missing or unclear steps.
**Standard:** [E1-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Break a task into ordered parts.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [The make-believe machine](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-0#planner) — I can follow steps in order.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Break a task into ordered parts.
**Standards**
E1-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Make space for a builder and a direction-giver. The designer sketches an invention, then takes it apart so a partner can use the same four pieces. Save the sketch for comparison after the trial.
Material options: Partners can point to labeled spaces or dictate directions. Reuse one set of pieces rather than requiring matching sets.
**Before you start**
The make-believe machine: I can follow steps in order.
**2. Invite an idea**
A friendly robot follows your words very literally. Design a four-brick invention, sketch it and take it apart. Can your partner rebuild your idea from clear steps?
• Create and sketch your own four-brick invention, then take it apart.
• Give your partner the same pieces and one instruction at a time. Save your sketch for checking afterward.
• Compare the result with your plan. Improve one unclear instruction and try it again.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which instruction could your partner misunderstand?
• What changed when you made that step clearer?
Have the designer record the idea before the partner uses the same pieces. Ask which instruction can be split into smaller actions. A mismatch is information for improving directions, not a failure of the partner.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My ordered directions can be followed by a partner.
• I improve a confusing step after trying it.
Look for: The child follows or explains the routine and improves an unclear step.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Tell one instruction you improved and why.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Give one action at a time and point to the relevant piece. Replace “put it there” with a more exact instruction.
**Extend the thinking**
Ask a new partner to follow the revised directions without gestures. Record any remaining ambiguity.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can break a job into small steps.
**Sequence**
Steps in an order.
**Debug**
Find and fix a problem.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A friendly robot follows your words very literally. Design a four-brick invention, sketch it and take it apart. Can your partner rebuild your idea from clear steps?
**Make & try**
1. Create and sketch your own four-brick invention, then take it apart.
2. Give your partner the same pieces and one instruction at a time. Save your sketch for checking afterward.
3. Compare the result with your plan. Improve one unclear instruction and try it again.
**Make it yours**
Give the invention a job and a personality. Your partner helps test the instructions; you decide what your invention means.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My ordered directions can be followed by a partner.
• I improve a confusing step after trying it.
**One last thought**
Tell one instruction you improved and why.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Give one action at a time and point to the relevant piece. Replace “put it there” with a more exact instruction.
**Optional learner extension**
Ask a new partner to follow the revised directions without gestures. Record any remaining ambiguity.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-1#planner)
---
### Meet the helpful parts
**ID:** technology-system-1 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing systems · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Input · Processing · Output. Input enters a computing system. Output is information the system presents.
**Standard:** [E1-SYS-HW-11](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Describe the purposes of familiar external computer hardware.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [The make-believe machine](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-0#planner) — I can follow steps in order.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 1 · Ages 6
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Describe the purposes of familiar external computer hardware.
**Standards**
E1-SYS-HW-11
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the four hardware clues together. Give students blank paper for a pretend device and four role labels. Rehearse one input followed by an output before students invent their helpful job.
Material options: Draw or dictate labels. Discuss switches or touch input as additional real examples; no functioning computer is required.
**Before you start**
The make-believe machine: I can follow steps in order.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a pretend computer for a helpful job. Give four brick markers hardware roles and show what each part does.
• Choose a job for your pretend computer. Read the hardware clues.
• Draw a device and use markers to label its keyboard, mouse, screen, and speaker.
• Act out a person using each part. Explain what enters or comes out.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Hardware clues: A keyboard enters letters and commands. A mouse helps point and select. A screen displays information. A speaker produces sound. Devices can use other input and output methods too.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What information goes into this part?
• What can a person see or hear coming out?
Use the supplied word clues with familiar pictures if available; real devices are optional. Bricks represent parts and do not function as electronics. Accept accessible alternatives such as switches or touch input when discussing real devices.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I name three hardware parts and their jobs.
• I show an input and an output in my pretend task.
Look for: Ask pupils to identify at least three parts and accurately explain their roles in the imagined task.
Watch for: A screen shows information; it does not automatically mean the whole computer. Some screens also accept touch input.
Exit prompt: Describe the job of one computer part.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Start with keyboard and screen. Act out typing a name and seeing it appear.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the task for a person who cannot use a mouse. Suggest an alternative way to give input.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain the jobs of computer parts.
**hardware**
Physical parts of a computing device.
**input**
Information or an action sent into a device.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a pretend computer for a helpful job. Give four brick markers hardware roles and show what each part does.
**Your investigation clues**
Hardware clues: A keyboard enters letters and commands. A mouse helps point and select. A screen displays information. A speaker produces sound. Devices can use other input and output methods too.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a job for your pretend computer. Read the hardware clues.
2. Draw a device and use markers to label its keyboard, mouse, screen, and speaker.
3. Act out a person using each part. Explain what enters or comes out.
**Make it yours**
Give the pretend computer its own personality. Choose shapes and labels that help someone understand its purpose.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I name three hardware parts and their jobs.
• I show an input and an output in my pretend task.
**One last thought**
Describe the job of one computer part.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Start with keyboard and screen. Act out typing a name and seeing it appear.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the task for a person who cannot use a mouse. Suggest an alternative way to give input.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-1#planner)
## Grade 2 · 10 activities
---
### Same bricks. New world.
**ID:** science-2 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Same parts · Take apart · Arrange again. An object can be taken apart and its parts used to make something different.
**Standard:** [2-PS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/2-ps1-3-matter-and-its-interactions)
**Learning target:** Use observations to explain how parts can be rearranged.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Hello, shadow!](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-1#planner) — I can test what light passes through.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use observations to explain how parts can be rearranged.
**Standards**
2-PS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give each pair exactly four connecting pieces. Fold paper into before and after spaces. Ask students to record the first idea before taking it apart, then keep every original piece for the second creation.
Material options: Use a partner's sketch or spoken description as the first record. Different brick sizes and colors are welcome.
**Before you start**
Hello, shadow!: I can test what light passes through.
**2. Invite an idea**
What else could your bricks become? Build one idea. Then use the same bricks to surprise yourself.
• Use four bricks to make anything you imagine. Draw it.
• Take it apart. Use all four bricks to make something different.
• Look at both ideas. What changed? What stayed the same?
**3. Guide discovery**
• What stayed the same after you took the model apart?
• What changed when you arranged the parts again?
Give each group four bricks. Let children choose what to make, then rebuild with the same pieces. Ask: What did you change? How do you know the pieces are the same?
**4. Quick assessment**
• I reuse the same four pieces in two different objects.
• I explain what changed and what stayed the same.
Look for: Listen for: We used the same four pieces, but put them together differently. Children can point, draw, or explain.
Watch for: Count whole bricks, not the bumps on top. A new shape does not mean new pieces.
Exit prompt: Explain how the same parts made two different objects.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Put the four pieces on a sheet of paper. Point to each one before and after rebuilding.
**Extend the thinking**
Can those same four bricks become a third idea? Explain what you changed.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can make new things from the same parts.
**Parts**
The pieces that make a whole.
**Rearrange**
Put the same pieces in a new way.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
What else could your bricks become? Build one idea. Then use the same bricks to surprise yourself.
**Make & try**
1. Use four bricks to make anything you imagine. Draw it.
2. Take it apart. Use all four bricks to make something different.
3. Look at both ideas. What changed? What stayed the same?
**Make it yours**
Invent a name and a story for each creation. Two people can see different possibilities in the same four bricks.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I reuse the same four pieces in two different objects.
• I explain what changed and what stayed the same.
**One last thought**
Explain how the same parts made two different objects.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Put the four pieces on a sheet of paper. Point to each one before and after rebuilding.
**Optional learner extension**
Can those same four bricks become a third idea? Explain what you changed.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-2#planner)
---
### Map an imagined island
**ID:** earth-2 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Land and water · Map symbols · A key. A map uses symbols and a key to represent features of a place.
**Standard:** [2-ESS2-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=2-ESS2-2)
**Learning target:** Develop a model that represents landforms and bodies of water.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [The Sun’s sky story](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-1#planner) — I can use a sky pattern to make a prediction.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Develop a model that represents landforms and bodies of water.
**Standards**
2-ESS2-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Keep the feature clues visible. Prepare a blank island page with space for a key, without pre-drawing the island. Arrange a partner exchange so a reader can test the map's symbols.
Material options: Students can draw landforms beside identical markers. A hand-drawn key replaces printed map symbols or special scenery pieces.
**Before you start**
The Sun’s sky story: I can use a sky pattern to make a prediction.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent an island worth exploring. Make a map that helps a visitor find land, water, and two different landforms.
• Draw land and water. Choose four places for brick markers.
• Label at least two landforms and one body of water. Add a key.
• Ask a partner to describe a route using your map. Improve any unclear symbol.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Feature clues: A mountain rises high above nearby land. A valley is lower land between higher areas. A lake is water surrounded by land. A river flows through a channel. A coastline is where land meets a sea or ocean.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How does your key help a reader?
• How can your partner tell land from water?
Explain that the island is imagined but landform labels need real meanings. Bricks can mark features while drawings show shape and extent. Do not assess resemblance to one model.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I label two landforms and one water body accurately.
• A partner can use my key to interpret the map.
Look for: Check that the map distinguishes land and water and that labels match two landform meanings. Listen to the partner’s interpretation.
Watch for: A river is moving water in a channel; a mountain is a high landform. One brick height is not a real elevation scale unless defined.
Exit prompt: Use your key to describe one place on the map.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Offer mountain, valley, river, and lake picture-word cards. Begin with one land and one water feature.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a second view from the side. Explain how it represents information the top-down map hides.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a map to show land and water features.
**landform**
A natural shape of Earth’s land.
**key**
A guide to the symbols on a map.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent an island worth exploring. Make a map that helps a visitor find land, water, and two different landforms.
**Your investigation clues**
Feature clues: A mountain rises high above nearby land. A valley is lower land between higher areas. A lake is water surrounded by land. A river flows through a channel. A coastline is where land meets a sea or ocean.
**Make & try**
1. Draw land and water. Choose four places for brick markers.
2. Label at least two landforms and one body of water. Add a key.
3. Ask a partner to describe a route using your map. Improve any unclear symbol.
**Make it yours**
Give your island an identity. Choose original symbols and place names while keeping the map clear.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I label two landforms and one water body accurately.
• A partner can use my key to interpret the map.
**One last thought**
Use your key to describe one place on the map.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Offer mountain, valley, river, and lake picture-word cards. Begin with one land and one water feature.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a second view from the side. Explain how it represents information the top-down map hides.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-2#planner)
---
### Send a seed on a journey
**ID:** life-2 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Join a carrier · Travel · Leave in a new place. Some animals help seeds move from a parent plant to a new place.
**Standard:** [2-LS2-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=2-LS2-2)
**Learning target:** Develop a simple model of an animal helping disperse seeds.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Borrow an idea from nature](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-1#planner) — I can borrow a nature idea to solve a problem.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Develop a simple model of an animal helping disperse seeds.
**Standards**
2-LS2-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Draw two places on a page and make one loose paper seed. Trial moving it without putting anything near the mouth. Keep the animal clues nearby; students explain how their chosen carrier represents one mechanism.
Material options: Fold scrap paper to make the seed or carrier. No real seeds, food, animal figures, tape or wheels are needed.
**Before you start**
Borrow an idea from nature: I can borrow a nature idea to solve a problem.
**2. Invite an idea**
Help a paper seed leave its parent plant. Invent a moving animal model that can carry the seed to a new place.
• Draw a parent plant and a new growing place on paper.
• Build an animal-inspired carrier. Move a paper seed between the places.
• Show how the seed joins the carrier and leaves it. Explain what your model leaves out.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Animal clues: Some seeds have hooks that catch on fur and later fall off. Some animals eat fruit, travel, and pass unharmed seeds in waste. Paper and bricks represent these events; do not act out eating.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will the seed join the carrier?
• How will it leave in a new place?
Read the animal clues. Use a loose paper scrap as the seed; pupils can fold paper around or beside bricks. Ask how travel to a new place could happen. Do not use actual food or seeds.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My model moves a seed away from its parent plant.
• I explain how an animal helps and one limit of my model.
Look for: Look for a model showing pickup, transport, and release, with an explanation of the animal’s role.
Watch for: Seeds do not choose a destination. This model represents dispersal, not guaranteed germination.
Exit prompt: Explain how your model helps move a seed and one thing it leaves out.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose the hooked-seed clue. Use a folded paper pocket to explore carrying and releasing without prescribing an animal shape.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare the two dispersal clues. Which parts of the second journey would need a different model?
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can model how an animal moves a seed.
**disperse**
Spread to new places.
**model**
A representation that helps explain an idea.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Help a paper seed leave its parent plant. Invent a moving animal model that can carry the seed to a new place.
**Your investigation clues**
Animal clues: Some seeds have hooks that catch on fur and later fall off. Some animals eat fruit, travel, and pass unharmed seeds in waste. Paper and bricks represent these events; do not act out eating.
**Make & try**
1. Draw a parent plant and a new growing place on paper.
2. Build an animal-inspired carrier. Move a paper seed between the places.
3. Show how the seed joins the carrier and leaves it. Explain what your model leaves out.
**Make it yours**
Invent the animal’s personality and movement. Keep the seed’s journey easy for an audience to follow.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My model moves a seed away from its parent plant.
• I explain how an animal helps and one limit of my model.
**One last thought**
Explain how your model helps move a seed and one thing it leaves out.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose the hooked-seed clue. Use a folded paper pocket to explore carrying and releasing without prescribing an animal shape.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare the two dispersal clues. Which parts of the second journey would need a different model?
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-2#planner)
---
### A tiny number story
**ID:** math-2 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Start · First change · Second change. Keep track of each change in order when solving a two-step story.
**Standard:** [2.OA.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/2/OA/)
**Learning target:** Solve a two-step addition/subtraction problem.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A story that adds up](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-1#planner) — I can solve an adding or taking-away story.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Solve a two-step addition/subtraction problem.
**Standards**
2.OA.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give partners four loose pieces and draw start, arrival and departure spaces. Ask them to rehearse both changes before recording. The final question must be solvable from the two number steps they show.
Material options: Draw characters and use bricks to track the count. A partner can write the equations a child explains aloud.
**Before you start**
A story that adds up: I can solve an adding or taking-away story.
**2. Invite an idea**
Turn your bricks into characters. Tell a story where some arrive and some leave. Can a friend work out how many are there now?
• Start with one or two brick characters. Keep the other bricks nearby.
• Make two changes: some arrive, then some leave. Use only your four bricks.
• Draw or write both number steps. Use a ? for the answer. Ask a friend to solve it.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What happened after the first change?
• How did the second change affect that group?
Give partners four bricks. Children tell a story with two changes and show both number steps. Ask: How many at first? After each change? This explores a small-number part of the standard.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I represent two changes in the correct order.
• My two number steps match the final group.
Look for: Children show both addition and subtraction and explain the final number. Accept drawings or spoken explanations alongside number sentences.
Watch for: Keep track of both changes. The number that leaves is not the number left in the story.
Exit prompt: Explain both changes in your number story.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Move real bricks for each change. Pause to count and draw before moving on.
**Extend the thinking**
Hide a starting number instead of the final answer. Can your partner find it?
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can solve a story with two changes.
**Unknown**
A number you need to find.
**Two-step problem**
A problem that needs two linked calculations.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Turn your bricks into characters. Tell a story where some arrive and some leave. Can a friend work out how many are there now?
**Make & try**
1. Start with one or two brick characters. Keep the other bricks nearby.
2. Make two changes: some arrive, then some leave. Use only your four bricks.
3. Draw or write both number steps. Use a ? for the answer. Ask a friend to solve it.
**Make it yours**
Your characters can be explorers, animals, or something nobody has met yet. Give your number story a setting and a name.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I represent two changes in the correct order.
• My two number steps match the final group.
**One last thought**
Explain both changes in your number story.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Move real bricks for each change. Pause to count and draw before moving on.
**Optional learner extension**
Hide a starting number instead of the final answer. Can your partner find it?
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-2#planner)
---
### A park in four votes
**ID:** math-data-2 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One vote per unit · Add for a total · Compare for a difference. A graph with a scale of one can help answer total and comparison questions.
**Standard:** [2.MD.D.10](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/2/MD/)
**Learning target:** Draw a single-unit picture or bar graph and solve comparison problems.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Squared paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Four votes, one display](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-1#planner) — I can use a data display to answer questions.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Draw a single-unit picture or bar graph and solve comparison problems.
**Standards**
2.MD.D.10
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Squared paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Prepare a blank grid and four vote markers. Invite up to four park features before choosing votes. Show that one drawn unit represents one vote, then leave the display and questions to the students.
Material options: Draw a grid with a ruler or folded lines. Use symbols as well as color so every vote can be read.
**Before you start**
Four votes, one display: I can use a data display to answer questions.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a graph to help plan a tiny park. Four vote markers can help you decide which imagined features people prefer.
• Choose up to four park features and collect four pretend votes.
• Use one drawn square or picture for each vote. Label your graph and key.
• Ask and answer an add-together question and a how-many-more question.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does one square on your graph mean?
• Which question asks for a total and which asks for a difference?
Bricks organize the data; equal-sized drawn units show it. Use up to four categories and a scale of one. Keep imagined preferences separate from claims about a real community.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My graph uses one equal unit per vote.
• I use it to solve a total and a comparison question.
Look for: Check one-unit scaling, all four votes, and two correct answers referencing the display.
Watch for: A taller physical brick is not more votes. Equal graph units carry the value.
Exit prompt: Use your graph to answer a how-many-more question.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use two features with three votes and one vote. Pair marks before calculating the difference.
**Extend the thinking**
Represent the same votes as both a picture graph and a bar graph. Explain what must remain unchanged.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can make and read a graph with a scale of one.
**scale**
The amount represented by each graph unit.
**key**
A guide telling what a symbol represents.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Squared paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Design a graph to help plan a tiny park. Four vote markers can help you decide which imagined features people prefer.
**Make & try**
1. Choose up to four park features and collect four pretend votes.
2. Use one drawn square or picture for each vote. Label your graph and key.
3. Ask and answer an add-together question and a how-many-more question.
**Make it yours**
Give the park a theme. Design a clear graph that belongs in its visitor guide.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My graph uses one equal unit per vote.
• I use it to solve a total and a comparison question.
**One last thought**
Use your graph to answer a how-many-more question.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use two features with three votes and one vote. Pair marks before calculating the difference.
**Optional learner extension**
Represent the same votes as both a picture graph and a bar graph. Explain what must remain unchanged.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-2#planner)
---
### Design a measured trail
**ID:** math-measure-2 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Geometry and measurement · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Start at zero · Read the endpoint · Record the unit. Align zero with the start and record the measured length with its unit.
**Standard:** [2.MD.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/2/MD/)
**Learning target:** Choose and use an appropriate tool to measure length in standard units.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Centimeter ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Measure a miniature path](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-1#planner) — I can measure with equal units and no gaps.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Choose and use an appropriate tool to measure length in standard units.
**Standards**
2.MD.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Centimeter ruler.
Check that rulers show centimeters and that students can locate zero. Ask them to draw short straight sections that fit the paper. Keep enough time for a partner to measure the same sections.
Material options: Share one ruler between pairs. A correctly marked centimeter strip can replace it after the teacher checks the scale.
**Before you start**
Measure a miniature path: I can measure with equal units and no gaps.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a small trail on paper with four brick landmarks. Measure its straight sections so another explorer can redraw it.
• Choose a ruler and draw two or three straight trail sections.
• Measure each section from the ruler’s zero mark. Record centimeters.
• Give a partner your lengths to check. Correct a measurement if needed.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where should the ruler's zero go?
• How will you show which unit you used?
Teach the ruler’s zero point rather than the physical end. Use whole-centimeter sections initially. The target is choosing and using a length tool; adding lengths is optional.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I align my ruler’s zero with the start.
• I record two accurate lengths with units.
Look for: Observe tool choice and zero alignment, then check at least two labeled measurements.
Watch for: The printed number at the far end is not the length if the start was not at zero.
Exit prompt: Explain how you checked one length measurement.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Highlight zero and use one straight section. Count centimeter intervals together.
**Extend the thinking**
Measure a longer path with a ruler and a measuring tape. Explain which is more convenient and why.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a ruler to measure in centimeters.
**centimeter**
A standard unit of length.
**measurement**
A number and unit describing an amount.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Centimeter ruler
**Your mission**
Create a small trail on paper with four brick landmarks. Measure its straight sections so another explorer can redraw it.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a ruler and draw two or three straight trail sections.
2. Measure each section from the ruler’s zero mark. Record centimeters.
3. Give a partner your lengths to check. Correct a measurement if needed.
**Make it yours**
Make your trail a place someone would love to visit. Design distinct landmark symbols.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I align my ruler’s zero with the start.
• I record two accurate lengths with units.
**One last thought**
Explain how you checked one length measurement.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Highlight zero and use one straight section. Count centimeter intervals together.
**Optional learner extension**
Measure a longer path with a ruler and a measuring tape. Explain which is more convenient and why.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-2#planner)
---
### Make it stand!
**ID:** engineering-2 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Design A · Same standing test · Design B. Compare two designs using the same test and recorded observations.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-3)
**Learning target:** Compare observations from two designs solving the same problem.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A landmark you can recognize](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-1#planner) — I can show how a shape helps a design.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Compare observations from two designs solving the same problem.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Clear a level workspace. Choose one shared way to time ten seconds. Students record design A before dismantling it for design B; the same four pieces and standing check apply to both.
Material options: A teacher's ten-second count can replace a timer. Keep both design records even when both stand successfully.
**Before you start**
A landmark you can recognize: I can show how a shape helps a design.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a landmark for your imaginary world. Can you make two designs that stand on their own?
• Use four bricks to make your landmark.
• Let go. Does it stand for ten seconds? Draw what happened.
• Use the same bricks to try a new design. Test it the same way. Which would you choose?
**3. Guide discovery**
• What will make the two standing tests fair?
• Which observation supports your choice?
Give each group four bricks and a level workspace. Children test two designs for ten seconds each. Ask: Did each one stand? Which would you choose, and why?
**4. Quick assessment**
• I record the same standing test for two designs.
• I use a result to explain my choice.
Look for: Look for two recorded observations and a choice linked to standing or another clearly stated design purpose.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Choose a design and give a result that supports it.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Place the bricks beside each other first. Ask which piece could give the design a steady start.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Use an intentional visual detail to tell the landmark’s story.
Look for: The child names the detail and explains how it connects to their imagined place.
**Extend the thinking**
Try a third design with the same four bricks. Explain what you learned from the first two.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare two designs using observations.
**need**
Something a user wants a design to help with.
**feature**
A part of a design.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a landmark for your imaginary world. Can you make two designs that stand on their own?
**Make & try**
1. Use four bricks to make your landmark.
2. Let go. Does it stand for ten seconds? Draw what happened.
3. Use the same bricks to try a new design. Test it the same way. Which would you choose?
**Make it yours**
Give your landmark a detail that tells its story. Explain why you chose it.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I record the same standing test for two designs.
• I use a result to explain my choice.
**One last thought**
Choose a design and give a result that supports it.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Place the bricks beside each other first. Ask which piece could give the design a steady start.
**Optional learner extension**
Try a third design with the same four bricks. Explain what you learned from the first two.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-2#planner)
---
### Deliver a tiny parcel
**ID:** engineering-problem-2 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same parcel · Same route · Record each trial. Keep the parcel and route the same when comparing carrier designs.
**Standard:** [K-2-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=K-2-ETS1-3)
**Learning target:** Compare test observations from two designs solving the same problem.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray; Ruler; Extra paper for carriers. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A bridge for a paper traveler](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-1#planner) — I can show how a shape helps my design work.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Compare test observations from two designs solving the same problem.
**Standards**
K-2-ETS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray; Ruler; Extra paper for carriers.
Mark a 20-centimeter route inside a flat tray. Select one of the four bricks as the parcel. Give paper for two carrier versions and a simple table with three trial spaces for each.
Material options: A shallow box lid can replace the tray. Reuse the same parcel and route; fold paper rather than adding tape.
**Before you start**
A bridge for a paper traveler: I can show how a shape helps my design work.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a paper carrier for one brick parcel. Which of two designs can move it along a short tabletop route?
• Mark a 20-centimeter route on a tray. Make a paper carrier using up to three other bricks.
• Try two carrier designs three times each, moving the parcel by holding only the paper.
• Record whether the parcel arrives inside the tray without falling out. Compare the results.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What needs to stay the same in both tests?
• What do your three trials tell you?
Keep the tray flat and the carrier close to its surface. One of four bricks is the parcel. Use the same parcel, route, and gentle movement for both designs. An unsuccessful trial is useful evidence.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I test both designs with the same parcel and route.
• I use my trial records to explain a difference or a tie.
Look for: Check six observations and a comparison tied to the same delivery condition.
Watch for: One lucky trial is not enough to claim a design always works.
Exit prompt: Use your records to compare the two carriers.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use two paper folds and a yes/no arrival table. Keep all other features the same.
**Extend the thinking**
Find a feature that caused a failure, change it, and add a third design to the same test table.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare two designs using the same test.
**trial**
One attempt in a test.
**compare**
Look for similarities and differences.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray. Ruler. Extra paper for carriers
**Your mission**
Invent a paper carrier for one brick parcel. Which of two designs can move it along a short tabletop route?
**Make & try**
1. Mark a 20-centimeter route on a tray. Make a paper carrier using up to three other bricks.
2. Try two carrier designs three times each, moving the parcel by holding only the paper.
3. Record whether the parcel arrives inside the tray without falling out. Compare the results.
**Make it yours**
Give the delivery service a name and a carrier style that tells its story.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I test both designs with the same parcel and route.
• I use my trial records to explain a difference or a tie.
**One last thought**
Use your records to compare the two carriers.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use two paper folds and a yes/no arrival table. Keep all other features the same.
**Optional learner extension**
Find a feature that caused a failure, change it, and add a third design to the same test table.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-2#planner)
---
### Ready, set, repeat!
**ID:** technology-2 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Start signal · An action · Repeat a set count. An event starts an algorithm. A repeat count tells how many times to act.
**Standard:** [E2-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/standard/create-an-algorithm-that-includes-sequence-events-and-iteration-to-solve-a-problem-or-express-an-idea/)
**Learning target:** Make a sequence with a start event and repetition.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Teach a friendly robot](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-1#planner) — I can break a job into small steps.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Make a sequence with a start event and repetition.
**Standards**
E2-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Clear four-piece workspaces. Ask each inventor to choose an unmistakable start signal and a safe move that can be repeated within four pieces. Partners try the rules before discussing what the creation might represent.
Material options: A spoken word or raised card can replace a clap. Draw repeat marks if a child is not ready to write a rule card.
**Before you start**
Teach a friendly robot: I can break a job into small steps.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a game for a friend. Choose a start signal and one brick move to repeat. What will your friend create?
• Choose a signal that means “start”.
• Choose one brick move. Say how many times to repeat it, using up to four bricks.
• Let a friend try your rules. Make an unclear rule easier to follow.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What signal starts your instructions?
• How does your partner know when to stop repeating?
Give partners four bricks. One child invents the rules; the other tries them. Ask: What starts the game? What repeats? No screen is needed.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I define a start signal and a repeated action.
• A partner can follow my rules within the four-brick limit.
Look for: Look for a clear start signal and a move repeated a stated number of times. Listen as children explain one rule they improved.
Watch for: A repeated move needs a clear number of repeats. A friend should not have to guess the rule.
Exit prompt: Describe your start signal and repeat count.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Say the rules together. Point to a brick each time you repeat the move.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the number of repeats, staying within four bricks. How does the game change?
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can start a sequence and repeat an action.
**Event**
A signal that starts something.
**Repeat**
Do something again.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a game for a friend. Choose a start signal and one brick move to repeat. What will your friend create?
**Make & try**
1. Choose a signal that means “start”.
2. Choose one brick move. Say how many times to repeat it, using up to four bricks.
3. Let a friend try your rules. Make an unclear rule easier to follow.
**Make it yours**
Name your game. Your friend decides what the finished creation could be. The same rules can lead to different stories.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I define a start signal and a repeated action.
• A partner can follow my rules within the four-brick limit.
**One last thought**
Describe your start signal and repeat count.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Say the rules together. Point to a brick each time you repeat the move.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the number of repeats, staying within four bricks. How does the game change?
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-2#planner)
---
### A helpful invention, a human need
**ID:** technology-impact-2 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing impacts · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A person · A need · A computing tool. People create and use technologies to meet needs; human help still matters.
**Standard:** [E2-SOC-HU-15](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Investigate how people create computing technologies to solve problems.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Meet the helpful parts](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-1#planner) — I can explain the jobs of computer parts.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 2 · Ages 7
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Investigate how people create computing technologies to solve problems.
**Standards**
E2-SOC-HU-15
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the example technology clues. Fold paper into before and after spaces. Ask who needs help before students choose a device; reserve one part of the explanation for a limit or a person's role.
Material options: Draw a familiar device or label a brick to represent it. Do not require a screen, internet access or personal information.
**Before you start**
Meet the helpful parts: I can explain the jobs of computer parts.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a small scene where a computing device helps someone. Show the human problem first, then explain the help and one limit.
• Choose a familiar computing technology from the clues.
• Make before-and-after scenes with your markers and drawings.
• Explain who made or uses the technology, what problem it helps solve, and when help from a person is still needed.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Example technologies: A digital timer reminds someone when a period ends. A navigation app offers route directions. A library search computer helps locate books. People design these systems, and their information or choices may need checking.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Whose need does this technology help?
• When might help from a person still matter?
Keep the discussion grounded in a familiar technology, not a magical machine. Ask who designed the device and whose need it serves. Pupils create a scene, not working electronics.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I explain the human problem my scene shows.
• I describe a useful computing function and one limit.
Look for: Listen for a specific human need, a plausible computing function, and one limitation.
Watch for: Technology is designed by people. It does not automatically understand every person’s needs.
Exit prompt: Name a human need and explain how a computing tool can help.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose a timer. Act out forgetting a turn and then hearing a reminder. Ask what the timer cannot decide.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the user or setting. Explain whether the same design would still help.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can connect a computing invention to a human need.
**technology**
A tool or system people design to help do something.
**purpose**
The job something is made to do.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a small scene where a computing device helps someone. Show the human problem first, then explain the help and one limit.
**Your investigation clues**
Example technologies: A digital timer reminds someone when a period ends. A navigation app offers route directions. A library search computer helps locate books. People design these systems, and their information or choices may need checking.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a familiar computing technology from the clues.
2. Make before-and-after scenes with your markers and drawings.
3. Explain who made or uses the technology, what problem it helps solve, and when help from a person is still needed.
**Make it yours**
Tell the story through expressive characters and a clear before-and-after arrangement.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I explain the human problem my scene shows.
• I describe a useful computing function and one limit.
**One last thought**
Name a human need and explain how a computing tool can help.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose a timer. Act out forgetting a turn and then hearing a reminder. Ask what the timer cannot decide.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the user or setting. Explain whether the same design would still help.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-impact-2#planner)
## Grade 3 · 10 activities
---
### Stay still. Start moving.
**ID:** science-3 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Opposite forces · Balanced or unbalanced · Observe motion. Balanced forces can leave motion unchanged; unbalanced forces change motion.
**Standard:** [3-PS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions)
**Learning target:** Investigate effects of balanced and unbalanced forces.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray for tabletop tests. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Same bricks. New world.](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-2#planner) — I can make new things from the same parts.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Investigate effects of balanced and unbalanced forces.
**Standards**
3-PS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray for tabletop tests.
Check a low, connected four-brick traveler in a level tray. Agree gentle pushes only. Prepare a motion/no-motion record with three trials for opposite pushes and three for one-sided pushes.
Material options: A shallow box lid works. Use paper arrows beside the traveler; no force meter is required and forces are not measured.
**Before you start**
Same bricks. New world.: I can make new things from the same parts.
**2. Invite an idea**
A supply traveler must wait at its station, then move when it is needed. Build a low four-brick traveler. Compare opposite gentle pushes with a one-sided push, using the same traveler and surface.
• Try gentle opposite pushes while the traveler is at rest. Record whether it stays still or moves.
• Reset at the same place. Try one gentle push from one side and record the motion.
• Repeat each test three times. Draw push arrows and use an observation to explain what changed.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What did you observe when the object stayed still?
• What changed when it began moving?
Two hand pushes may not balance exactly; record movement honestly. Discuss the direction and combined effect of pushes. Friction and the tray also exert forces, so stillness is not evidence that no forces act.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I draw force arrows matching two observed motion conditions.
• I keep the object and surface fixed and repeat my tests.
Look for: The student connects motion or no motion to the combined pushes.
Watch for: Still objects can have forces acting on them. Opposite pushes do not always balance.
Exit prompt: Use arrows and an observation to explain one motion change.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use one object in a tray. Ask two partners to press gently from opposite sides before trying one-sided pushing.
**Extend the thinking**
Discuss why a stationary object can still have forces acting on it. Identify an observation that would challenge your explanation.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain how pushes affect motion.
**Balanced forces**
Pushes or pulls that cancel each other out.
**Unbalanced forces**
Pushes or pulls that change motion.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray for tabletop tests
**Your mission**
A supply traveler must wait at its station, then move when it is needed. Build a low four-brick traveler. Compare opposite gentle pushes with a one-sided push, using the same traveler and surface.
**Make & try**
1. Try gentle opposite pushes while the traveler is at rest. Record whether it stays still or moves.
2. Reset at the same place. Try one gentle push from one side and record the motion.
3. Repeat each test three times. Draw push arrows and use an observation to explain what changed.
**Make it yours**
Give your supply station a purpose and the traveler a visual identity. Keep those design features unchanged while comparing pushes.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I draw force arrows matching two observed motion conditions.
• I keep the object and surface fixed and repeat my tests.
**One last thought**
Use arrows and an observation to explain one motion change.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use one object in a tray. Ask two partners to press gently from opposite sides before trying one-sided pushing.
**Optional learner extension**
Discuss why a stationary object can still have forces acting on it. Identify an observation that would challenge your explanation.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-3#planner)
---
### A year in four snapshots
**ID:** earth-3 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Read the values · Label a display · Describe a pattern. A labeled display helps us compare weather data across different times.
**Standard:** [3-ESS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-ESS2-1)
**Learning target:** Represent weather data to describe typical seasonal conditions.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Map an imagined island](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-2#planner) — I can use a map to show land and water features.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Represent weather data to describe typical seasonal conditions.
**Standards**
3-ESS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Provide the four-month data and two blank graph spaces. Check units before students select a scale. Keep the same four markers available to reuse for the temperature and precipitation displays.
Material options: A ruled, hand-drawn grid replaces graph paper. Label units explicitly so degrees and millimeters are not combined on one scale.
**Before you start**
Map an imagined island: I can use a map to show land and water features.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a weather display for an imaginary town. Help a visitor compare four seasonal snapshots using numbers and symbols.
• Read the table. Choose temperature or precipitation for your first graph.
• Plot four labeled markers on a paper grid. Make a second display by reusing them.
• Compare the snapshots and explain what you would tell a visitor.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented monthly-average data for an imaginary town: January 5°C and 50 mm precipitation; April 13°C and 35 mm; July 24°C and 10 mm; October 15°C and 40 mm. Four months are snapshots, not a complete climate record.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which variable are you showing on this graph?
• What advice is supported by the four snapshots?
Use the invented monthly averages as practice, not as a local forecast or universal seasonal pattern. Have pupils identify units, highest and lowest values, and a comparison supported by data.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My display has labels, units, and accurate values.
• I support two weather comparisons with numbers.
Look for: Collect one readable graph and two numerical comparisons; ask what a monthly average cannot tell about a particular day.
Watch for: A monthly average is not the temperature on every day. Seasons differ across locations and hemispheres.
Exit prompt: Give one weather recommendation and name its data clue.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use the temperature column first and a supplied scale from 0 to 25 degrees. Read one pair aloud.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare the two displays. Does the warmest snapshot also have the most precipitation? Use values.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use weather data to compare seasonal snapshots.
**average**
A summary value for a group of measurements.
**precipitation**
Water falling from clouds, such as rain or snow.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Design a weather display for an imaginary town. Help a visitor compare four seasonal snapshots using numbers and symbols.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented monthly-average data for an imaginary town: January 5°C and 50 mm precipitation; April 13°C and 35 mm; July 24°C and 10 mm; October 15°C and 40 mm. Four months are snapshots, not a complete climate record.
**Make & try**
1. Read the table. Choose temperature or precipitation for your first graph.
2. Plot four labeled markers on a paper grid. Make a second display by reusing them.
3. Compare the snapshots and explain what you would tell a visitor.
**Make it yours**
Create a visual identity for the town’s weather guide. Make the numbers as readable as the pictures.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My display has labels, units, and accurate values.
• I support two weather comparisons with numbers.
**One last thought**
Give one weather recommendation and name its data clue.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use the temperature column first and a supplied scale from 0 to 25 degrees. Read one pair aloud.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare the two displays. Does the warmest snapshot also have the most precipitation? Use values.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-3#planner)
---
### Two lives, shared patterns
**ID:** life-3 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Growth · Reproduction · Life ends. Life cycles share patterns, while the stages and timing differ among organisms.
**Standard:** [3-LS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-LS1-1)
**Learning target:** Compare life-cycle models that include birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Send a seed on a journey](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-2#planner) — I can model how an animal moves a seed.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Compare life-cycle models that include birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
**Standards**
3-LS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read both organism fact strips. Give students paper for stages and four movable markers. Ask them to distinguish one individual's life from the next generation before connecting the stages.
Material options: Draw stage cards or dictate them to a partner. No caterpillars, plants, animal models or printed pictures are required.
**Before you start**
Send a seed on a journey: I can model how an animal moves a seed.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a tabletop story of a butterfly’s life and a flowering plant’s life. Reuse your four brick markers to compare their patterns.
• Draw stages from the clues. Arrange and connect them in your own way.
• Use your markers to tell each life story, including reproduction and death.
• Show one shared pattern and one difference between the organisms.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Butterfly clues: An egg hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar grows, becomes a pupa, then an adult. Adults may reproduce and later die. Flowering-plant clues: A seed germinates; a seedling grows into an adult plant. Adults may make flowers and seeds, and eventually die. New seeds can begin new lives.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which stages are shared by these two life stories?
• What is different about how each organism develops?
Give the supplied clues to each pair. A cycle continues through offspring, not through the same individual becoming young again. Accept different arrangements when arrows and explanations make the sequence clear.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My stories include growth, reproduction, and death.
• I explain one shared pattern and one difference.
Look for: Keep both diagrams and a comparison sentence naming growth, reproduction, and a difference.
Watch for: An adult butterfly does not turn back into its own egg. Offspring begin another individual life.
Exit prompt: Explain one shared life-cycle pattern and one difference.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Read the clues aloud and provide four blank stage boxes. Let pupils dictate labels.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a third familiar organism from a reliable classroom source. Explain which shared pattern still applies.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare patterns in two life cycles.
**life cycle**
Stages in an organism’s life and reproduction.
**offspring**
New living things produced by parents.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Create a tabletop story of a butterfly’s life and a flowering plant’s life. Reuse your four brick markers to compare their patterns.
**Your investigation clues**
Butterfly clues: An egg hatches into a caterpillar. The caterpillar grows, becomes a pupa, then an adult. Adults may reproduce and later die. Flowering-plant clues: A seed germinates; a seedling grows into an adult plant. Adults may make flowers and seeds, and eventually die. New seeds can begin new lives.
**Make & try**
1. Draw stages from the clues. Arrange and connect them in your own way.
2. Use your markers to tell each life story, including reproduction and death.
3. Show one shared pattern and one difference between the organisms.
**Make it yours**
Choose a visual rhythm for each life story. Explain how your arrows, spacing, or symbols make change visible.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My stories include growth, reproduction, and death.
• I explain one shared pattern and one difference.
**One last thought**
Explain one shared life-cycle pattern and one difference.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Read the clues aloud and provide four blank stage boxes. Let pupils dictate labels.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a third familiar organism from a reliable classroom source. Explain which shared pattern still applies.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-3#planner)
---
### A patchwork place
**ID:** math-3 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Equal square units · Rows and columns · Area. Area counts equal square units. A rectangle can be counted by rows times columns.
**Standard:** [3.MD.C.7.a](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/3/MD/)
**Learning target:** Relate rectangular area to multiplication.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Design a measured trail](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-2#planner) — I can use a ruler to measure in centimeters.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Relate rectangular area to multiplication.
**Standards**
3.MD.C.7.a
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Check how stud rows and columns can be represented with equal paper squares. Let students draw a rectangular part of their place and compare counting squares with multiplication. Keep the unit size consistent.
Material options: Draw the grid by hand. If a footprint is too small for a useful comparison, draw a larger rectangular garden using the same square unit.
**Before you start**
Design a measured trail: I can use a ruler to measure in centimeters.
**2. Invite an idea**
An imaginary garden needs a rectangular patch. Use a brick footprint or a larger grid rectangle to plan it. Show its area by counting squares and by multiplying rows and columns.
• Choose a rectangular garden patch and draw it on a square-unit grid.
• Count its equal squares. Label how many rows and how many squares are in each row.
• Write the matching multiplication and explain why it gives the same area.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What makes your square units equal?
• How do the rows and columns help you count?
A footprint can suggest the rectangle, but paper supplies equal square units. Use a larger drawn rectangle if the available footprint gives too little to investigate. Ask students to connect one row, repeated rows and the total covered area.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I cover a rectangular footprint with equal square units without gaps.
• My square count agrees with rows times columns.
Look for: The square count and side-length multiplication give the same area.
Watch for: Studs mark positions. Equal paper squares, not differently sized bricks, are area units.
Exit prompt: Explain how multiplication checks your area count.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Trace a small rectangular footprint and draw the equal-unit grid. Count each row before multiplying.
**Extend the thinking**
Draw a different rectangle with the same area. Explain which dimensions changed while the area stayed fixed.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can find area in two ways.
**Area**
The amount of flat space inside a shape.
**Square unit**
One equal-sized square used to measure area.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
An imaginary garden needs a rectangular patch. Use a brick footprint or a larger grid rectangle to plan it. Show its area by counting squares and by multiplying rows and columns.
**Make & try**
1. Choose a rectangular garden patch and draw it on a square-unit grid.
2. Count its equal squares. Label how many rows and how many squares are in each row.
3. Write the matching multiplication and explain why it gives the same area.
**Make it yours**
Give the garden a purpose and an original planting pattern. Keep square boundaries visible so visitors can follow the area calculation.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I cover a rectangular footprint with equal square units without gaps.
• My square count agrees with rows times columns.
**One last thought**
Explain how multiplication checks your area count.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Trace a small rectangular footprint and draw the equal-unit grid. Count each row before multiplying.
**Optional learner extension**
Draw a different rectangle with the same area. Explain which dimensions changed while the area stayed fixed.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-3#planner)
---
### Different names, same space
**ID:** math-equivalent-3 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same-size wholes · Different equal parts · Same covered amount. Equivalent fractions describe the same amount of equal-size wholes.
**Standard:** [3.NF.A.3.b](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NF/)
**Learning target:** Explain simple equivalent fractions with visual fraction models.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A festival in equal parts](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-3#planner) — I can name fractions as equal parts of one whole.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Explain simple equivalent fractions with visual fraction models.
**Standards**
3.NF.A.3.b
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare two paper strips with matching endpoints and lengths. Ask students to mark halves on one and fourths on the other. They choose an amount and check it by lining up the strips.
Material options: Fold one sheet into matching strips without cutting. Bricks hold or label the paper; differently sized bricks do not define the fractions.
**Before you start**
A festival in equal parts: I can name fractions as equal parts of one whole.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design two equal-size garden strips. Can the same planted space have two fraction names?
• Draw or fold two equal-size strips, one in halves and one in fourths.
• Mark the same amount of each strip using paper shading and brick labels.
• Write two fraction names and explain why they cover the same amount.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Are the two wholes the same size?
• How can different fraction names describe the same amount?
Require the same whole and aligned endpoints. Let pupils choose which equal amounts to compare. Bricks label regions without defining their size.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare fractions of equal-size wholes.
• I justify an equivalent pair using the regions.
Look for: Look for a correct equivalence such as 1/2 = 2/4 or 1 = 4/4, justified by the model.
Watch for: A bigger denominator does not automatically make a bigger fraction. The whole must stay the same.
Exit prompt: Show two fraction names for the same amount of one whole.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Align two strip ends and mark one half on each before adding fourths.
**Extend the thinking**
Partition the same whole into sixths. Find and justify another name for one half.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain why two fractions name the same amount.
**equivalent**
Equal in value even when written differently.
**whole**
The complete amount being divided.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Design two equal-size garden strips. Can the same planted space have two fraction names?
**Make & try**
1. Draw or fold two equal-size strips, one in halves and one in fourths.
2. Mark the same amount of each strip using paper shading and brick labels.
3. Write two fraction names and explain why they cover the same amount.
**Make it yours**
Give the gardens different visual styles while preserving exactly the same planted amount.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare fractions of equal-size wholes.
• I justify an equivalent pair using the regions.
**One last thought**
Show two fraction names for the same amount of one whole.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Align two strip ends and mark one half on each before adding fourths.
**Optional learner extension**
Partition the same whole into sixths. Find and justify another name for one half.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equivalent-3#planner)
---
### A festival in equal parts
**ID:** math-fraction-3 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One whole · Equal parts · Count chosen parts. The denominator names equal parts in the whole; the numerator counts chosen parts.
**Standard:** [3.NF.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/3/NF/)
**Learning target:** Represent unit fractions and fractions made from equal parts of one whole.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Design a measured trail](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-measure-2#planner) — I can use a ruler to measure in centimeters.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Represent unit fractions and fractions made from equal parts of one whole.
**Standards**
3.NF.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give each group one paper whole and space to label a fraction. Check equal partitioning before students assign festival purposes. Ask them to point to the whole whenever naming a fraction.
Material options: Fold or measure paper to make equal regions. Draw activity labels when brick shapes would obscure the boundaries.
**Before you start**
Design a measured trail: I can use a ruler to measure in centimeters.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a festival on one paper strip. Split the whole into equal spaces, then use brick markers to give some spaces a purpose.
• Choose 2, 3, or 4 equal parts for one strip. Draw the boundaries.
• Mark one part and name its unit fraction. Mark several parts and name their fraction.
• Explain what the numerator and denominator tell about this same whole.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What is your whole?
• How do you know its parts are equal?
Bricks are labels, not fraction-size units. Have pupils fold or measure paper to make equal regions. Keep one defined whole throughout; focus on denominators 2, 3, and 4.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My whole has equal-sized parts.
• I explain a unit fraction and a fraction containing several of those parts.
Look for: Check equal partitioning, a correct unit fraction, and a correct multiple of that unit with an explanation.
Watch for: The number of pieces alone does not create equal fractions; the parts must be equal in size.
Exit prompt: Explain what the two numbers in your fraction mean.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with a strip folded into halves, then fourths. Point to one equal part before naming it.
**Extend the thinking**
Represent a fraction greater than one using two equal-size strips with the same partition.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can name fractions as equal parts of one whole.
**unit fraction**
One equal part of a whole, written 1 over the number of parts.
**denominator**
The number telling how many equal parts make one whole.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Plan a festival on one paper strip. Split the whole into equal spaces, then use brick markers to give some spaces a purpose.
**Make & try**
1. Choose 2, 3, or 4 equal parts for one strip. Draw the boundaries.
2. Mark one part and name its unit fraction. Mark several parts and name their fraction.
3. Explain what the numerator and denominator tell about this same whole.
**Make it yours**
Invent festival spaces with your own theme. Keep the equal boundaries visible.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My whole has equal-sized parts.
• I explain a unit fraction and a fraction containing several of those parts.
**One last thought**
Explain what the two numbers in your fraction mean.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with a strip folded into halves, then fourths. Point to one equal part before naming it.
**Optional learner extension**
Represent a fraction greater than one using two equal-size strips with the same partition.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-3#planner)
---
### A small square, a big idea
**ID:** engineering-3 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** A criterion · A constraint · A design choice. Criteria describe success. Constraints are limits a design must respect.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Define a problem with criteria and material or space constraints.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Make it stand!](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-2#planner) — I can compare two designs using observations.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Define a problem with criteria and material or space constraints.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler.
Measure the available pieces before setting a feasible square boundary. Mark a walking route and agree two checks before building. Students sketch both ideas and write the agreed limits beside them.
Material options: Use a shared ruler and a hand-drawn site. Paper visitor symbols replace figures; no particular landmark piece is required.
**Before you start**
Make it stand!: I can compare two designs using observations.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a landmark for a tiny public square. Decide what it must do and what limits it must fit before you build.
• Draw a square space and an open walking route. Agree on two measurable success criteria.
• Use exactly four bricks to sketch and try two landmark ideas within the space.
• Check the criteria and constraints. Explain a design choice and a question for future testing.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What will count as success?
• Which limit must every idea respect?
Choose a feasible square size after looking at the four bricks; measure and record it. Criteria could include standing for ten seconds and keeping a marked route clear. Distinguish needs from limits. Do not require a particular landmark shape.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I state two checkable criteria and a space limit.
• I use the brief to discuss two design ideas.
Look for: Check two measurable criteria, a recorded space limit, and a model comparison referring to those requirements.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Name a success criterion and a constraint for your design.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a simple checklist: stays in the square, leaves the route clear. Ask how each can be checked.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Plan repetition or contrast to create visual emphasis.
Look for: The learner identifies the repeated or contrasting feature and explains where it directs attention.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a user requirement such as being identifiable from two sides. Explain how it changes the brief.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can define what a design must do and its limits.
**criterion**
A condition used to judge success.
**constraint**
A limit a design must work within.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler
**Your mission**
Plan a landmark for a tiny public square. Decide what it must do and what limits it must fit before you build.
**Make & try**
1. Draw a square space and an open walking route. Agree on two measurable success criteria.
2. Use exactly four bricks to sketch and try two landmark ideas within the space.
3. Check the criteria and constraints. Explain a design choice and a question for future testing.
**Make it yours**
Use a repeated shape or a surprising contrast to draw attention. Explain your choice.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I state two checkable criteria and a space limit.
• I use the brief to discuss two design ideas.
**One last thought**
Name a success criterion and a constraint for your design.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a simple checklist: stays in the square, leaves the route clear. Ask how each can be checked.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a user requirement such as being identifiable from two sides. Explain how it changes the brief.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-3#planner)
---
### Shade for a tiny stage
**ID:** engineering-problem-3 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Keep the light fixed · Compare versions · Record shade. Changing one design feature at a time helps you compare its effect.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-3)
**Learning target:** Plan a fair comparison that controls variables and reveals points needing improvement.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Flashlight; Extra paper sheet. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Deliver a tiny parcel](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-2#planner) — I can compare two designs using the same test.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Plan a fair comparison that controls variables and reveals points needing improvement.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Flashlight; Extra paper sheet.
Mark a paper target and a fixed flashlight position. Trial that a paper canopy can shade the target using the available supports. Prepare none/part/all record spaces for three trials per version.
Material options: A battery LED torch can replace a flashlight. Keep it directed at the tabletop; if no suitable light is available, choose another activity.
**Before you start**
Deliver a tiny parcel: I can compare two designs using the same test.
**2. Invite an idea**
A miniature performer needs shade. Design a paper-and-brick canopy, then plan a fair test of two versions.
• Draw a target circle on paper. Build a canopy with up to four bricks and one paper sheet.
• Test two versions with the same flashlight position. Record how much of the circle is shaded in three trials each.
• Identify a weak point or limitation and propose a change based on the records.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What will you keep the same when comparing shade?
• Which test result suggests a useful change?
Use a handheld flashlight pointed at the tabletop, never faces. Mark its position and keep the target fixed. Use simple coverage categories: none, part, all. Repeat placement to investigate consistency.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I keep the target and light position consistent.
• I use repeated results to propose a specific improvement.
Look for: Assess a controlled test plan, six records, and a proposed improvement linked to observations.
Watch for: Moving the light closer for only one design makes the comparison unfair.
Exit prompt: Use a shade-test observation to suggest an improvement.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide a target and three coverage labels. Ask pupils to choose just one canopy feature to change.
**Extend the thinking**
After the fair comparison, introduce a second light angle as a new requirement and plan another test.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can plan a fair design test and use the results.
**variable**
A feature or condition that can change.
**criterion**
A condition used to judge success.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Flashlight. Extra paper sheet
**Your mission**
A miniature performer needs shade. Design a paper-and-brick canopy, then plan a fair test of two versions.
**Make & try**
1. Draw a target circle on paper. Build a canopy with up to four bricks and one paper sheet.
2. Test two versions with the same flashlight position. Record how much of the circle is shaded in three trials each.
3. Identify a weak point or limitation and propose a change based on the records.
**Make it yours**
Create a stage identity through the canopy’s form. Explain how the look and shade function work together.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I keep the target and light position consistent.
• I use repeated results to propose a specific improvement.
**One last thought**
Use a shade-test observation to suggest an improvement.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide a target and three coverage labels. Ask pupils to choose just one canopy feature to change.
**Optional learner extension**
After the fair comparison, introduce a second light angle as a new requirement and plan another test.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-3#planner)
---
### A game with a choice
**ID:** technology-3 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Check a condition · If true: one action · Otherwise: another. A condition chooses between two explicitly stated actions.
**Standard:** [E3-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Combine ordering, events, repetition, and a choice.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Ready, set, repeat!](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-2#planner) — I can start a sequence and repeat an action.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Combine ordering, events, repetition, and a choice.
**Standards**
E3-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Ask students to name the game's start event, repeated action and choice. Make sure both choice outcomes are possible with four pieces. Partners record one play-through before revising the rules.
Material options: Use an oral rule card with drawings. Paper marks can track repetitions without adding more physical bricks.
**Before you start**
Ready, set, repeat!: I can start a sequence and repeat an action.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a game for a tiny adventure. Your rules need a start signal, a repeated move and a choice that changes what happens next. Can a partner play both possible paths?
• Choose a start signal and ordered actions.
• Add a repeated action and an if/otherwise rule.
• Ask a partner to play. Fix an unclear rule.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What happens if the condition is true?
• What happens otherwise?
Check that the choice has an observable condition and two possible outcomes. Have a partner try each path with four pieces. Ask what a literal reader would do at an unclear step before the author revises it.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My game includes an event, sequence, repeat, and choice.
• I explain which action happens when the condition changes.
Look for: The student demonstrates the listed computing idea and explains a tested improvement.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Explain both choices in your game rule.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a yes/no paper card for the condition. Speak each branch aloud before asking a partner to play.
**Extend the thinking**
Try the condition both ways. Explain whether the repeated action happens before or after the choice.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a rule to make a choice.
**Loop**
An action or group of actions that repeats.
**Condition**
A rule that decides which action happens.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a game for a tiny adventure. Your rules need a start signal, a repeated move and a choice that changes what happens next. Can a partner play both possible paths?
**Make & try**
1. Choose a start signal and ordered actions.
2. Add a repeated action and an if/otherwise rule.
3. Ask a partner to play. Fix an unclear rule.
**Make it yours**
Choose an adventure setting and name the two possible paths. Use symbols that make the choice understandable as well as inviting.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My game includes an event, sequence, repeat, and choice.
• I explain which action happens when the condition changes.
**One last thought**
Explain both choices in your game rule.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a yes/no paper card for the condition. Speak each branch aloud before asking a partner to play.
**Optional learner extension**
Try the condition both ways. Explain whether the repeated action happens before or after the choice.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-3#planner)
---
### One collection, two clues
**ID:** technology-data-3 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Data · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A question · Two recorded features · Evidence and limits. Investigate a question with relevant data features and state what the records cannot show.
**Standard:** [E3-DAT-DI-10](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Investigate a data question involving relationships between multiple attributes.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Ask, sort, discover](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-data-0#planner) — I can use information to answer a question.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 3 · Ages 8
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Investigate a data question involving relationships between multiple attributes.
**Standards**
E3-DAT-DI-10
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the four prototype records and define each attribute. Give one marker to each record, not each attribute. Ask a question about a relationship before students choose how to arrange the display.
Material options: Rewrite the records on scrap paper or a board. Brick color does not represent a result unless a visible key says so.
**Before you start**
Ask, sort, discover: I can use information to answer a question.
**2. Invite an idea**
Become a design detective. Organize four prototype records and ask how a design feature relates to the test result.
• Read the four records. State a question using two attributes.
• Give each record a marker and sort or arrange the data to investigate.
• Explain a pattern with specific records. Name a question these data cannot answer.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented prototype records: A—wide base, low height, stayed upright; B—narrow base, high height, fell; C—wide base, high height, stayed upright; D—narrow base, low height, stayed upright. Conditions and repeat trials are not supplied.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which two features does your question use?
• What can these four records not tell us?
The prototype records are invented examples, not results from pupils’ builds. Require a relationship question, not just a total count. Discuss small sample size and other changing features before suggesting a cause.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My question connects two recorded attributes.
• I cite records and explain a limit of the data.
Look for: Check that the question uses two attributes and the answer cites records with an appropriate limitation.
Watch for: Two designs sharing a feature do not prove that feature caused the result.
Exit prompt: Use two records to explain a pattern and a limit.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a two-by-two paper table for wide/narrow and stayed/fell. Place each record once.
**Extend the thinking**
Use the height attribute to ask a second question. Explain whether it changes the first interpretation.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can investigate a question using more than one data feature.
**attribute**
A recorded feature of something.
**record**
The information kept about one item.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Become a design detective. Organize four prototype records and ask how a design feature relates to the test result.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented prototype records: A—wide base, low height, stayed upright; B—narrow base, high height, fell; C—wide base, high height, stayed upright; D—narrow base, low height, stayed upright. Conditions and repeat trials are not supplied.
**Make & try**
1. Read the four records. State a question using two attributes.
2. Give each record a marker and sort or arrange the data to investigate.
3. Explain a pattern with specific records. Name a question these data cannot answer.
**Make it yours**
Design a data display with symbols that make comparisons quick without hiding exceptions.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My question connects two recorded attributes.
• I cite records and explain a limit of the data.
**One last thought**
Use two records to explain a pattern and a limit.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a two-by-two paper table for wide/narrow and stayed/fell. Place each record once.
**Optional learner extension**
Use the height attribute to ask a second question. Explain whether it changes the first interpretation.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-data-3#planner)
## Grade 4 · 10 activities
---
### Send a little energy
**ID:** science-4 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Moving object · A collision · Observe the target. For comparable objects, greater speed can produce greater energy transfer in a collision.
**Standard:** [4-PS3-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/4-ps3-1-energy)
**Learning target:** Explain a relationship between motion and energy using evidence.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray for tabletop tests. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Stay still. Start moving.](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-3#planner) — I can explain how pushes affect motion.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Explain a relationship between motion and energy using evidence.
**Standards**
4-PS3-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray for tabletop tests.
Select one loose brick as the messenger and use the other three for a target. Mark a start line in a tray. Trial two gentle sliding speeds, then prepare three record spaces per speed.
Material options: A shallow box lid can contain the test. Use drawn movement marks if no ruler is available; do not claim measured energy.
**Before you start**
Stay still. Start moving.: I can explain how pushes affect motion.
**2. Invite an idea**
A tiny messenger brings a delivery to a station. Make the station with three bricks and keep one as the messenger. What changes when the same messenger arrives slowly or a little faster?
• Keep one brick loose as a messenger. Make a target with the others.
• Slide the messenger slowly, then faster, into the target. Use gentle pushes.
• Reset each time. Try each speed three times and compare target movement.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What will you keep the same in each trial?
• What observation supports your comparison of energy?
Use a tray. Keep the same messenger, target, start point, and surface. Reset between trials. Discuss relative speed and movement, not energy measurements.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I record three slow and three faster trials.
• I use target motion to support a qualitative energy comparison.
Look for: The student uses repeated observations to explain the speed-and-energy relationship.
Watch for: Target movement offers evidence; it does not measure energy in joules.
Exit prompt: Explain how one observation connects speed and energy transfer.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use stayed, moved a little, and moved farther labels in a six-box record. Keep the same messenger and target.
**Extend the thinking**
Explain why target distance alone is not a direct energy measurement. Propose a way to make speed comparisons more consistent.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a test to compare motion and energy.
**Energy**
The ability to cause change.
**Fair test**
Change one thing; keep the others the same.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray for tabletop tests
**Your mission**
A tiny messenger brings a delivery to a station. Make the station with three bricks and keep one as the messenger. What changes when the same messenger arrives slowly or a little faster?
**Make & try**
1. Keep one brick loose as a messenger. Make a target with the others.
2. Slide the messenger slowly, then faster, into the target. Use gentle pushes.
3. Reset each time. Try each speed three times and compare target movement.
**Make it yours**
Decide what the station delivers and design a symbol for its purpose. Keep the target arrangement the same for every speed comparison.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I record three slow and three faster trials.
• I use target motion to support a qualitative energy comparison.
**One last thought**
Explain how one observation connects speed and energy transfer.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use stayed, moved a little, and moved farther labels in a six-box record. Keep the same messenger and target.
**Optional learner extension**
Explain why target distance alone is not a direct energy measurement. Propose a way to make speed comparisons more consistent.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-4#planner)
---
### Watch the wind move it
**ID:** earth-4 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Moving air · Material moves · Observe a change. A model can help investigate movement of material, but it does not reproduce all real erosion processes.
**Standard:** [4-ESS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=4-ESS2-1)
**Learning target:** Make observations of material moved by wind in a small erosion model.
**Scope:** Wind-driven transport investigation; partial coverage of weathering and erosion.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray; Paper fan and equal-sized paper scraps; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A year in four snapshots](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-3#planner) — I can use weather data to compare seasonal snapshots.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Make observations of material moved by wind in a small erosion model.
**Standards**
4-ESS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray; Paper fan and equal-sized paper scraps; Ruler.
Make a few large, equal paper scraps and a folded-paper fan. Mark scrap starts and a fan position in the tray. Trial three gentle waves, then use that same routine with and without a barrier.
Material options: A box lid replaces the tray. Use paper scraps, not dust or sand; mark travel on paper if a ruler must be shared.
**Before you start**
A year in four snapshots: I can use weather data to compare seasonal snapshots.
**2. Invite an idea**
Can a barrier change how far wind moves loose material? Invent a brick arrangement, then investigate with paper pieces in a tray.
• Put equal-sized paper scraps on a marked start line in a tray. Plan a gentle paper-fan test.
• Compare an open path and your barrier using the same fan distance and number of waves. Repeat each test.
• Record movement and explain what the model suggests—and cannot show—about erosion.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will you make the fan tests comparable?
• How is moving paper different from real erosion?
Use a few large paper scraps, not dust or sand. Agree on three gentle fan waves from a marked spot; repeat each condition three times. Measure or mark the farthest movement. The model investigates transport by wind, not rock weathering.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I keep fan distance and wave count consistent.
• I use repeated observations to make a limited claim.
Look for: Check a six-trial record, one controlled variable, and a claim consistent with observations, including no difference if that occurs.
Watch for: Paper is not soil, and a tray is not a landscape. This model alone cannot establish real erosion rates.
Exit prompt: Use your results to explain one effect of a barrier and one model limit.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Mark the start and fan positions. Use “stayed,” “moved a little,” and “moved farther” categories before measuring.
**Extend the thinking**
Change only the barrier spacing. Predict, test, and discuss whether variation between trials affects your conclusion.
**Teaching scope**
Wind-driven transport investigation; partial coverage of weathering and erosion.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare how wind moves material in a model.
**erosion**
Movement of weathered material to a new place.
**fair test**
A comparison that keeps other important conditions the same.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray. Paper fan and equal-sized paper scraps. Ruler
**Your mission**
Can a barrier change how far wind moves loose material? Invent a brick arrangement, then investigate with paper pieces in a tray.
**Make & try**
1. Put equal-sized paper scraps on a marked start line in a tray. Plan a gentle paper-fan test.
2. Compare an open path and your barrier using the same fan distance and number of waves. Repeat each test.
3. Record movement and explain what the model suggests—and cannot show—about erosion.
**Make it yours**
Design a barrier with a distinctive pattern. Explain how its appearance relates to its purpose.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I keep fan distance and wave count consistent.
• I use repeated observations to make a limited claim.
**One last thought**
Use your results to explain one effect of a barrier and one model limit.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Mark the start and fan positions. Use “stayed,” “moved a little,” and “moved farther” categories before measuring.
**Optional learner extension**
Change only the barrier spacing. Predict, test, and discuss whether variation between trials affects your conclusion.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-4#planner)
---
### A plant with a purpose
**ID:** life-4 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A plant structure · A useful function · Evidence from facts. Plant structures have functions that help the organism survive, grow or reproduce.
**Standard:** [4-LS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=4-LS1-1)
**Learning target:** Use evidence to explain how plant structures support survival, growth, or reproduction.
**Scope:** External plant structures and argument from supplied evidence; partial coverage.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Two lives, shared patterns](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-3#planner) — I can compare patterns in two life cycles.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use evidence to explain how plant structures support survival, growth, or reproduction.
**Standards**
4-LS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the structure facts before students invent a plant. Give four labels and a blank page. Reserve space beside the model for two claims linked to facts, plus one model limitation.
Material options: Draw structures around brick markers. An actual plant or specialist plant pieces are optional, not required evidence.
**Before you start**
Two lives, shared patterns: I can compare patterns in two life cycles.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make an imaginary plant model with real plant jobs. Use four markers for structures, then argue how two of them help the plant live.
• Read the plant facts. Choose structures and sketch their jobs.
• Build a model and connect each marker to a labeled drawing.
• Make a claim about two structures. Support it with facts and explain a model limit.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Plant facts: Roots take up water and minerals and often anchor a plant. Stems support parts and transport materials. Leaves use light, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugars. Flowers take part in reproduction that can produce seeds.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which fact supports the job you gave this plant part?
• How do two structures help the same plant?
Allow inventive appearance while separating artistic choices from biological claims. Prompt: “Which fact supports that job?” This lesson addresses external plant structures, a subset of the standard.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I link two structures to real jobs using facts.
• I separate an invented design choice from a biological claim.
Look for: Assess two structure–function explanations using the fact strip, plus one stated limitation.
Watch for: Flowers do not make food for the whole plant; leaves usually do most light-based food making.
Exit prompt: Explain a plant structure's job using a fact.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Start with roots and leaves. Match two fact sentences to those labels before modeling.
**Extend the thinking**
Predict what could happen if one structure were damaged. Explain the chain of effects without claiming your model tests it.
**Teaching scope**
External plant structures and argument from supplied evidence; partial coverage.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain how a plant part helps it live.
**evidence**
Information that supports a claim.
**structure**
A part of a living thing.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Make an imaginary plant model with real plant jobs. Use four markers for structures, then argue how two of them help the plant live.
**Your investigation clues**
Plant facts: Roots take up water and minerals and often anchor a plant. Stems support parts and transport materials. Leaves use light, water, and carbon dioxide to make sugars. Flowers take part in reproduction that can produce seeds.
**Make & try**
1. Read the plant facts. Choose structures and sketch their jobs.
2. Build a model and connect each marker to a labeled drawing.
3. Make a claim about two structures. Support it with facts and explain a model limit.
**Make it yours**
Design an expressive silhouette. Name one artistic choice and one feature that represents a real plant job.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I link two structures to real jobs using facts.
• I separate an invented design choice from a biological claim.
**One last thought**
Explain a plant structure's job using a fact.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Start with roots and leaves. Match two fact sentences to those labels before modeling.
**Optional learner extension**
Predict what could happen if one structure were damaged. Explain the chain of effects without claiming your model tests it.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-4#planner)
---
### Room to imagine
**ID:** math-4 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Inside: area · Boundary: perimeter · Different units. Area measures surface in square units; perimeter measures boundary length.
**Standard:** [4.MD.A.3](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/4/MD/)
**Learning target:** Apply rectangle area and perimeter formulas.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A patchwork place](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-3#planner) — I can find area in two ways.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Apply rectangle area and perimeter formulas.
**Standards**
4.MD.A.3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare a square-unit grid and check that students can distinguish a region from its boundary. They choose a rectangle, label length and width, then show which units their two calculations count.
Material options: Use a hand-drawn grid. A paper rectangle can replace an awkward footprint while bricks mark the place's features.
**Before you start**
A patchwork place: I can find area in two ways.
**2. Invite an idea**
A miniature courtyard needs a floor and a border. Design one rectangle on a square grid. How much area is inside, and how much length goes around it?
• Draw a rectangular courtyard on a square-unit grid. Place four brick markers around it.
• Label its length and width. Find the area and perimeter.
• Show which units count the floor and which measure the border. Explain both calculations.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which measurement covers the inside?
• Which measurement follows the boundary?
Use equal grid units. Connect area to rows of squares and perimeter to the four boundary lengths. Compare A = length × width with P = 2 × (length + width); the units describe different measurements.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I calculate area in square units and perimeter in length units.
• I explain why inside and boundary use different measurements.
Look for: The student uses both formulas with correctly labeled units.
Watch for: Perimeter uses length units. Area uses square units.
Exit prompt: Explain why area and perimeter use different units.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Color the boundary line and shade the inside with pencil patterns. Calculate the two quantities separately.
**Extend the thinking**
Draw two rectangles with equal area and different perimeters. Use both formulas to justify the comparison.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can find area and perimeter.
**Area**
Inside space: length times width, in square units.
**Perimeter**
Distance around: twice length plus twice width.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A miniature courtyard needs a floor and a border. Design one rectangle on a square grid. How much area is inside, and how much length goes around it?
**Make & try**
1. Draw a rectangular courtyard on a square-unit grid. Place four brick markers around it.
2. Label its length and width. Find the area and perimeter.
3. Show which units count the floor and which measure the border. Explain both calculations.
**Make it yours**
Invent the courtyard's atmosphere with a floor pattern and border style. Let the design show the difference between its surface and its edge.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I calculate area in square units and perimeter in length units.
• I explain why inside and boundary use different measurements.
**One last thought**
Explain why area and perimeter use different units.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Color the boundary line and shade the inside with pencil patterns. Calculate the two quantities separately.
**Optional learner extension**
Draw two rectangles with equal area and different perimeters. Use both formulas to justify the comparison.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-4#planner)
---
### A hundred little spaces
**ID:** math-decimal-4 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One whole · Ten tenths · One hundred hundredths. One tenth equals ten hundredths of the same whole.
**Standard:** [4.NF.C.6](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/4/NF/)
**Learning target:** Express fractions with denominators 10 or 100 as decimals.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Many ways to share a whole](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-4#planner) — I can split one fraction into different sums.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Express fractions with denominators 10 or 100 as decimals.
**Standards**
4.NF.C.6
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn.
Give students a clearly bounded 10-by-10 whole and a 0-to-1 number line. Check that each small square is one hundredth before they design the plaza. Keep brick labels beside counted regions.
Material options: Draw the grid with a ruler or use squared paper. Do not use unequal brick areas as hundredths.
**Before you start**
Many ways to share a whole: I can split one fraction into different sums.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a tiny plaza on a hundred-square paper grid. Give selected areas fraction names and decimal names.
• Define the whole grid as one plaza. Mark an area of whole tenths, then some hundredths.
• Use up to four brick labels to name selected regions in fractions and decimals.
• Explain one tenth as ten hundredths and locate one value on a 0-to-1 number line.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How many hundredths make one tenth?
• Where would your amount sit between zero and one?
Use a drawn 10-by-10 grid. Bricks sit beside the grid as labels, not on top of squares being counted. Keep the whole explicit; do not introduce thousandths.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I match two shaded amounts to correct fraction and decimal names.
• I explain why 0.1 and 0.10 name the same amount.
Look for: Check accurate conversions for one tenths value and one hundredths value, with a place-value explanation.
Watch for: 0.4 is four tenths, not four hundredths. A decimal’s value depends on place.
Exit prompt: Name the same amount as a fraction and a decimal.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Shade one full column, label 1/10, 10/100, and 0.10 together, then let pupils choose another area.
**Extend the thinking**
Find two differently shaped regions with equal area and the same decimal value.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can name tenths and hundredths with fractions and decimals.
**tenth**
One of ten equal parts of a whole.
**hundredth**
One of one hundred equal parts of a whole.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn
**Your mission**
Create a tiny plaza on a hundred-square paper grid. Give selected areas fraction names and decimal names.
**Make & try**
1. Define the whole grid as one plaza. Mark an area of whole tenths, then some hundredths.
2. Use up to four brick labels to name selected regions in fractions and decimals.
3. Explain one tenth as ten hundredths and locate one value on a 0-to-1 number line.
**Make it yours**
Give the plaza an original pattern. Different shapes may represent the same amount.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I match two shaded amounts to correct fraction and decimal names.
• I explain why 0.1 and 0.10 name the same amount.
**One last thought**
Name the same amount as a fraction and a decimal.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Shade one full column, label 1/10, 10/100, and 0.10 together, then let pupils choose another area.
**Optional learner extension**
Find two differently shaped regions with equal area and the same decimal value.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-decimal-4#planner)
---
### Many ways to share a whole
**ID:** math-fraction-4 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One whole · Equal-size parts · Different groupings. A fraction can be decomposed into different sums without changing the whole or the part size.
**Standard:** [4.NF.B.3.b](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/4/NF/)
**Learning target:** Decompose a fraction into sums with the same denominator and record equations.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Different names, same space](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equivalent-3#planner) — I can explain why two fractions name the same amount.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Decompose a fraction into sums with the same denominator and record equations.
**Standards**
4.NF.B.3.b
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Make one rectangular paper whole with eight equal regions. Students choose an amount, then reuse its regions to show two decompositions. Leave space for both equations beside the same whole.
Material options: Fold the paper or draw measured boundaries. Pencil symbols can distinguish groups without needing different brick colors.
**Before you start**
Different names, same space: I can explain why two fractions name the same amount.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a shared space on a paper whole divided into eighths. Find two ways to group the same chosen fraction.
• Partition one whole into eight equal regions. Choose a fraction such as 5/8.
• Use brick markers to label two different groupings of that fraction.
• Write an addition equation for each grouping and justify it with the model.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What stays the same when you regroup the parts?
• How does your picture support each addition equation?
Keep denominators fixed while combining counts of unit fractions. Pupils may label groups with drawings instead of requiring differently colored bricks. Include a decomposition with more than two addends if ready.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I write two correct sums for the same fraction.
• My model explains why the denominator stays the same.
Look for: Check two different decompositions with the same sum and a clear region-to-equation explanation.
Watch for: Adding eighths adds the number of eighths, not the denominators.
Exit prompt: Show two different sums for the same fraction.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use four equal parts and decompose 3/4 as 1/4 + 2/4 before trying eighths.
**Extend the thinking**
Find three decompositions of 9/8 using two equal-size wholes. Include a whole in one representation.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can split one fraction into different sums.
**decompose**
Break an amount into parts that add to the same total.
**unit fraction**
One of the equal parts of a whole.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Plan a shared space on a paper whole divided into eighths. Find two ways to group the same chosen fraction.
**Make & try**
1. Partition one whole into eight equal regions. Choose a fraction such as 5/8.
2. Use brick markers to label two different groupings of that fraction.
3. Write an addition equation for each grouping and justify it with the model.
**Make it yours**
Invent purposes for the shared regions. Your design can change while the total amount stays fixed.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I write two correct sums for the same fraction.
• My model explains why the denominator stays the same.
**One last thought**
Show two different sums for the same fraction.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use four equal parts and decompose 3/4 as 1/4 + 2/4 before trying eighths.
**Optional learner extension**
Find three decompositions of 9/8 using two equal-size wholes. Include a whole in one representation.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-4#planner)
---
### Find the weak point
**ID:** engineering-4 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Observe a weak point · Change one feature · Repeat the same test. Repeated trials help distinguish a useful change from a one-off result.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-3)
**Learning target:** Use fair tests and failure points to improve a design.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray; Paper fan. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A small square, a big idea](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-3#planner) — I can define what a design must do and its limits.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use fair tests and failure points to improve a design.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray; Paper fan.
Set a tray, a paper fan and a marked fan position. Agree three gentle waves per trial. Prepare stayed/shifted/fell columns and three trials for each version before students see results.
Material options: A shallow box lid can replace the tray. Fold ordinary paper into a fan; do not substitute a powered fan without a new classroom trial.
**Before you start**
A small square, a big idea: I can define what a design must do and its limits.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a small landmark for a breezy place. Compare two versions under the same gentle paper-fan test.
• Make a four-brick design and mark its position in a tray.
• Give each version three trials of three gentle fan waves from the same spot. Record stayed, shifted, or fell.
• Choose a feature to improve using the trial records. A tie is a valid result.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where did the design shift or fail?
• Does a repeated result support your proposed change?
Keep the same four bricks, surface, fan, position, and gentle wave routine. This tests model behavior, not real wind resistance. If all trials pass, pupils should report that honestly and propose a more informative future test.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I use the same test conditions for both versions.
• I connect a proposed revision to recorded observations.
Look for: Assess a six-trial record, named controls, and a proposed revision supported by the observed weak point or lack of failure.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Name a weak point and a test result that led you to it.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Change only the base arrangement. Use picture marks for stayed, shifted, and fell.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Explore negative space and silhouette while revising a form.
Look for: The learner compares two views or drawings and explains how a gap or outline changes the effect.
**Extend the thinking**
Define a second test condition and repeat both designs under it. Explain why results from different conditions should be separated.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a fair test to find an improvement.
**evidence**
Information from observations or tests.
**tradeoff**
A gain in one goal that may reduce another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray. Paper fan
**Your mission**
Create a small landmark for a breezy place. Compare two versions under the same gentle paper-fan test.
**Make & try**
1. Make a four-brick design and mark its position in a tray.
2. Give each version three trials of three gentle fan waves from the same spot. Record stayed, shifted, or fell.
3. Choose a feature to improve using the trial records. A tie is a valid result.
**Make it yours**
Explore the spaces between pieces as well as the outline. Describe the effect you want.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I use the same test conditions for both versions.
• I connect a proposed revision to recorded observations.
**One last thought**
Name a weak point and a test result that led you to it.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Change only the base arrangement. Use picture marks for stayed, shifted, and fell.
**Optional learner extension**
Define a second test condition and repeat both designs under it. Explain why results from different conditions should be separated.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-4#planner)
---
### A sign someone can use
**ID:** engineering-problem-4 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A user's need · A readable message · Feedback. Design communication for its intended user and test whether the meaning is understood.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Define a design problem with criteria and constraints based on a user need.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler or measuring tape. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Shade for a tiny stage](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-3#planner) — I can plan a fair design test and use the results.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Define a design problem with criteria and constraints based on a user need.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler or measuring tape.
Choose a visitor and destination, then agree the viewing distance and standing time. Trial that the materials can support a paper sign. A partner reads it under the agreed conditions and gives one useful observation.
Material options: Share a ruler or marked string for distance. Use spoken descriptions or raised folded shapes for the selected access needs.
**Before you start**
Shade for a tiny stage: I can plan a fair design test and use the results.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a tabletop sign that helps a visitor find a place in your imagined community. Decide what success means before building.
• Choose the visitor and destination. Agree on two measurable success criteria.
• Use one paper sheet and up to four bricks to design a sign.
• Ask a partner to use it under your agreed conditions. Record feedback and revise one feature.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Who needs to use the sign?
• How can you test whether the message is understood?
Help define criteria such as identifying the destination at one meter and the sign remaining upright for ten seconds. Offer alternatives for access needs: close viewing, touchable raised shapes, or an oral description. Do not simulate a disability or judge artistic taste.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I state a user need and two checkable success criteria.
• I use feedback about a criterion to improve the sign.
Look for: Check an explicit user need, two checkable criteria, material constraints, and feedback tied to a criterion.
Watch for: “Looks good” is not a measurable usability criterion. A design can communicate without relying only on color.
Exit prompt: Explain one revision made because of a user's feedback.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Offer two destination symbols to compare. Ask a partner to explain what each means before building a stand.
**Extend the thinking**
Introduce a second visitor with a different access need. Explain where requirements agree or conflict.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can define success for a design using someone’s needs.
**constraint**
A limit a design must work within.
**user need**
Something the person using a design needs it to do.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler or measuring tape
**Your mission**
Create a tabletop sign that helps a visitor find a place in your imagined community. Decide what success means before building.
**Make & try**
1. Choose the visitor and destination. Agree on two measurable success criteria.
2. Use one paper sheet and up to four bricks to design a sign.
3. Ask a partner to use it under your agreed conditions. Record feedback and revise one feature.
**Make it yours**
Design a memorable symbol. Explain how shape, lettering, or texture helps your visitor understand it.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I state a user need and two checkable success criteria.
• I use feedback about a criterion to improve the sign.
**One last thought**
Explain one revision made because of a user's feedback.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Offer two destination symbols to compare. Ask a partner to explain what each means before building a stand.
**Optional learner extension**
Introduce a second visitor with a different access need. Explain where requirements agree or conflict.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-4#planner)
---
### Write it. Trace it. Improve it.
**ID:** technology-4 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Write the rules · Trace both paths · Revise and retest. Tracing records each action so you can check both branches of an algorithm.
**Standard:** [E4-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Write an algorithm using several control structures.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A game with a choice](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-3#planner) — I can use a rule to make a choice.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Write an algorithm using several control structures.
**Standards**
E4-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Provide a blank rule card and two trace tables. Students identify where the choice is checked relative to repetition. Have partners test both branches from stated starting conditions before changing instructions.
Material options: Draw arrows and symbols instead of formal code. Paper counters can represent values beyond the four-piece construction limit.
**Before you start**
A game with a choice: I can use a rule to make a choice.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a written rule card for a brick game. Make the choices so clear that a partner can follow either path without asking you what to do.
• Write a start event, ordered actions, a repeat count, and an if/otherwise choice in one rule card.
• Trace two cases: one taking the if path and one taking the otherwise path. Record each action.
• Give the card to a partner. Compare their trace with yours, revise an unclear instruction, and retest both cases.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where is the decision relative to the repeat?
• Did you test both possible paths?
Move beyond Grade 3 oral rule-making: require a written algorithm and two documented execution traces. Keep repetition within four available pieces; counters can be drawn. Ask whether the decision is checked inside or after the repeat and make that placement explicit. A flowchart or readable pseudocode is enough.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My written rules combine an event, sequence, loop, and selection.
• I trace both branches and retest a revised instruction.
Look for: Collect the written rule card, traces of both branches, and a revised instruction with a retest record.
Watch for: A rule may work on one branch and fail on another. The position of a decision relative to a loop can change the result.
Exit prompt: Explain a revision using two recorded traces.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a two-column trace: rule followed, result. Test the if branch first, then change only the condition.
**Extend the thinking**
Move the decision inside the loop and compare traces with the original. Explain any changed behavior.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can write and test an algorithm with two possible paths.
**trace**
A record of the actions followed in an algorithm.
**selection**
Choosing an action based on a condition.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Create a written rule card for a brick game. Make the choices so clear that a partner can follow either path without asking you what to do.
**Make & try**
1. Write a start event, ordered actions, a repeat count, and an if/otherwise choice in one rule card.
2. Trace two cases: one taking the if path and one taking the otherwise path. Record each action.
3. Give the card to a partner. Compare their trace with yours, revise an unclear instruction, and retest both cases.
**Make it yours**
Create a theme and a visual key for your rule card. Make both branches equally easy to find, and use layout to show where repetition happens.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My written rules combine an event, sequence, loop, and selection.
• I trace both branches and retest a revised instruction.
**One last thought**
Explain a revision using two recorded traces.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a two-column trace: rule followed, result. Test the if branch first, then change only the condition.
**Optional learner extension**
Move the decision inside the loop and compare traces with the original. Explain any changed behavior.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-4#planner)
---
### Debug the quiet device
**ID:** technology-system-4 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing systems · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One check · Record its result · Choose the next check. Change or check one thing at a time to make troubleshooting evidence useful.
**Standard:** [E4-SYS-HW-12](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Apply a consistent process to investigate a common hardware or software issue.
**Scope:** Unplugged rehearsal of a troubleshooting process; real-device application is additional practice.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Meet the helpful parts](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-1#planner) — I can explain the jobs of computer parts.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 4 · Ages 9
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Apply a consistent process to investigate a common hardware or software issue.
**Standards**
E4-SYS-HW-12
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Keep the result cards in the teacher guide hidden. Give only the student scenario first. Have each group name a check and record its result before you reveal another; finish with a replay check.
Material options: A paper device and drawn controls replace hardware. Read a requested result aloud; pupils never need accounts or access to device settings.
**Before you start**
Meet the helpful parts: I can explain the jobs of computer parts.
**2. Invite an idea**
A pretend audio guide has stopped making sound. Model a careful troubleshooting process, then explain why each step helps.
• Define the problem and plan one check using the scenario cards.
• Ask the teacher for the matching result. Record one action and its result before trying another.
• Explain the cause supported by the results. Show how you would check that the fix worked.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Scenario: The guide’s screen is on, but there is no sound. Ask the teacher for check results. Record each request and result; do not guess what the hidden result says.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does this one check help you rule out?
• How will you know the fix worked?
Run the supplied scenario as a paper simulation: reveal only the requested check result. Pupils organize a device diagram with four markers. This rehearses troubleshooting; it does not replace practice on a real approved device. Never ask pupils to open hardware or change accounts. Teacher-only result cards: power check—screen stays on; volume check—volume is zero; connection check—no headphones connected; raise volume—sound returns; replay test—sound is audible. Reveal a result only after the group chooses that check.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I record a reason and result for each check.
• I confirm a possible fix with a repeat test.
Look for: Collect a define–plan–try–reflect log with one change at a time and a final playback check.
Watch for: Changing several settings at once makes it hard to know which change mattered.
Exit prompt: Explain the evidence for your diagnosis.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Offer two first checks: power or volume. Have the pupil say what each possible result would mean.
**Extend the thinking**
Create a different plausible fault and an evidence card set. Ask a partner to diagnose it systematically.
**Teaching scope**
Unplugged rehearsal of a troubleshooting process; real-device application is additional practice.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can investigate a device problem one step at a time.
**troubleshoot**
Find and address a problem using evidence.
**check**
An action that gives information about what might be wrong.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A pretend audio guide has stopped making sound. Model a careful troubleshooting process, then explain why each step helps.
**Your investigation clues**
Scenario: The guide’s screen is on, but there is no sound. Ask the teacher for check results. Record each request and result; do not guess what the hidden result says.
**Make & try**
1. Define the problem and plan one check using the scenario cards.
2. Ask the teacher for the matching result. Record one action and its result before trying another.
3. Explain the cause supported by the results. Show how you would check that the fix worked.
**Make it yours**
Design a friendly audio-guide enclosure and clear control symbols. Explain how one choice helps its user.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I record a reason and result for each check.
• I confirm a possible fix with a repeat test.
**One last thought**
Explain the evidence for your diagnosis.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Offer two first checks: power or volume. Have the pupil say what each possible result would mean.
**Optional learner extension**
Create a different plausible fault and an evidence card set. Ask a partner to diagnose it systematically.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-4#planner)
## Grade 5 · 10 activities
---
### Which way is down?
**ID:** science-5 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** An object · Earth's gravity · Toward Earth's center. Near Earth, gravity pulls objects toward Earth's center.
**Standard:** [5-PS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/5-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions)
**Learning target:** Support an explanation of gravity toward Earth.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray for tabletop tests. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Send a little energy](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-4#planner) — I can use a test to compare motion and energy.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Support an explanation of gravity toward Earth.
**Standards**
5-PS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray for tabletop tests.
Place a tray on a low table and trial a short, gentle release just above it. Give each group a blank circular Earth drawing. Separate the observed local drop from the model of inward directions around Earth.
Material options: Draw Earth on paper instead of using a globe. One of the same four bricks is the released explorer; do not drop from height.
**Before you start**
Send a little energy: I can use a test to compare motion and energy.
**2. Invite an idea**
Send a tiny explorer around a paper Earth. Which way is down at every stop?
• Drop one loose brick just above a tray three times. Notice its motion.
• Draw a round Earth. Place brick explorers around it.
• Draw arrows toward Earth's center. Explain what they mean.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What direction did the object move in your test?
• What does down mean at another place on Earth?
Explain that Earth pulls objects toward its center. Local drops show local motion; they do not prove the whole-Earth model. Ask students to connect both ideas.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I describe the repeated direction of local drops.
• I draw inward arrows around Earth and explain the model’s limit.
Look for: The student uses observations and inward arrows to explain down on Earth.
Watch for: Down means toward Earth, not toward the bottom of a page.
Exit prompt: Explain where a gravity arrow should point and why.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Mark Earth’s center first. Draw one local down arrow, then rotate the page and add another.
**Extend the thinking**
Explain why “down” arrows at opposite sides of Earth point in different directions on the page.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain gravity using a model.
**Gravity**
A pull between objects that have mass.
**Model**
Something that helps explain an idea.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray for tabletop tests
**Your mission**
Send a tiny explorer around a paper Earth. Which way is down at every stop?
**Make & try**
1. Drop one loose brick just above a tray three times. Notice its motion.
2. Draw a round Earth. Place brick explorers around it.
3. Draw arrows toward Earth's center. Explain what they mean.
**Make it yours**
Give your explorer a reason to visit different places on your paper Earth. Use a clear arrow style to connect the story to the direction of gravity.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I describe the repeated direction of local drops.
• I draw inward arrows around Earth and explain the model’s limit.
**One last thought**
Explain where a gravity arrow should point and why.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Mark Earth’s center first. Draw one local down arrow, then rotate the page and add another.
**Optional learner extension**
Explain why “down” arrows at opposite sides of Earth point in different directions on the page.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-5#planner)
---
### Four parts, one Earth
**ID:** earth-5 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Air and water · Land · Living things. Earth's systems interact through movement of matter and changes in conditions.
**Standard:** [5-ESS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=5-ESS2-1)
**Learning target:** Model interactions among Earth’s air, water, land, and living things.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Watch the wind move it](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-4#planner) — I can compare how wind moves material in a model.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model interactions among Earth’s air, water, land, and living things.
**Standards**
5-ESS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the Earth-system facts and choose a landscape. Give four role labels and leave space for named arrows. Ask students to tell one rain-event story before they decide how to arrange its connections.
Material options: Use symbols beside identical bricks. No water, soil or living specimens are needed for this explanation model.
**Before you start**
Watch the wind move it: I can compare how wind moves material in a model.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a small landscape where rain changes something. Use four brick markers to show how Earth’s systems interact.
• Label markers air, water, land, and living things. Draw your landscape.
• Add at least three arrows. Label what moves or changes at each connection.
• Tell a rain-event story involving at least two systems. Explain one model limit.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Facts: Water falls from clouds onto land. Some water soaks into soil; some runs over the surface. Plants take up water and release water vapor. Water can carry loose material. Air, water, land, and living things affect one another.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What crosses the boundary between these two systems?
• How could a rain event affect another part of the landscape?
Let pupils choose a garden, coast, or hillside. Use the fact strip to check interaction claims. The task is explaining connections, not merely naming four spheres.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I explain two system interactions with labeled arrows.
• I identify something my model cannot show.
Look for: Listen for two explained interactions with processes or transfers, and a boundary of the simplified model.
Watch for: The systems overlap and interact. A cloud contains water in the atmosphere; categories are not sealed boxes.
Exit prompt: Trace a connection between two Earth systems.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Start with rain reaching soil and a plant taking up water. Add labels to those two arrows first.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the ground from bare soil to plant-covered soil in your story. Identify evidence you would need to compare runoff.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain connections between Earth’s systems.
**system**
Parts that interact.
**interaction**
A change or exchange between parts.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent a small landscape where rain changes something. Use four brick markers to show how Earth’s systems interact.
**Your investigation clues**
Facts: Water falls from clouds onto land. Some water soaks into soil; some runs over the surface. Plants take up water and release water vapor. Water can carry loose material. Air, water, land, and living things affect one another.
**Make & try**
1. Label markers air, water, land, and living things. Draw your landscape.
2. Add at least three arrows. Label what moves or changes at each connection.
3. Tell a rain-event story involving at least two systems. Explain one model limit.
**Make it yours**
Make a landscape with a mood and a story. Choose line styles that let viewers follow the interactions.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I explain two system interactions with labeled arrows.
• I identify something my model cannot show.
**One last thought**
Trace a connection between two Earth systems.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Start with rain reaching soil and a plant taking up water. Add labels to those two arrows first.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the ground from bare soil to plant-covered soil in your story. Identify evidence you would need to compare runoff.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-5#planner)
---
### Matter on the move
**ID:** life-5 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Living things · Nonliving environment · Matter moves between. Matter cycles through organisms and their environment. Sunlight supplies energy, not matter.
**Standard:** [5-LS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=5-LS2-1)
**Learning target:** Model movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A plant with a purpose](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-4#planner) — I can explain how a plant part helps it live.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
**Standards**
5-LS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare the four ecosystem roles and the supplied facts. Ask students to name the matter carried by each arrow. Keep a different line or symbol available for sunlight so energy does not become a matter loop.
Material options: Draw organism labels and arrow keys. Use line styles as well as color; real organisms and food are unnecessary.
**Before you start**
A plant with a purpose: I can explain how a plant part helps it live.
**2. Invite an idea**
Tell the story of matter traveling through a small ecosystem. Give your four bricks roles, then draw arrows that explain the journeys.
• Label a plant, an animal, a decomposer, and the nonliving environment.
• Use the facts to draw and label matter-moving arrows.
• Trace a possible return journey. Add sunlight with a different symbol and explain why.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Facts: Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and water, using sunlight to make food. Animals get matter by eating. Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste; matter returns to the environment. Living things also exchange matter with air and water. Sunlight supplies energy, not matter.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What matter moves along this arrow?
• Why should sunlight have a different symbol?
Use arrows for named transfers, not just “goes to.” The environment marker can include air, water, and soil. Distinguish matter cycling from energy entering as sunlight and leaving as heat; avoid a closed energy loop.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I label at least three matter transfers, including decomposers.
• I distinguish a matter arrow from sunlight energy.
Look for: Ask each group to trace a plant–animal–decomposer–environment matter path and explain the separate sunlight symbol.
Watch for: Matter cycles; energy is transferred and does not cycle in the same way. Plants do not get most of their mass from soil.
Exit prompt: Trace a possible return journey of matter.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with an animal eating a plant. Add one labeled arrow at a time from the facts.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a second food pathway on paper. Explain how matter could move if one consumer were absent.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can trace matter through an ecosystem.
**matter**
Material that has mass and takes up space.
**decomposer**
An organism that breaks down dead material and waste.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Tell the story of matter traveling through a small ecosystem. Give your four bricks roles, then draw arrows that explain the journeys.
**Your investigation clues**
Facts: Plants take in carbon dioxide from air and water, using sunlight to make food. Animals get matter by eating. Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste; matter returns to the environment. Living things also exchange matter with air and water. Sunlight supplies energy, not matter.
**Make & try**
1. Label a plant, an animal, a decomposer, and the nonliving environment.
2. Use the facts to draw and label matter-moving arrows.
3. Trace a possible return journey. Add sunlight with a different symbol and explain why.
**Make it yours**
Choose a visual language for journeys: line styles, symbols, and spacing. Make the ecosystem’s story understandable without relying on color alone.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I label at least three matter transfers, including decomposers.
• I distinguish a matter arrow from sunlight energy.
**One last thought**
Trace a possible return journey of matter.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with an animal eating a plant. Add one labeled arrow at a time from the facts.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a second food pathway on paper. Explain how matter could move if one consumer were absent.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-5#planner)
---
### Map an imaginary world
**ID:** math-5 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Start at the origin · Horizontal position x · Vertical position y. In (x, y), the horizontal coordinate comes first and the vertical coordinate second.
**Standard:** [5.G.A.2](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/G/)
**Learning target:** Use first-quadrant coordinates in a context.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Room to imagine](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-4#planner) — I can find area and perimeter.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use first-quadrant coordinates in a context.
**Standards**
5.G.A.2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare a first-quadrant grid with space for an origin and axis labels. Students choose a scale before placing four location dots. Put brick landmarks beside the dots so coordinates remain readable.
Material options: Draw the grid by hand. A dot defines a location even when the brick covers several grid squares.
**Before you start**
Room to imagine: I can find area and perimeter.
**2. Invite an idea**
A visitor needs to find four places in your imaginary world. Make a coordinate map with one exact location for each landmark. Can a partner use your ordered pairs to find them?
• Draw a first-quadrant grid. Label the origin and axes.
• Place four brick landmarks. Mark one location dot for each.
• Write their coordinates. Explain a route between two places.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where is the origin?
• Which coordinate describes horizontal position?
Let students set a scale. Use a dot below each landmark for its exact position. Ask them to read across first, then up.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I label four locations with correct ordered pairs.
• I interpret movement between two points using the axes and scale.
Look for: The student plots four ordered pairs and explains a route using coordinates.
Watch for: The order matters: (2, 3) and (3, 2) are different points.
Exit prompt: Explain how an ordered pair locates one destination.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Mark the origin and use “across, then up.” Plot one landmark before adding the other three.
**Extend the thinking**
Create two routes with the same endpoints. Compare their lengths in grid units and explain why route and displacement differ.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use coordinates to describe a place.
**Coordinates**
Two ordered numbers that locate a point.
**Origin**
The starting point (0, 0) on a coordinate grid.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A visitor needs to find four places in your imaginary world. Make a coordinate map with one exact location for each landmark. Can a partner use your ordered pairs to find them?
**Make & try**
1. Draw a first-quadrant grid. Label the origin and axes.
2. Place four brick landmarks. Mark one location dot for each.
3. Write their coordinates. Explain a route between two places.
**Make it yours**
Invent four landmarks with distinct symbols. Give the map a visual identity while keeping the origin, scale and coordinates easy to read.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I label four locations with correct ordered pairs.
• I interpret movement between two points using the axes and scale.
**One last thought**
Explain how an ordered pair locates one destination.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Mark the origin and use “across, then up.” Plot one landmark before adding the other three.
**Optional learner extension**
Create two routes with the same endpoints. Compare their lengths in grid units and explain why route and displacement differ.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-5#planner)
---
### A pocket-sized project budget
**ID:** math-decimal-5 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Align place values · Combine costs · Compare with budget. Decimal calculations depend on place value and the meaning of the amounts.
**Standard:** [5.NBT.B.7](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/NBT/)
**Learning target:** Add and subtract decimals to hundredths using models and place-value reasoning.
**Scope:** Decimal addition and subtraction to hundredths; partial coverage.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A hundred little spaces](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-decimal-4#planner) — I can name tenths and hundredths with fractions and decimals.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Add and subtract decimals to hundredths using models and place-value reasoning.
**Standards**
5.NBT.B.7
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn.
Keep the fictional price list visible and give each group a 100-square whole. Ask students to choose two or three items, estimate the total, then show their addition and remaining budget.
Material options: A place-value sketch replaces the grid. Use tokens on paper; no real prices, coins or purchases are involved.
**Before you start**
A hundred little spaces: I can name tenths and hundredths with fractions and decimals.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a miniature event with a budget of 1.00 tokens. Use brick markers for choices and show how you know the total and change.
• Choose two or three different items from the price list.
• Represent their costs with a hundredths grid or place-value sketch. Add the amounts.
• Check the budget and subtract the total from 1.00. Explain your method.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Fictional price list: music 0.25 tokens; lights 0.40; signs 0.15; art materials 0.35. Starting budget: 1.00 tokens. Choose each item at most once.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How does your model show hundredths?
• How can you check whether your total fits the budget?
Use fictional tokens rather than real purchase prices. Allow regrouping drawings or an algorithm explained through place value. The task covers addition and subtraction, not all operations in this standard.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My total matches a hundredths or place-value model.
• I explain the amount left or the amount over budget.
Look for: Check correctly aligned place values, a modeled sum, and the correct remainder or over-budget amount.
Watch for: Decimal points are not decorative: tenths combine with tenths and hundredths with hundredths.
Exit prompt: Explain your total and the amount remaining.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose 0.25 and 0.40 first. Shade 25 and 40 hundredths in different patterns before adding.
**Extend the thinking**
Create two different baskets with the same cost, or adjust a choice to leave exactly 0.10 tokens.
**Teaching scope**
Decimal addition and subtraction to hundredths; partial coverage.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain decimal addition and subtraction with a model.
**place value**
The value a digit has because of its position.
**budget**
An amount available to use.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. 10-by-10 paper grid, printed or drawn
**Your mission**
Design a miniature event with a budget of 1.00 tokens. Use brick markers for choices and show how you know the total and change.
**Your investigation clues**
Fictional price list: music 0.25 tokens; lights 0.40; signs 0.15; art materials 0.35. Starting budget: 1.00 tokens. Choose each item at most once.
**Make & try**
1. Choose two or three different items from the price list.
2. Represent their costs with a hundredths grid or place-value sketch. Add the amounts.
3. Check the budget and subtract the total from 1.00. Explain your method.
**Make it yours**
Give your event a theme and explain which spending choice most helps express it.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My total matches a hundredths or place-value model.
• I explain the amount left or the amount over budget.
**One last thought**
Explain your total and the amount remaining.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose 0.25 and 0.40 first. Shade 25 and 40 hundredths in different patterns before adding.
**Optional learner extension**
Create two different baskets with the same cost, or adjust a choice to leave exactly 0.10 tokens.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-decimal-5#planner)
---
### Make room for two plans
**ID:** math-fraction-5 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Fractions and decimals · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same whole · Common equal parts · Combine the amounts. Use common equal parts to combine fractions with different denominators.
**Standard:** [5.NF.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/NF/)
**Learning target:** Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators using equivalent fractions.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Many ways to share a whole](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-4#planner) — I can split one fraction into different sums.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators using equivalent fractions.
**Standards**
5.NF.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give one blank rectangular whole and the two requests. Students decide a common partition before laying out the park. Ask them to account for every region, including the unused part.
Material options: Fold or draw the partition on ordinary paper. Four bricks label areas and do not need to match fraction sizes.
**Before you start**
Many ways to share a whole: I can split one fraction into different sums.
**2. Invite an idea**
Two designers want parts of the same paper park. Show how much space their plans use and what space remains.
• Choose the supplied 1/2 and 1/3 requests for one whole park.
• Make a common equal partition and use brick labels to mark both requests without overlap.
• Write and explain equations for the total used and the amount left.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Design brief: One activity requests 1/2 of the whole park. Another requests 1/3 of the same park. Their spaces must not overlap. You choose the activities, arrangement, and visual style.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Why must the parts be the same size before adding?
• How can your model show the space that remains?
Use a rectangular paper whole. Pupils decide how to partition and show equivalence; do not give a preassembled brick solution. Check that both fractions refer to the same whole.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I rename both requests using a common denominator.
• My model justifies the total and the remaining amount.
Look for: Look for 1/2 = 3/6, 1/3 = 2/6, total 5/6, and remainder 1/6, supported by the learner’s model.
Watch for: Adding numerators and denominators separately does not preserve the requested amounts.
Exit prompt: Explain how you chose a common partition.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Overlay half and third divisions on equal-size strips to reveal sixths. Ask which pieces are the same size.
**Extend the thinking**
Change a request to 3/4. Explain whether both requests fit and quantify any overlap or shortage.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can combine fractions with different denominators.
**common denominator**
A shared equal-part size used to compare or combine fractions.
**equivalent fraction**
A different fraction name for the same value.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Two designers want parts of the same paper park. Show how much space their plans use and what space remains.
**Your investigation clues**
Design brief: One activity requests 1/2 of the whole park. Another requests 1/3 of the same park. Their spaces must not overlap. You choose the activities, arrangement, and visual style.
**Make & try**
1. Choose the supplied 1/2 and 1/3 requests for one whole park.
2. Make a common equal partition and use brick labels to mark both requests without overlap.
3. Write and explain equations for the total used and the amount left.
**Make it yours**
Invent two activities that deserve space. Let your layout express how people might enjoy the park.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I rename both requests using a common denominator.
• My model justifies the total and the remaining amount.
**One last thought**
Explain how you chose a common partition.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Overlay half and third divisions on equal-size strips to reveal sixths. Ask which pieces are the same size.
**Optional learner extension**
Change a request to 3/4. Explain whether both requests fit and quantify any overlap or shortage.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-5#planner)
---
### Choose a shared landmark
**ID:** engineering-5 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Shared criteria · Compare evidence · Explain a trade-off. Compare options against the same criteria and describe the trade-offs behind a choice.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Generate and compare solutions against criteria and constraints.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Find the weak point](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-4#planner) — I can use a fair test to find an improvement.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Generate and compare solutions against criteria and constraints.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler.
Agree a feasible footprint limit and a ten-second standing check before design begins. Prepare a comparison table for two versions. Students use the same four pieces, site and tests before recommending one.
Material options: Use a shared ruler and a teacher's timer or count. Paper symbols can express community meaning without special pieces.
**Before you start**
Find the weak point: I can use a fair test to find an improvement.
**2. Invite an idea**
Two landmark ideas compete for one community space. Compare them fairly and recommend the one that best fits the brief.
• Agree on standing and footprint criteria. Keep exactly four bricks for both designs.
• Sketch, build, and test both ideas. Measure the space each uses.
• Use a comparison table to recommend one idea and explain a tradeoff.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which evidence supports your recommendation?
• What does your chosen idea give up?
Agree a ten-second standing check and a feasible footprint limit before testing. Record dimensions in centimeters. Separate preference about style from evidence about criteria; both can be discussed with different labels.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare two designs against the same criteria.
• I justify a recommendation and acknowledge a tradeoff.
Look for: Collect sketches, a two-criterion comparison table, and a recommendation that acknowledges a tradeoff or tie.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Recommend one design and explain a trade-off.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide a two-column comparison chart. Enter the standing result before measuring footprints.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Create a symbol that expresses an imagined community’s identity.
Look for: The learner explains the symbol’s intended meaning and notes a viewer’s interpretation.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the space limit and reconsider the recommendation without changing the recorded evidence.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare solutions and justify a choice.
**evidence**
Information from observations or tests.
**tradeoff**
A gain in one goal that may reduce another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler
**Your mission**
Two landmark ideas compete for one community space. Compare them fairly and recommend the one that best fits the brief.
**Make & try**
1. Agree on standing and footprint criteria. Keep exactly four bricks for both designs.
2. Sketch, build, and test both ideas. Measure the space each uses.
3. Use a comparison table to recommend one idea and explain a tradeoff.
**Make it yours**
Invent a symbol for your imagined community. Ask someone what it suggests, then share your intention.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare two designs against the same criteria.
• I justify a recommendation and acknowledge a tradeoff.
**One last thought**
Recommend one design and explain a trade-off.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide a two-column comparison chart. Enter the standing result before measuring footprints.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the space limit and reconsider the recommendation without changing the recorded evidence.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-5#planner)
---
### A sorting station that makes sense
**ID:** engineering-problem-5 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same labels · Compare layouts · Record errors. Test the same sorting task in each layout before comparing results.
**Standard:** [3-5-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=3-5-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Generate and compare solutions against agreed criteria and constraints.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Four paper labels. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A sign someone can use](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-4#planner) — I can define success for a design using someone’s needs.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Generate and compare solutions against agreed criteria and constraints.
**Standards**
3-5-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Four paper labels.
Prepare the same four paper labels for both tests and agree two nonoverlapping categories. Partners test two station layouts. Alternate which version goes first across groups; record correct destinations before discussing preference.
Material options: Handwritten labels replace printed cards. Use symbols and words together so success never depends only on distinguishing colors.
**Before you start**
A sign someone can use: I can define success for a design using someone’s needs.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a tabletop sorting station for four paper delivery labels. Compare two designs and recommend one using evidence.
• Choose two clear label categories and agree how success will be checked.
• Sketch and make two layouts with paper and up to four brick markers.
• Ask a partner to sort the same four labels in each layout. Compare errors and explain your recommendation.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will you count a sorting error?
• What result would make you reconsider your recommendation?
Use identical paper label sets and explain the category rule once for each design. Alternate test order between pairs to reduce practice effects. Count correct destinations; timing is optional and should not disadvantage access needs.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare two layouts with the same sorting task.
• I justify a recommendation and mention a test limitation.
Look for: Assess two distinct solutions, a consistent comparison record, and a recommendation tied to criteria rather than preference.
Watch for: A second trial may improve through practice, not just a better design; note this limitation.
Exit prompt: Explain which layout you recommend using test evidence.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use circles and triangles as categories. Record each placement as correct or needing clarification.
**Extend the thinking**
Combine the clearest feature of each layout and test the revised station with a new partner.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare design ideas using agreed criteria.
**criterion**
A condition used to judge a solution.
**recommendation**
A choice supported by reasons and evidence.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Four paper labels
**Your mission**
Invent a tabletop sorting station for four paper delivery labels. Compare two designs and recommend one using evidence.
**Make & try**
1. Choose two clear label categories and agree how success will be checked.
2. Sketch and make two layouts with paper and up to four brick markers.
3. Ask a partner to sort the same four labels in each layout. Compare errors and explain your recommendation.
**Make it yours**
Create a station with its own visual identity. Keep the sorting rule understandable without color alone.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare two layouts with the same sorting task.
• I justify a recommendation and mention a test limitation.
**One last thought**
Explain which layout you recommend using test evidence.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use circles and triangles as categories. Record each placement as correct or needing clarification.
**Optional learner extension**
Combine the clearest feature of each layout and test the revised station with a new partner.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-5#planner)
---
### The changing counter
**ID:** technology-5 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Current value · An update · New value. A variable stores a value that an algorithm can read and change.
**Standard:** [E5-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Represent a changing value within an algorithm.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Write it. Trace it. Improve it.](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-4#planner) — I can write and test an algorithm with two possible paths.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Represent a changing value within an algorithm.
**Standards**
E5-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Provide a counter table with start and after-action spaces. Students define the counter's job and starting value before writing rules. Partners track each update and check that physical moves stay within four pieces.
Material options: Use pencil tallies for stored values. A paper counter can grow beyond four, while the number of available bricks stays fixed.
**Before you start**
Write it. Trace it. Improve it.: I can write and test an algorithm with two possible paths.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a tiny adventure that keeps score. Invent a brick game with a counter, a repeated action and a choice. Can a partner explain the counter's value after every action?
• Draw a start signal and ordered actions.
• Add a counter, a loop, and an if/otherwise choice.
• Play with a partner. Record the counter after each action.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What is the counter's value before this action?
• Which instruction changes it?
Ask what the counter represents and when it changes. Check the recorded value after each action, including inside a loop. Separate the stored number from the number of physical bricks so legal moves remain possible.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I name a counter and record its starting value.
• I trace how the counter changes through the loop and choice.
Look for: The student demonstrates the listed computing idea and explains a tested improvement.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Trace your counter through two actions.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a paper counter starting at zero. Change it by one per action and record every value.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the update amount or stopping condition. Predict and trace the result without exceeding the physical piece limit.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can track a value as it changes.
**Variable**
A named place for a value that can change.
**Trace**
Follow steps and record what happens.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Create a tiny adventure that keeps score. Invent a brick game with a counter, a repeated action and a choice. Can a partner explain the counter's value after every action?
**Make & try**
1. Draw a start signal and ordered actions.
2. Add a counter, a loop, and an if/otherwise choice.
3. Play with a partner. Record the counter after each action.
**Make it yours**
Decide what the counter means in your adventure. Design a score display whose symbols help a player understand each change.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I name a counter and record its starting value.
• I trace how the counter changes through the loop and choice.
**One last thought**
Trace your counter through two actions.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a paper counter starting at zero. Change it by one per action and record every value.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the update amount or stopping condition. Predict and trace the result without exceeding the physical piece limit.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-5#planner)
---
### Does this job need a computer?
**ID:** technology-impact-5 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing impacts · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A job to do · Compare options · A reasoned choice. Choose tools by the task, access needs and trade-offs, including noncomputing options.
**Standard:** [E5-SOC-HU-18](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Evaluate when computing is or is not an appropriate tool for a problem.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A helpful invention, a human need](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-impact-2#planner) — I can connect a computing invention to a human need.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 5 · Ages 10
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Evaluate when computing is or is not an appropriate tool for a problem.
**Standards**
E5-SOC-HU-18
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read both fictional job briefs. Give one marker to each proposed option and prepare an effort/access/information comparison. Ask who an option excludes as well as what it makes easier.
Material options: Draw the tools and use the supplied fictional numbers. No polling, personal data, devices or network access are needed.
**Before you start**
A helpful invention, a human need: I can connect a computing invention to a human need.
**2. Invite an idea**
Choose tools for two community jobs. Build a decision display that makes the benefits and drawbacks of computing visible.
• Read the two job briefs. Propose a computing and a noncomputing option for each.
• Use four markers for the options. Compare effort, access, and information needs.
• Recommend an option for each job and explain a tradeoff. A mixed approach is allowed.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Fictional jobs: A club must count votes from 200 families over a week, including families with limited internet. Four friends must agree on a turn-taking order for a ten-minute game. Do not collect real names or votes; compare possible tools.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What information does this job need?
• Who might find one option difficult to access?
Use fictional situations and no personal information. There is no required pro-technology answer. Evaluate whether the option fits the task and the people, including privacy or environmental considerations where relevant.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare computing and noncomputing options for both jobs.
• I justify recommendations with benefits and drawbacks.
Look for: Look for two contextual recommendations, each supported by a benefit and a drawback rather than preference alone.
Watch for: Newer or automated does not always mean more suitable. A human decision is still needed about the tool’s purpose.
Exit prompt: Recommend a tool for one job and explain a limitation.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Compare a paper sign-up sheet with a shared digital list. Ask who can access each and what information it needs.
**Extend the thinking**
Change one constraint, such as no internet. Explain whether and why your recommendation changes.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain when a computing tool is a good fit.
**tradeoff**
A benefit gained while giving up something else.
**context**
The people and conditions surrounding a problem.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Choose tools for two community jobs. Build a decision display that makes the benefits and drawbacks of computing visible.
**Your investigation clues**
Fictional jobs: A club must count votes from 200 families over a week, including families with limited internet. Four friends must agree on a turn-taking order for a ten-minute game. Do not collect real names or votes; compare possible tools.
**Make & try**
1. Read the two job briefs. Propose a computing and a noncomputing option for each.
2. Use four markers for the options. Compare effort, access, and information needs.
3. Recommend an option for each job and explain a tradeoff. A mixed approach is allowed.
**Make it yours**
Design a fair comparison display. Use visual emphasis to explain your reasoning rather than to disguise drawbacks.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare computing and noncomputing options for both jobs.
• I justify recommendations with benefits and drawbacks.
**One last thought**
Recommend a tool for one job and explain a limitation.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Compare a paper sign-up sheet with a shared digital list. Ask who can access each and what information it needs.
**Optional learner extension**
Change one constraint, such as no internet. Explain whether and why your recommendation changes.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-impact-5#planner)
## Grade 6 · 10 activities
---
### Make the invisible visible
**ID:** science-6 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Atoms · Bonded arrangements · Models have limits. Models represent atom types and arrangements; brick size and shape are not literal atomic features.
**Standard:** [MS-PS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/ms-ps1-1-matter-and-its-interactions)
**Learning target:** Model the composition of molecules and extended structures.
**Scope:** Partial alignment: molecule/structure models
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Paper labels and teacher-provided composition cards. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Same bricks. New world.](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-2#planner) — I can make new things from the same parts.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model the composition of molecules and extended structures.
**Standards**
MS-PS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Paper labels and teacher-provided composition cards.
Prepare H and O labels plus a card stating H₂O contains two H atoms and one O. Give a second card describing a repeating carbon network. Students reuse four markers and draw continuation beyond them.
Material options: Identical pieces work with paper labels. A drawn line represents a connection; brick shape, color and studs are not atomic properties.
**Before you start**
Same bricks. New world.: I can make new things from the same parts.
**2. Invite an idea**
A science museum needs a model of matter too small to see. Use labeled bricks to explain one water molecule, then reuse them to suggest a repeating carbon network. What can each model show—and leave out?
• Label bricks as atoms. Model H2O: two H atoms and one O.
• Reuse your bricks for a carbon network. Show how the pattern continues.
• Explain one difference between the models and one thing bricks cannot show.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Composition clues: One water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, written H₂O. Diamond contains carbon atoms in a repeating connected network. A four-marker network shows only a tiny part; draw continuation beyond it. Labels and connections are representations, not real atom sizes or colors.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does one model piece represent?
• How is a molecule different from an extended network?
Keep composition distinct from a complete account of molecular geometry. A four-marker sketch cannot show every connection in diamond's three-dimensional network. Ask students to identify a separate water molecule, a continuing network and a limitation of each model.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I distinguish a molecule with a fixed atom count from an extended network.
• I explain a limitation of the brick representation.
Look for: Look for correct atom counts, a repeating network, and a stated model limitation.
Watch for: Bricks are not atom shapes. Toy connections are not chemical bonds.
Exit prompt: Explain one arrangement difference and one model limit.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Label two pieces H and one O before making the water model. Use paper arrows to show a carbon pattern continuing beyond four pieces.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare H2O and CO2 using atom counts. Explain why the same number of atoms does not make them the same substance.
**Teaching scope**
Partial alignment: molecule/structure models
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use models to explain how atoms are arranged.
**Molecule**
A group of atoms bonded together.
**Network**
An extended, repeating arrangement of connected atoms.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Paper labels and teacher-provided composition cards
**Your mission**
A science museum needs a model of matter too small to see. Use labeled bricks to explain one water molecule, then reuse them to suggest a repeating carbon network. What can each model show—and leave out?
**Your investigation clues**
Composition clues: One water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, written H₂O. Diamond contains carbon atoms in a repeating connected network. A four-marker network shows only a tiny part; draw continuation beyond it. Labels and connections are representations, not real atom sizes or colors.
**Make & try**
1. Label bricks as atoms. Model H2O: two H atoms and one O.
2. Reuse your bricks for a carbon network. Show how the pattern continues.
3. Explain one difference between the models and one thing bricks cannot show.
**Make it yours**
Design a museum key that helps a viewer read atoms and connections. Explain which visual choices communicate information and which are only artistic.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I distinguish a molecule with a fixed atom count from an extended network.
• I explain a limitation of the brick representation.
**One last thought**
Explain one arrangement difference and one model limit.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Label two pieces H and one O before making the water model. Use paper arrows to show a carbon pattern continuing beyond four pieces.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare H2O and CO2 using atom counts. Explain why the same number of atoms does not make them the same substance.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-6#planner)
---
### Water takes many routes
**ID:** earth-6 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Water stores · Changes and movement · Many possible routes. Water follows many routes. Solar energy and gravity drive different processes.
**Standard:** [MS-ESS2-4](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ESS2-4)
**Learning target:** Model water cycling through Earth’s systems, driven by energy from the Sun and gravity.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Four parts, one Earth](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-5#planner) — I can explain connections between Earth’s systems.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model water cycling through Earth’s systems, driven by energy from the Sun and gravity.
**Standards**
MS-ESS2-4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Keep the process clues visible and let students choose four reservoirs. Give space for two routes and a key for energy and gravity. Check each named change before students combine it into a journey.
Material options: Draw reservoir labels beside the bricks. No water, ice or heat source is required for the process map.
**Before you start**
Four parts, one Earth: I can explain connections between Earth’s systems.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create two different journeys for a drop of water. Use four reservoir markers and explain what makes the water move or change state.
• Choose and label four places where water can be stored.
• Draw two possible routes with process names and state changes.
• Mark where sunlight supplies energy and gravity drives movement. Explain why there is no single fixed route.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Process clues: Evaporation changes liquid water to vapor using energy. Cooling vapor can condense into droplets. Precipitation falls under gravity. Water can infiltrate soil, flow downhill, freeze, melt, or move through plants. Reservoirs hold water for very different lengths of time.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What drives this movement of water?
• Can you describe a different route from the same starting place?
Require accurate processes, not a decorative circle. Reservoirs can be ocean, atmosphere, ice, groundwater, lake, or organisms. Clarify that condensation releases energy; the Sun powers evaporation, while gravity drives falling and downhill flow.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I label two plausible routes and their processes.
• I correctly connect sunlight and gravity to movement or change.
Look for: Assess two plausible paths with named processes and correct roles for solar energy and gravity.
Watch for: Water does not follow one compulsory sequence. Clouds are tiny droplets or ice crystals, not invisible water vapor.
Exit prompt: Trace a water route and identify its energy source or gravity-driven step.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with ocean, atmosphere, land surface, and groundwater labels. Trace one route before adding an alternative.
**Extend the thinking**
Add storage time differences, such as a storm puddle and glacier. Explain why rates matter in the model.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain different water-cycle routes and their drivers.
**reservoir**
A place where water is stored.
**process**
An action that moves or changes water.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Create two different journeys for a drop of water. Use four reservoir markers and explain what makes the water move or change state.
**Your investigation clues**
Process clues: Evaporation changes liquid water to vapor using energy. Cooling vapor can condense into droplets. Precipitation falls under gravity. Water can infiltrate soil, flow downhill, freeze, melt, or move through plants. Reservoirs hold water for very different lengths of time.
**Make & try**
1. Choose and label four places where water can be stored.
2. Draw two possible routes with process names and state changes.
3. Mark where sunlight supplies energy and gravity drives movement. Explain why there is no single fixed route.
**Make it yours**
Design a map that offers choices rather than one circle. Use visual rhythm to suggest movement while keeping labels accurate.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I label two plausible routes and their processes.
• I correctly connect sunlight and gravity to movement or change.
**One last thought**
Trace a water route and identify its energy source or gravity-driven step.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with ocean, atmosphere, land surface, and groundwater labels. Trace one route before adding an alternative.
**Optional learner extension**
Add storage time differences, such as a storm puddle and glacier. Explain why rates matter in the model.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-6#planner)
---
### A team inside you
**ID:** life-6 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A system's role · An exchange · Another system's role. Body systems interact by exchanging materials and supporting each other's functions.
**Standard:** [MS-LS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-LS1-3)
**Learning target:** Support an explanation that interacting body subsystems contribute to the whole organism.
**Scope:** Argument from supplied evidence about four interacting systems; partial coverage.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Matter on the move](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-5#planner) — I can trace matter through an ecosystem.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Support an explanation that interacting body subsystems contribute to the whole organism.
**Standards**
MS-LS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the four system facts and agree what each marker represents. Students label exchanged materials on their arrows. Require two supporting facts before discussing how a change could affect another system.
Material options: Use drawings or spoken labels for the systems. No body models, medical examples or personal health information are required.
**Before you start**
Matter on the move: I can trace matter through an ecosystem.
**2. Invite an idea**
How does your body help a muscle work? Build a communication map of four body systems and use facts to defend the connections.
• Give your markers digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and muscular roles.
• Draw and label exchanges between the systems using the facts.
• Explain how a problem in one system could affect another. State a limit of the map.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Facts: The digestive system breaks food down and absorbs nutrients. The respiratory system exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment. Blood in the circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients. Muscle cells use these materials to release energy for work; wastes must be transported away.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What is exchanged between these systems?
• How could a problem in one affect another?
Keep the task at system interactions, not memorizing anatomy or diagnosing disease. Ask for a claim, two supporting facts, and reasoning. The map is a functional model, not a picture of where organs sit.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I explain a connection involving at least three systems.
• I support my explanation with two facts and a model limitation.
Look for: Listen for a defensible chain connecting at least three systems and two factual supports.
Watch for: Body systems do not work independently. Food is not carried as whole chunks from the stomach to a muscle.
Exit prompt: Explain one connection between two body systems.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Trace oxygen first: lungs, blood, muscle. Then add the nutrient route in another line style.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a nervous-system signal on paper. Explain how that differs from transporting oxygen or nutrients.
**Teaching scope**
Argument from supplied evidence about four interacting systems; partial coverage.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain how body systems work together.
**subsystem**
A smaller working part of a larger system.
**interaction**
One part affecting another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
How does your body help a muscle work? Build a communication map of four body systems and use facts to defend the connections.
**Your investigation clues**
Facts: The digestive system breaks food down and absorbs nutrients. The respiratory system exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide with the environment. Blood in the circulatory system transports oxygen and nutrients. Muscle cells use these materials to release energy for work; wastes must be transported away.
**Make & try**
1. Give your markers digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and muscular roles.
2. Draw and label exchanges between the systems using the facts.
3. Explain how a problem in one system could affect another. State a limit of the map.
**Make it yours**
Design the map as a clear visual story. Use direction and line style to distinguish different exchanges.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I explain a connection involving at least three systems.
• I support my explanation with two facts and a model limitation.
**One last thought**
Explain one connection between two body systems.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Trace oxygen first: lungs, blood, muscle. Then add the nutrient route in another line style.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a nervous-system signal on paper. Explain how that differs from transporting oxygen or nutrients.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-6#planner)
---
### Tell it with a ratio
**ID:** math-6 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Name the first role · Name the second role · Keep the order. A ratio compares named quantities; the order of the quantities matters.
**Standard:** [6.RP.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/RP/)
**Learning target:** Describe a relationship with a ratio.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A park in four votes](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-2#planner) — I can make and read a graph with a scale of one.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Describe a relationship with a ratio.
**Standards**
6.RP.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Offer four markers and two blank role labels. Ask students to choose what the roles mean before dividing the collection. They write a part-to-part comparison, then reverse it and explain both orders.
Material options: Paper labels make roles clear when all bricks look alike. Draw a larger collection only as an extension.
**Before you start**
A park in four votes: I can make and read a graph with a scale of one.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a tiny place with two kinds of features, such as gardens and gathering spots. Divide four markers between the roles. How does a part-to-part ratio describe your design choices?
• Give bricks two roles using paper labels.
• Use at least one brick for each role.
• Write the part-to-part ratio. Explain each number.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does each number in your ratio count?
• Would reversing the roles change how you write it?
Roles can be anything the learner invents. Labels work even when all bricks share a color. Ask what changes when the comparison is reversed.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I write a ratio in the same order as the named roles.
• I explain each number and the reversed comparison.
Look for: The student names both groups and explains an ordered ratio.
Watch for: A ratio comparing two parts is not a fraction of the whole.
Exit prompt: Explain a part-to-part ratio using named roles.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use one labeled role for one brick and another for three. Say “one __ for every three __” before writing 1:3.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare a part-to-part ratio with a part-to-whole ratio from the same collection. Explain why the numbers differ.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain a ratio.
**Ratio**
A comparison of two amounts in a stated order.
**Part-to-part**
Comparing one group with another group.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Plan a tiny place with two kinds of features, such as gardens and gathering spots. Divide four markers between the roles. How does a part-to-part ratio describe your design choices?
**Make & try**
1. Give bricks two roles using paper labels.
2. Use at least one brick for each role.
3. Write the part-to-part ratio. Explain each number.
**Make it yours**
Choose two roles that give your place a character. Design labels that reveal their relationship without depending on brick color.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I write a ratio in the same order as the named roles.
• I explain each number and the reversed comparison.
**One last thought**
Explain a part-to-part ratio using named roles.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use one labeled role for one brick and another for three. Say “one __ for every three __” before writing 1:3.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare a part-to-part ratio with a part-to-whole ratio from the same collection. Explain why the numbers differ.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-6#planner)
---
### Make the dots tell a story
**ID:** math-data-6 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One observation · One dot · Stack equal values. A dot plot represents every observation, stacking repeated values at the same position.
**Standard:** [6.SP.B.4](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/SP/)
**Learning target:** Display numerical data with a dot plot on a number line.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A park in four votes](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-2#planner) — I can make and read a graph with a scale of one.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Display numerical data with a dot plot on a number line.
**Standards**
6.SP.B.4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Display all eight invented times and prepare an equal-interval number line. Students reuse four markers to sort values, then draw one dot for every observation. Count the finished dots against the list.
Material options: Use ruled paper or a hand-drawn grid. A shared ruler helps spacing; eight physical bricks are not needed.
**Before you start**
A park in four votes: I can make and read a graph with a scale of one.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a dot plot of miniature-build times. Use four brick markers to organize the data, then draw every observation.
• Read the eight example times and choose a labeled number line.
• Use markers to track values while drawing one dot per observation. Stack repeated values.
• Check that all eight observations appear. Describe a cluster or gap.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented practice times in minutes: 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 7. These are not measured pupil performance data.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Where do repeated values belong?
• How will you check that every observation appears?
The bricks assist sorting and do not limit the graph to four dots. Data are invented practice values. Require equal number-line intervals and a named unit; describing the distribution supports, but extends beyond, displaying it.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My plot represents all eight observations accurately.
• I label units and describe a visible feature.
Look for: Check eight dots, correct repeated values, equal intervals, labels, and one accurate description.
Watch for: Repeated values need multiple dots, not one. Unequal spacing changes the visual meaning.
Exit prompt: Show how your dot plot includes all eight observations, including repeated values.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide a number line from 2 to 7 minutes. Cross off each value after plotting it.
**Extend the thinking**
Represent the same data as a histogram with stated intervals. Explain information each display makes easier to see.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can make an accurate dot plot.
**dot plot**
A number-line display with one dot for each observation.
**distribution**
How data values are spread out.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Create a dot plot of miniature-build times. Use four brick markers to organize the data, then draw every observation.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented practice times in minutes: 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4, 6, 7. These are not measured pupil performance data.
**Make & try**
1. Read the eight example times and choose a labeled number line.
2. Use markers to track values while drawing one dot per observation. Stack repeated values.
3. Check that all eight observations appear. Describe a cluster or gap.
**Make it yours**
Design an inviting title and key. Let clarity, not decoration, determine the scale.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My plot represents all eight observations accurately.
• I label units and describe a visible feature.
**One last thought**
Show how your dot plot includes all eight observations, including repeated values.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide a number line from 2 to 7 minutes. Cross off each value after plotting it.
**Optional learner extension**
Represent the same data as a histogram with stated intervals. Explain information each display makes easier to see.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-6#planner)
---
### The hidden amount
**ID:** math-equation-6 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Equations and functions · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** An unknown amount · An equation · Substitute to check. A solution makes an equation true when substituted for its unknown.
**Standard:** [6.EE.B.7](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/6/EE/)
**Learning target:** Write and solve equations of the forms x + p = q and px = q.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Make room for two plans](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-fraction-5#planner) — I can combine fractions with different denominators.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Write and solve equations of the forms x + p = q and px = q.
**Standards**
6.EE.B.7
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Give the two equations in separate story spaces. Students define what x counts before modeling. Keep known quantities on paper and use the four bricks for groups, then check both solutions by substitution.
Material options: Draw quantity marks beside the group labels. No balance scale or eleven-piece collection is required.
**Before you start**
Make room for two plans: I can combine fractions with different denominators.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent two miniature delivery stories with an unknown amount. Use brick labels and drawings to make each equation understandable.
• For one story, start with x + 3 = 11. Draw known and unknown amounts.
• For the other, use 4x = 12. Show four equal groups with your markers.
• Solve both equations and substitute each answer to check it.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Two separate starting equations: x + 3 = 11 and 4x = 12. You choose what the quantities represent; use a different story for each.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does the unknown represent?
• How can substitution check your solution?
Bricks label groups; paper marks show quantities, so four pieces are enough. Keep story units explicit. Ask why the inverse operation preserves the equality.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My drawings and stories match both equation forms.
• I solve each equation and verify it by substitution.
Look for: Check x = 8 and x = 3 in their separate stories, with substitutions and matching model units.
Watch for: The same letter in separate problems need not have the same value. Four x means four equal groups of x.
Exit prompt: Show how you checked one equation solution.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a bar drawing for the total of 11 and its known part of 3. For the second story, draw four equal boxes.
**Extend the thinking**
Create a positive fractional or decimal example of each equation form and justify the solution.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can solve and check a one-step equation.
**variable**
A letter representing a number.
**equation**
A statement that two amounts are equal.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent two miniature delivery stories with an unknown amount. Use brick labels and drawings to make each equation understandable.
**Your investigation clues**
Two separate starting equations: x + 3 = 11 and 4x = 12. You choose what the quantities represent; use a different story for each.
**Make & try**
1. For one story, start with x + 3 = 11. Draw known and unknown amounts.
2. For the other, use 4x = 12. Show four equal groups with your markers.
3. Solve both equations and substitute each answer to check it.
**Make it yours**
Invent characters and a setting that make the unknown amount worth discovering.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My drawings and stories match both equation forms.
• I solve each equation and verify it by substitution.
**One last thought**
Show how you checked one equation solution.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a bar drawing for the total of 11 and its known part of 3. For the second story, draw four equal boxes.
**Optional learner extension**
Create a positive fractional or decimal example of each equation form and justify the solution.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equation-6#planner)
---
### Write the landmark brief
**ID:** engineering-6 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Users and purpose · Measurable criteria · Constraints. A precise design brief states who it serves, what success means and which limits apply.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Define precise criteria and constraints, including impacts on people or the environment.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Choose a shared landmark](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-5#planner) — I can compare solutions and justify a choice.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Define precise criteria and constraints, including impacts on people or the environment.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler.
Measure a paper site and mark a clear route. Learners name users before agreeing two measurable criteria and three constraints. Reserve time for another pair to question the brief before a final revision.
Material options: A shared ruler and drawn visitor symbols are sufficient. Do not infer real structural safety or access compliance from the model.
**Before you start**
Choose a shared landmark: I can compare solutions and justify a choice.
**2. Invite an idea**
Write a brief for a landmark in an imagined public space. Use a four-brick model to explore needs before committing to a design.
• Name intended users and a purpose. Define two measurable criteria and three constraints.
• Sketch two ideas and use the bricks to explore a space or access issue.
• Revise the brief after feedback. Explain an impact and one piece of missing information.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which need can you express as a measurable criterion?
• What information is still missing from the brief?
Include a material limit of four bricks, a measured site boundary, and a marked clear route. Learners define feasible criteria, such as stand time and recognizable viewing directions. Treat the model as a planning tool, not proof of real structural safety or accessibility.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My brief distinguishes criteria from constraints.
• I explain an impact and information still needed.
Look for: Assess a revised brief with precise criteria, constraints, a user/environment consideration, and an evidence need.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: State one criterion, one constraint and one unanswered question.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use separate boxes for goals and limits. Start with who needs to move through the space.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Connect visual form to an intended public meaning.
Look for: The learner annotates two visual choices and explains how each supports the intended meaning.
**Extend the thinking**
Introduce a competing user priority and negotiate the brief. Explain whose needs remain unresolved.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can write a precise design brief.
**criterion**
A condition used to judge success.
**constraint**
A limit a design must work within.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler
**Your mission**
Write a brief for a landmark in an imagined public space. Use a four-brick model to explore needs before committing to a design.
**Make & try**
1. Name intended users and a purpose. Define two measurable criteria and three constraints.
2. Sketch two ideas and use the bricks to explore a space or access issue.
3. Revise the brief after feedback. Explain an impact and one piece of missing information.
**Make it yours**
Plan two visual choices that express what the landmark means to its users.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My brief distinguishes criteria from constraints.
• I explain an impact and information still needed.
**One last thought**
State one criterion, one constraint and one unanswered question.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use separate boxes for goals and limits. Start with who needs to move through the space.
**Optional learner extension**
Introduce a competing user priority and negotiate the brief. Explain whose needs remain unresolved.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-6#planner)
---
### Plan a route for rain
**ID:** engineering-problem-6 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Site needs · Possible routes · Limits and impacts. Define the problem and its site constraints before recommending a route.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-1)
**Learning target:** Define a design problem with precise criteria, constraints, and relevant impacts.
**Scope:** Problem definition and planning model; not validation of a real drainage system.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler or a teacher-prepared site plan with a two-centimeter path. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A sorting station that makes sense](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-5#planner) — I can compare design ideas using agreed criteria.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Define a design problem with precise criteria, constraints, and relevant impacts.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler or a teacher-prepared site plan with a two-centimeter path.
Draw the supplied courtyard outline, protected planted zone and two-centimeter path. Leave the routes blank. Learners agree checks before comparing two ideas, including how they handle the walking route.
Material options: Add a ruler to mark the two-centimeter path, or provide a correctly measured outline. Use pencil routes; no water or drainage equipment is needed.
**Before you start**
A sorting station that makes sense: I can compare design ideas using agreed criteria.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a model rain route for an imaginary courtyard. Use four markers for design features and write a brief another designer could follow.
• Read the site brief. Choose measurable criteria and list material, space, and environmental constraints.
• Draw two possible routes from roof to collection area. Use markers to explore choices.
• Check each route against the brief. Explain a tradeoff and an unanswered question.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Imaginary courtyard: a roof edge is at the top of a paper plan; a collection area is at the lower right; a two-centimeter-wide walking path crosses the center; a planted zone must remain undisturbed. Use at most four feature markers and one paper sheet. Draw routes; do not pour water.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What must a successful route accomplish?
• Which environmental limit affects your choices?
This is a paper planning model with supplied site information, not a real drainage design or a water experiment. Require criteria before choosing a route and attention to the garden and path. No actual flow capacity can be inferred.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My brief separates measurable criteria from constraints.
• I explain a tradeoff and information needed before a real design.
Look for: Check at least two precise criteria, three constraints, and a reasoned discussion of an environmental or user impact.
Watch for: A line sloping down on a drawing does not establish real flow capacity or flood safety.
Exit prompt: Explain a route choice and an unresolved question.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a criteria/constraints table. Start with the open path requirement and mark forbidden crossings.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the collection-area location. Explain how the criteria remain stable while possible solutions change.
**Teaching scope**
Problem definition and planning model; not validation of a real drainage system.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can define an engineering problem before choosing a solution.
**criterion**
A measurable condition for success.
**constraint**
A limit on possible solutions.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler or a teacher-prepared site plan with a two-centimeter path
**Your mission**
Plan a model rain route for an imaginary courtyard. Use four markers for design features and write a brief another designer could follow.
**Your investigation clues**
Imaginary courtyard: a roof edge is at the top of a paper plan; a collection area is at the lower right; a two-centimeter-wide walking path crosses the center; a planted zone must remain undisturbed. Use at most four feature markers and one paper sheet. Draw routes; do not pour water.
**Make & try**
1. Read the site brief. Choose measurable criteria and list material, space, and environmental constraints.
2. Draw two possible routes from roof to collection area. Use markers to explore choices.
3. Check each route against the brief. Explain a tradeoff and an unanswered question.
**Make it yours**
Make a readable site plan that expresses a welcoming courtyard while making its constraints visible.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My brief separates measurable criteria from constraints.
• I explain a tradeoff and information needed before a real design.
**One last thought**
Explain a route choice and an unresolved question.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a criteria/constraints table. Start with the open path requirement and mark forbidden crossings.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the collection-area location. Explain how the criteria remain stable while possible solutions change.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-6#planner)
---
### Numbers, yes, and no
**ID:** technology-6 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Number variable · True/false variable · Record each update. Variable types describe the kinds of values a program stores and uses.
**Standard:** [MS-ALG-PS-01](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Use variables with different data types.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [The changing counter](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-5#planner) — I can track a value as it changes.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use variables with different data types.
**Standards**
MS-ALG-PS-01
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Provide a two-column state table. Students choose a number variable and a true/false variable, define starting values, then write when each changes. Partners trace one full play-through before revising.
Material options: Use 0/1 or yes/no cards if the vocabulary is new, then connect them to true/false. No computer is needed.
**Before you start**
The changing counter: I can track a value as it changes.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent an adventure that remembers a number and whether a goal is complete. Design a brick game with one number variable and one true/false variable. Can a partner trace how both change?
• Name a number variable and a true/false variable.
• Write game rules that update both. Set a limit using your brick count.
• Play and make a table showing how both values change.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which value is a number and which is true or false?
• When does each value change?
Ask why one stored value needs a number and the other needs true/false. Trace starting values and every update. A condition may read either variable; changing a number does not automatically change the Boolean unless a rule says so.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My rules use a number variable and a Boolean variable.
• My trace records updates to both values consistently.
Look for: The student demonstrates the listed computing idea and explains a tested improvement.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Explain why your two variables have different types.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a number for turns and true/false for “finished.” Record both after each action.
**Extend the thinking**
Find an input that changes the Boolean at a boundary value. Explain why the update order matters.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use different types of variables.
**Number variable**
A stored number that can change.
**Boolean**
A value that is either true or false.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Invent an adventure that remembers a number and whether a goal is complete. Design a brick game with one number variable and one true/false variable. Can a partner trace how both change?
**Make & try**
1. Name a number variable and a true/false variable.
2. Write game rules that update both. Set a limit using your brick count.
3. Play and make a table showing how both values change.
**Make it yours**
Give the two variables distinct visual signals in your game's world. Make the difference between an amount and a yes-or-no state clear.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My rules use a number variable and a Boolean variable.
• My trace records updates to both values consistently.
**One last thought**
Explain why your two variables have different types.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a number for turns and true/false for “finished.” Record both after each action.
**Optional learner extension**
Find an input that changes the Boolean at a boundary value. Explain why the update order matters.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-6#planner)
---
### Same data, different impression
**ID:** technology-data-6 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Data · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Same data · Different display choices · Different impressions. Scale, labels and presentation can change how a reader interprets the same data.
**Standard:** [MS-DAT-DI-26](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Evaluate how visualization choices affect interpretation, clarity, and accuracy.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [One collection, two clues](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-data-3#planner) — I can investigate a question using more than one data feature.
- [Make the dots tell a story](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-6#planner) — I can make an accurate dot plot.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 6 · Ages 11
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Evaluate how visualization choices affect interpretation, clarity, and accuracy.
**Standards**
MS-DAT-DI-26
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Provide two blank graph spaces and the same four values for both. Require units and visible axis limits. Ask readers to describe the impression before revealing the design choice under investigation.
Material options: Hand-drawn grids replace graph paper. Students can vary order or symbols instead of truncating an axis; every graph must show its scale.
**Before you start**
One collection, two clues: I can investigate a question using more than one data feature.
Make the dots tell a story: I can make an accurate dot plot.
**2. Invite an idea**
Tell the same data story in two ways. Which display helps a reader make a fair comparison, and which choice might mislead?
• Read the four values. Create two labeled graphs with a deliberate design difference.
• Use brick markers to compare corresponding values. Ask a partner what each graph suggests.
• Revise one graph for clearer, more accessible interpretation. Explain the change.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented visitor counts for four exhibits: A 40, B 42, C 44, D 46. These are practice values, not analytics from a real exhibition.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What stayed the same between your two graphs?
• How did the design affect your partner's interpretation?
Use identical data in both graphs. Pupils can compare a zero-based bar graph with a clearly labeled truncated-axis version, or change order and symbol design. Explicitly discuss why bar lengths normally need a zero baseline. Do not present a misleading graph without identifying it.
**4. Quick assessment**
• Both displays preserve the same four values.
• I explain and improve a design choice that affects interpretation.
Look for: Assess unchanged values, an explanation of the visual effect, and a justified revision supporting accurate reading.
Watch for: A visually dramatic difference does not mean the underlying numerical difference changed.
Exit prompt: Explain a graph change that makes the data clearer.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide two axis scales for the same values. Ask the reader to calculate a difference before judging the picture.
**Extend the thinking**
Redesign so a reader can distinguish categories without color. Explain the accessibility gain.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain how graph design changes a reader’s impression.
**visualization**
A visual representation of data.
**baseline**
A reference level from which values are shown.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Tell the same data story in two ways. Which display helps a reader make a fair comparison, and which choice might mislead?
**Your investigation clues**
Invented visitor counts for four exhibits: A 40, B 42, C 44, D 46. These are practice values, not analytics from a real exhibition.
**Make & try**
1. Read the four values. Create two labeled graphs with a deliberate design difference.
2. Use brick markers to compare corresponding values. Ask a partner what each graph suggests.
3. Revise one graph for clearer, more accessible interpretation. Explain the change.
**Make it yours**
Treat clarity as a design goal. Use typography, spacing, and symbols to make the evidence inviting and honest.
**You’ve got it when…**
• Both displays preserve the same four values.
• I explain and improve a design choice that affects interpretation.
**One last thought**
Explain a graph change that makes the data clearer.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide two axis scales for the same values. Ask the reader to calculate a difference before judging the picture.
**Optional learner extension**
Redesign so a reader can distinguish categories without color. Explain the accessibility gain.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-data-6#planner)
## Grade 7 · 10 activities
---
### A force, a mass, a change
**ID:** science-7 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Change one variable · Measure a response · Control and repeat. A fair investigation specifies variables, controls, measurements and repeated trials.
**Standard:** [MS-PS2-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-PS2-2)
**Learning target:** Plan an investigation of how net force and mass affect changes in motion.
**Scope:** Investigation planning and qualitative pilot; no quantitative force or acceleration measurement.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Shallow tray; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Stay still. Start moving.](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-3#planner) — I can explain how pushes affect motion.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Plan an investigation of how net force and mass affect changes in motion.
**Standards**
MS-PS2-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Shallow tray; Ruler.
Choose a low traveler and a tray that contains gentle slides. Learners state a force-or-mass question before a pilot. Provide separate spaces for the planned measurement, controls and limitations of hand pushes.
Material options: A box lid and shared ruler work. Distance observations inform a plan; they do not substitute for measuring acceleration or equal forces.
**Before you start**
Stay still. Start moving.: I can explain how pushes affect motion.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a motion investigation using a small brick traveler. What must stay the same to compare different pushes or different masses fairly?
• Build a low traveler that slides inside a tray. Choose a question about force or mass.
• Write a plan with a changed variable, measured response, controls, and repeated trials. Try a gentle pilot test.
• Revise the plan after the pilot. Explain what stronger evidence or better measuring tools would be needed.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which variable will you deliberately change?
• What better evidence would your investigation need?
The target is planning an investigation. Hand pushes cannot establish equal measured forces, and travel distance is not acceleration. Use the pilot to notice these limits. Ask how a force sensor and time-position measurements could improve a future test; these devices are not required today.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My plan identifies a variable, response, controls, and repetitions.
• I explain a measurement limitation and a way to improve the plan.
Look for: Assess a plan distinguishing force, mass, and motion; controlled variables; repetitions; and a limitation revealed by the pilot.
Watch for: A farther slide alone does not measure acceleration or prove a quantitative force–mass relationship.
Exit prompt: Identify your changed variable, response and one control.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Focus only on the same traveler with different gentle pushes. Provide headings: change, keep, observe, repeat.
**Extend the thinking**
Plan how position at equal time intervals could reveal changes in speed. Explain why mass and net force must be treated separately.
**Teaching scope**
Investigation planning and qualitative pilot; no quantitative force or acceleration measurement.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can plan a fair investigation of changes in motion.
**net force**
The combined effect of forces acting on an object.
**mass**
A measure of the amount of matter in an object.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Shallow tray. Ruler
**Your mission**
Plan a motion investigation using a small brick traveler. What must stay the same to compare different pushes or different masses fairly?
**Make & try**
1. Build a low traveler that slides inside a tray. Choose a question about force or mass.
2. Write a plan with a changed variable, measured response, controls, and repeated trials. Try a gentle pilot test.
3. Revise the plan after the pilot. Explain what stronger evidence or better measuring tools would be needed.
**Make it yours**
Invent a traveler with a purpose and a distinctive shape. Explain which design choices must stay fixed during a fair comparison.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My plan identifies a variable, response, controls, and repetitions.
• I explain a measurement limitation and a way to improve the plan.
**One last thought**
Identify your changed variable, response and one control.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Focus only on the same traveler with different gentle pushes. Provide headings: change, keep, observe, repeat.
**Optional learner extension**
Plan how position at equal time intervals could reveal changes in speed. Explain why mass and net force must be treated separately.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-7#planner)
---
### Fast change, slow change
**ID:** earth-7 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A land-changing process · Time scale · Space scale. Earth processes reshape landscapes over different lengths of time and areas.
**Standard:** [MS-ESS2-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ESS2-2)
**Learning target:** Explain how geoscience processes change Earth’s surface at different time and space scales.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Water takes many routes](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-6#planner) — I can explain different water-cycle routes and their drivers.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Explain how geoscience processes change Earth’s surface at different time and space scales.
**Standards**
MS-ESS2-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read both landscape scenarios and separate their evidence from imagined details. Fold paper into two before/after pairs. Students label process, time scale and spatial scale before explaining the comparison.
Material options: Draw the landscapes and use bricks as scene markers. Soil, rocks, moving water and a physical landslide demonstration are unnecessary.
**Before you start**
Water takes many routes: I can explain different water-cycle routes and their drivers.
**2. Invite an idea**
Build two landscape storyboards: one changes quickly, one over a long time. Use evidence clues to explain both changes.
• Choose the two supplied scenarios. Mark before and after scenes using four markers.
• Draw arrows for processes, then label time and space scales.
• Explain how both scenarios reshape land. Separate observations from your imagined details.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Teaching scenarios: A rain-triggered landslide moves rock and soil down part of a hillside in minutes, leaving a fresh scar and debris below. Over centuries, a river erodes and transports material along a valley, changing banks and depositing sediment downstream. Exact sizes and rates depend on the setting.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What evidence suggests a fast or slow process?
• How do the affected areas differ in scale?
The scenarios are qualitative teaching examples, not dated field records. Ask which process, scale, and evidence support each explanation. A small physical model does not speed up the real process or demonstrate its full mechanism.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I name a process and evidence clue for each change.
• I compare both time and spatial scales accurately.
Look for: Look for a process-based explanation of both scenarios, with contrasting time scales and spatial extents.
Watch for: Slow processes can produce large changes; rapid events are not the only causes of landscape change.
Exit prompt: Compare two landscape changes by time and space scale.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a two-column record: process, time, area affected, evidence. Fill the first process together.
**Extend the thinking**
Explain how a rapid event could alter a river’s long-term path. Identify the observations needed to test the explanation.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain landscape changes at different scales.
**time scale**
The length of time a process or change spans.
**spatial scale**
The size of the area involved.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Build two landscape storyboards: one changes quickly, one over a long time. Use evidence clues to explain both changes.
**Your investigation clues**
Teaching scenarios: A rain-triggered landslide moves rock and soil down part of a hillside in minutes, leaving a fresh scar and debris below. Over centuries, a river erodes and transports material along a valley, changing banks and depositing sediment downstream. Exact sizes and rates depend on the setting.
**Make & try**
1. Choose the two supplied scenarios. Mark before and after scenes using four markers.
2. Draw arrows for processes, then label time and space scales.
3. Explain how both scenarios reshape land. Separate observations from your imagined details.
**Make it yours**
Use contrasting compositions to suggest sudden and gradual change. Keep imagined details distinct from evidence labels.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I name a process and evidence clue for each change.
• I compare both time and spatial scales accurately.
**One last thought**
Compare two landscape changes by time and space scale.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a two-column record: process, time, area affected, evidence. Fill the first process together.
**Optional learner extension**
Explain how a rapid event could alter a river’s long-term path. Identify the observations needed to test the explanation.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-7#planner)
---
### When resources change
**ID:** life-7 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Resource observations · Population observations · Relationship and limits. A data relationship can support an explanation without proving a single cause.
**Standard:** [MS-LS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-LS2-1)
**Learning target:** Analyze data about how resource availability relates to a population.
**Scope:** Analysis of supplied example data; does not establish a real ecological causal result.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A team inside you](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-6#planner) — I can explain how body systems work together.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Analyze data about how resource availability relates to a population.
**Standards**
MS-LS2-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Give the four paired values with their units and index definition. Prepare axes for food index and rabbit count. Students cite pairs before proposing an explanation, then name information the scenario omits.
Material options: A hand-drawn grid is sufficient. These are supplied fictional data; pupils do not observe or handle animals.
**Before you start**
A team inside you: I can explain how body systems work together.
**2. Invite an idea**
Build a tabletop data display. What might changing food resources mean for a rabbit population? Use evidence and leave room for uncertainty.
• Place four markers on a graph of the example data.
• Describe the relationship between food index and population. Cite two pairs.
• Suggest an explanation and another factor to investigate. Explain what this small dataset cannot prove.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented practice data from four comparable habitats: food availability index 1, 2, 3, 4; rabbit counts 8, 14, 18, 19 respectively. The index is a relative score, not a mass. No other habitat conditions are supplied.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which two data pairs support your description?
• What other factor could affect population?
The numbers are invented practice data, not observations of a real ecosystem. Discuss resource limits and alternative explanations. Do not describe correlation alone as proof of cause or a prediction for every ecosystem.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I cite two data pairs to describe a pattern.
• I explain a possible cause and a limit of the evidence.
Look for: Collect a labeled plot and a claim with two numerical supports, an ecological explanation, and a limitation.
Watch for: More food does not guarantee unlimited population growth; space, disease, predators, and other factors can matter.
Exit prompt: Describe the relationship and why it does not prove a cause.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide labeled axes and plot the first pair together. Ask whether both values generally rise or fall.
**Extend the thinking**
Invent a clearly labeled counterexample scenario involving a different limiting resource. Explain what extra data would test it.
**Teaching scope**
Analysis of supplied example data; does not establish a real ecological causal result.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use data to explain a possible resource–population relationship.
**resource**
Something organisms need or use.
**limiting factor**
A condition that restricts growth or survival.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Build a tabletop data display. What might changing food resources mean for a rabbit population? Use evidence and leave room for uncertainty.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented practice data from four comparable habitats: food availability index 1, 2, 3, 4; rabbit counts 8, 14, 18, 19 respectively. The index is a relative score, not a mass. No other habitat conditions are supplied.
**Make & try**
1. Place four markers on a graph of the example data.
2. Describe the relationship between food index and population. Cite two pairs.
3. Suggest an explanation and another factor to investigate. Explain what this small dataset cannot prove.
**Make it yours**
Make the evidence easy to read. Choose a title, spacing, and symbols that express uncertainty honestly.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I cite two data pairs to describe a pattern.
• I explain a possible cause and a limit of the evidence.
**One last thought**
Describe the relationship and why it does not prove a cause.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide labeled axes and plot the first pair together. Ask whether both values generally rise or fall.
**Optional learner extension**
Invent a clearly labeled counterexample scenario involving a different limiting resource. Explain what extra data would test it.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-7#planner)
---
### A world that grows
**ID:** math-7 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Constant ratio · Table of pairs · Graph through origin. A proportional relationship has a constant ratio and a graph through the origin.
**Standard:** [7.RP.A.2](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/7/RP/)
**Learning target:** Analyze a proportional relationship.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Tell it with a ratio](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-6#planner) — I can explain a ratio.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Analyze a proportional relationship.
**Standards**
7.RP.A.2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Ask students to choose two roles and state which quantity is x and which is y. Use four bricks for one example. Leave table and graph space for larger drawn examples and the origin.
Material options: Paper drawings extend the collection without more bricks. A ruled grid and labeled axes replace printed graph paper.
**Before you start**
Tell it with a ratio: I can explain a ratio.
**2. Invite an idea**
Your miniature world is expanding. Keep the same relationship between two kinds of places as it grows. Use a table and graph to show a plan that works at more than one scale.
• Label two brick roles. Build one small example.
• Draw two larger versions on paper with the same ratio.
• Make a table and graph. Explain the constant ratio and origin.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What ratio stays constant?
• What does the origin mean in your situation?
Use bricks for one example and drawings for larger versions. Plot the origin. Ask what the constant of proportionality means in the invented world.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My table and graph preserve a constant ratio.
• I explain the origin and constant of proportionality in context.
Look for: Three scale pairs and the origin show a constant ratio, explained in context.
Watch for: Adding the same number to both groups usually changes their ratio.
Exit prompt: Explain how your table or graph shows proportionality.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with one role paired with two of another. Draw scaled copies and a table before graphing.
**Extend the thinking**
Add a fixed starting amount to one role. Explain why that new relationship is no longer proportional.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain a proportional relationship.
**Proportional**
Two amounts linked by the same multiplying factor.
**Constant**
A value that stays the same.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Your miniature world is expanding. Keep the same relationship between two kinds of places as it grows. Use a table and graph to show a plan that works at more than one scale.
**Make & try**
1. Label two brick roles. Build one small example.
2. Draw two larger versions on paper with the same ratio.
3. Make a table and graph. Explain the constant ratio and origin.
**Make it yours**
Invent a visual pattern that still feels like the same place at different scales. Keep the mathematical relationship readable beneath the story.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My table and graph preserve a constant ratio.
• I explain the origin and constant of proportionality in context.
**One last thought**
Explain how your table or graph shows proportionality.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with one role paired with two of another. Draw scaled copies and a table before graphing.
**Optional learner extension**
Add a fixed starting amount to one role. Explain why that new relationship is no longer proportional.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-7#planner)
---
### A fair draw, an uncertain result
**ID:** math-data-7 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Predict probability · Repeat fair trials · Compare frequencies. Experimental frequencies can differ from a probability model, especially with few trials.
**Standard:** [7.SP.C.7.a](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/7/SP/)
**Learning target:** Develop a uniform probability model and use it to predict event probabilities.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Opaque cup; Four equal-size folded paper tokens. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Make the dots tell a story](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-6#planner) — I can make an accurate dot plot.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Develop a uniform probability model and use it to predict event probabilities.
**Standards**
7.SP.C.7.a
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Opaque cup; Four equal-size folded paper tokens.
Check four tokens for matching size, folds and feel. Agree one outcome to count before drawing. Prepare twenty record boxes and rehearse returning and mixing the token after every draw.
Material options: An opaque bag can replace the cup. Use equal paper tokens, not different-shaped bricks, for the hidden draw.
**Before you start**
Make the dots tell a story: I can make an accurate dot plot.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a fair paper-token game. Use your four bricks as outcome stations, then compare a probability model with repeated draws.
• Make four same-size folded paper tokens labeled A, B, C, D. Give each outcome a station.
• Predict the probability of one chosen outcome. Mix, draw without looking, record, replace, and repeat 20 times.
• Compare the observed fraction with your prediction. Explain why they may differ.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Why must the token be replaced each time?
• Must a short experiment exactly match the predicted probability?
Use indistinguishable folded tokens in an opaque cup, not differently shaped bricks, to support the equal-likelihood assumption. Have pupils alternate drawing and recording. Replacement and mixing matter. Twenty trials illustrate variation, not proof of fairness.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I justify my predicted probability using equally likely outcomes.
• I compare the tally with the model without expecting exact agreement.
Look for: Check a justified 1/4 model for one outcome, a complete tally, and a reason results need not be exactly 5 of 20.
Watch for: An outcome that has not appeared is not “due” on the next independent draw.
Exit prompt: Explain a difference between your prediction and your trial results.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Model the replace-and-mix routine once. Provide a four-row tally table.
**Extend the thinking**
Define a two-outcome winning event and predict its probability. Compare class results while discussing sample size.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can compare a probability model with experimental results.
**probability**
A number from 0 to 1 describing how likely an event is.
**uniform model**
A model assigning equal probability to each outcome.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Opaque cup. Four equal-size folded paper tokens
**Your mission**
Design a fair paper-token game. Use your four bricks as outcome stations, then compare a probability model with repeated draws.
**Make & try**
1. Make four same-size folded paper tokens labeled A, B, C, D. Give each outcome a station.
2. Predict the probability of one chosen outcome. Mix, draw without looking, record, replace, and repeat 20 times.
3. Compare the observed fraction with your prediction. Explain why they may differ.
**Make it yours**
Create a game story and distinct outcome symbols. Keep the hidden tokens indistinguishable by touch.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I justify my predicted probability using equally likely outcomes.
• I compare the tally with the model without expecting exact agreement.
**One last thought**
Explain a difference between your prediction and your trial results.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Model the replace-and-mix routine once. Provide a four-row tally table.
**Optional learner extension**
Define a two-outcome winning event and predict its probability. Compare class results while discussing sample size.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-7#planner)
---
### A plan with a fixed cost
**ID:** math-equation-7 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Equations and functions · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** A fixed amount · A repeated amount · A total. Translate a situation into an equation by identifying fixed and repeated amounts.
**Standard:** [7.EE.B.4.a](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/7/EE/)
**Learning target:** Model and solve an equation of the form px + q = r.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [The hidden amount](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equation-6#planner) — I can solve and check a one-step equation.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model and solve an equation of the form px + q = r.
**Standards**
7.EE.B.4.a
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Display the fixed fee, per-display cost and total separately. Students define x in a sentence, write the equation, and use a paper model to explain each inverse operation before checking the answer.
Material options: Use drawn groups when the solution needs more than four displays. The bricks mark stages; they are not a spending limit.
**Before you start**
The hidden amount: I can solve and check a one-step equation.
**2. Invite an idea**
Plan a miniature exhibition with a fixed setup cost and equal costs per display. How many displays fit the total?
• Use the brief to write 3x + 5 = 20. Define x and its unit.
• Create a paper model with brick markers for groups or stages. Solve and explain each step.
• Substitute the solution and explain whether it makes sense in the story.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Fictional exhibition brief: setup costs 5 tokens once; each display costs 3 tokens; total available is 20 tokens. Let x be the number of displays.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which cost happens once and which repeats?
• Does your solution make sense in the story?
Compare an arithmetic approach with an equation: subtract the fixed cost, then share the remainder among equal costs. Bricks need not equal the number of displays. Keep the equality balanced when explaining transformations.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I distinguish the fixed cost from the repeated cost.
• I justify and check a two-step solution in context.
Look for: Look for x = 5, a justified two-step solution, and a contextual check that 3(5) + 5 = 20.
Watch for: The setup cost is paid once, not for every display. 3x + 5 differs from 3(x + 5).
Exit prompt: Explain the role of each term in your equation.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a bar for 20, mark off the fixed 5, then divide the remaining 15 into groups of 3.
**Extend the thinking**
Change the budget so the algebraic solution is not a whole number. Discuss what that means when displays must be whole.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can solve a two-step equation and explain it in a story.
**fixed cost**
An amount that stays the same as the number of items changes.
**solution**
A value that makes an equation true.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Plan a miniature exhibition with a fixed setup cost and equal costs per display. How many displays fit the total?
**Your investigation clues**
Fictional exhibition brief: setup costs 5 tokens once; each display costs 3 tokens; total available is 20 tokens. Let x be the number of displays.
**Make & try**
1. Use the brief to write 3x + 5 = 20. Define x and its unit.
2. Create a paper model with brick markers for groups or stages. Solve and explain each step.
3. Substitute the solution and explain whether it makes sense in the story.
**Make it yours**
Design the exhibition’s theme and layout. Keep your creative choices separate from the cost calculation.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I distinguish the fixed cost from the repeated cost.
• I justify and check a two-step solution in context.
**One last thought**
Explain the role of each term in your equation.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a bar for 20, mark off the fixed 5, then divide the remaining 15 into groups of 3.
**Optional learner extension**
Change the budget so the algebraic solution is not a whole number. Discuss what that means when displays must be whole.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equation-7#planner)
---
### A town square with tradeoffs
**ID:** engineering-7 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Agree criteria · Set weights · Compare weighted evidence. Agree priorities before evaluating designs and examine how they influence the decision.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Write the landmark brief](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-6#planner) — I can write a precise design brief.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler.
Agree criteria, score thresholds and weights before testing. Trial feasible standing and footprint measures using the available pieces. Keep the original scores when changing weights so students can compare recommendations fairly.
Material options: A shared ruler and timer or teacher count work. A hand-drawn scoring table replaces a spreadsheet.
**Before you start**
Write the landmark brief: I can write a precise design brief.
**2. Invite an idea**
Which landmark belongs in a crowded square? Compare two four-brick designs with a scoring method that makes priorities visible.
• Agree on two measurable criteria and their weights before building.
• Test both designs using the same standing test and footprint measurements. Record scores.
• Recommend a design, then change the weights and explain whether the decision changes.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Why did you choose these weights?
• Does changing a priority change the recommendation?
Keep a ten-second standing test and measured footprint. Define score thresholds before tests and check they are feasible with the actual pieces. Weighted scores support a decision but do not make the chosen priorities objective facts.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I apply a stated scoring method to both designs.
• I explain how changing priorities can change the recommendation.
Look for: Check transparent thresholds, consistent measurements, correct scores, and an explanation of how priorities affect the conclusion.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Explain how the priorities influenced your decision.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with equal weights and a simple 0–2 scale. Calculate one row together.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Use visual hierarchy to guide a viewer’s attention.
Look for: The learner identifies a focal feature and explains how scale, spacing, or contrast creates emphasis.
**Extend the thinking**
Add measurement uncertainty or tied scores. Explain when more testing is better than forcing a winner.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can evaluate design tradeoffs systematically.
**evidence**
Information from observations or tests.
**tradeoff**
A gain in one goal that may reduce another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler
**Your mission**
Which landmark belongs in a crowded square? Compare two four-brick designs with a scoring method that makes priorities visible.
**Make & try**
1. Agree on two measurable criteria and their weights before building.
2. Test both designs using the same standing test and footprint measurements. Record scores.
3. Recommend a design, then change the weights and explain whether the decision changes.
**Make it yours**
Choose a focal feature. Use scale, spacing, or contrast to guide a viewer’s eye.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I apply a stated scoring method to both designs.
• I explain how changing priorities can change the recommendation.
**One last thought**
Explain how the priorities influenced your decision.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with equal weights and a simple 0–2 scale. Calculate one row together.
**Optional learner extension**
Add measurement uncertainty or tied scores. Explain when more testing is better than forcing a winner.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-7#planner)
---
### A shelter that can pack away
**ID:** engineering-problem-7 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Support a load · Pack into space · Compare the trade-off. A design can improve one requirement while making another harder to satisfy.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-2)
**Learning target:** Evaluate competing designs systematically against criteria and constraints.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler; Extra paper for a light test load. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Plan a route for rain](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-6#planner) — I can define an engineering problem before choosing a solution.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Evaluate competing designs systematically against criteria and constraints.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler; Extra paper for a light test load.
Prepare one design sheet and a separate, very light folded-paper load. Agree ten-second support and packed-footprint checks, including every piece in storage size. Learners test both versions with the same load.
Material options: Use ordinary paper and a shared ruler. Keep tests low on the table; do not replace the paper load with heavy objects.
**Before you start**
Plan a route for rain: I can define an engineering problem before choosing a solution.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a tiny paper shelter that can pack flat. Compare two solutions for supporting a light paper load and fitting a storage space.
• Agree on a scoring table for load support and packed size. Use one paper sheet and up to four bricks.
• Test both designs with the same folded-paper load for ten seconds. Measure each packed footprint.
• Use the scores to recommend a design. Explain the tradeoff behind the choice.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What is gained and lost when the packed size changes?
• Are both designs being tested under the same conditions?
Paper shelters stay at tabletop height. Define the load before testing, such as the same small folded paper booklet; no heavy weights. Bricks may be reused supports, and the packed footprint includes all materials. Agree criterion weights before seeing results.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare both designs using the same tests and agreed scores.
• I explain how priorities affect my recommendation.
Look for: Check consistent tests, recorded scores for both criteria, and a recommendation explaining how weighting affects the choice.
Watch for: A total score hides priorities unless the criteria and weights are stated.
Exit prompt: Explain a trade-off between support and packed size.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a two-row table with pass/fail load and smaller/larger packed footprint before assigning scores.
**Extend the thinking**
Recommend a design for a different priority, such as storage first. Explain whether the winning design changes.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can evaluate tradeoffs with a clear scoring method.
**tradeoff**
A gain in one goal that may reduce another.
**weighting**
Giving some criteria more influence in a decision.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler. Extra paper for a light test load
**Your mission**
Design a tiny paper shelter that can pack flat. Compare two solutions for supporting a light paper load and fitting a storage space.
**Make & try**
1. Agree on a scoring table for load support and packed size. Use one paper sheet and up to four bricks.
2. Test both designs with the same folded-paper load for ten seconds. Measure each packed footprint.
3. Use the scores to recommend a design. Explain the tradeoff behind the choice.
**Make it yours**
Give the shelter an expressive form. Explain where aesthetic choices help or compete with packing and support goals.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare both designs using the same tests and agreed scores.
• I explain how priorities affect my recommendation.
**One last thought**
Explain a trade-off between support and packed size.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a two-row table with pass/fail load and smaller/larger packed footprint before assigning scores.
**Optional learner extension**
Recommend a design for a different priority, such as storage first. Explain whether the winning design changes.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-7#planner)
---
### Can you break my game?
**ID:** technology-7 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Predict a result · Run a test case · Compare and retest. Use varied and boundary inputs to test an algorithm, then rerun tests after changes.
**Standard:** [MS-ALG-PS-03](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Check an algorithm against given inputs.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Numbers, yes, and no](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-6#planner) — I can use different types of variables.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Check an algorithm against given inputs.
**Standards**
MS-ALG-PS-03
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Ask students to define a legal range of starting counts, expected outcomes and an end condition. Prepare a predicted/actual table. Require an empty or boundary case among the three tests when the rules allow it.
Material options: Use drawn counter values beyond the physical collection. A paper trace is enough; no coding software is required.
**Before you start**
Numbers, yes, and no: I can use different types of variables.
**2. Invite an idea**
A new brick game is nearly ready for visitors. Become its test team: choose three starting counts, predict the results and look for a rule that breaks at an edge case.
• Write rules. Keep starting counts within the bricks you have.
• Choose three inputs. Predict, then record each result.
• Fix any mismatch and repeat all tests. If they match already, add a new boundary test.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which input is near a boundary?
• Did your change fix one case while affecting another?
Require predicted results before trials. Include a zero, maximum or other boundary input that is legal for the game. If results match, students explain coverage and try a new case; they do not invent a bug to satisfy the task.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I compare predicted and actual results for three inputs.
• I retest all cases after a fix or justify why no fix was needed.
Look for: The student demonstrates the listed computing idea and explains a tested improvement.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Describe a test that challenged your algorithm.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Choose a low, middle, and highest allowed input. Use a table with prediction, result, and match columns.
**Extend the thinking**
Add an invalid input and define how the rules should handle it. Explain why this test differs from a normal case.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can test an algorithm with different inputs.
**Input**
A value given to a process.
**Test case**
An input paired with an expected result.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
A new brick game is nearly ready for visitors. Become its test team: choose three starting counts, predict the results and look for a rule that breaks at an edge case.
**Make & try**
1. Write rules. Keep starting counts within the bricks you have.
2. Choose three inputs. Predict, then record each result.
3. Fix any mismatch and repeat all tests. If they match already, add a new boundary test.
**Make it yours**
Create the game's setting and design a friendly test report. Make an unexpected result easy to notice rather than hiding it in decoration.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I compare predicted and actual results for three inputs.
• I retest all cases after a fix or justify why no fix was needed.
**One last thought**
Describe a test that challenged your algorithm.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Choose a low, middle, and highest allowed input. Use a table with prediction, result, and match columns.
**Optional learner extension**
Add an invalid input and define how the rules should handle it. Explain why this test differs from a normal case.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-7#planner)
---
### A message in pieces
**ID:** technology-system-7 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing systems · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Divide a message · Number the packets · Reassemble in order. Packets carry parts of a message; ordering information helps a receiver reconstruct it.
**Standard:** [MS-SYS-NT-34](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Model splitting, transmitting, and reassembling data packets, including a simple loss-recovery strategy.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Debug the quiet device](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-4#planner) — I can investigate a device problem one step at a time.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 7 · Ages 12
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model splitting, transmitting, and reassembling data packets, including a simple loss-recovery strategy.
**Standards**
MS-SYS-NT-34
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare a 2-by-4 sender grid and four numbered packet slips. Agree column reading order before encoding. Keep the sender copy hidden but available so a missing packet can be recreated.
Material options: Draw routes on paper and reuse brick packet carriers. No networking hardware, internet access or real messages are needed.
**Before you start**
Debug the quiet device: I can investigate a device problem one step at a time.
**2. Invite an idea**
Send a tiny black-and-white picture through a tabletop network. Your four bricks carry numbered paper packets that may arrive out of order.
• Draw a 2-by-4 picture. Encode white as 0 and black as 1; divide it into four numbered two-bit packets.
• Move packets along drawn routes. A partner reorders them and reconstructs the picture.
• Hide one packet, identify what is missing, and model a request to resend it. Explain a model limit.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Model rules: Read each picture column top to bottom. White = 0, black = 1. Packet numbers give column order. Keep a sender copy. In real networks packets carry additional addressing and control information; paths and loss behavior are more complex.
**3. Guide discovery**
• How will the receiver know the order?
• How can it notice that a packet is missing?
Keep a sender copy so retransmission is possible. Number packets 1–4 and define reading order. Discuss congestion, interference, or faulty hardware as possible loss causes, not features tested by the brick model. This simplified resend routine is not a complete internet protocol.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My receiver reconstructs the encoded picture using packet numbers.
• I model loss detection and recovery and state a limitation.
Look for: Check consistent binary encoding, numbered reassembly, correct recovery of a missing packet, and one limitation.
Watch for: Packets need not arrive in order. A missing packet cannot always be guessed accurately from its neighbors.
Exit prompt: Explain why packet numbers are useful.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a supplied blank 2-by-4 grid and label the four column positions. Practice reordering before modeling loss.
**Extend the thinking**
Add two alternate routes and simulate one blocked connection. Explain which problems rerouting can and cannot address.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can model how packets carry and rebuild information.
**packet**
A small unit of data sent through a network.
**binary**
A way of representing information using two symbols, 0 and 1.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Send a tiny black-and-white picture through a tabletop network. Your four bricks carry numbered paper packets that may arrive out of order.
**Your investigation clues**
Model rules: Read each picture column top to bottom. White = 0, black = 1. Packet numbers give column order. Keep a sender copy. In real networks packets carry additional addressing and control information; paths and loss behavior are more complex.
**Make & try**
1. Draw a 2-by-4 picture. Encode white as 0 and black as 1; divide it into four numbered two-bit packets.
2. Move packets along drawn routes. A partner reorders them and reconstructs the picture.
3. Hide one packet, identify what is missing, and model a request to resend it. Explain a model limit.
**Make it yours**
Invent a small pixel symbol worth sending. Keep the encoding exact even when packet routes take creative shapes.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My receiver reconstructs the encoded picture using packet numbers.
• I model loss detection and recovery and state a limitation.
**One last thought**
Explain why packet numbers are useful.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a supplied blank 2-by-4 grid and label the four column positions. Practice reordering before modeling loss.
**Optional learner extension**
Add two alternate routes and simulate one blocked connection. Explain which problems rerouting can and cannot address.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-7#planner)
## Grade 8 · 10 activities
---
### Read a wave’s energy story
**ID:** science-8 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Physical science · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Amplitude A · Fixed conditions · Relative energy scales as A². For the stated model of comparable waves, energy is proportional to amplitude squared.
**Standard:** [MS-PS4-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-PS4-1)
**Learning target:** Use mathematical representations to describe how wave amplitude relates to energy.
**Scope:** Mathematical representation under stated model assumptions; no physical energy measurement.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A world that grows](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-7#planner) — I can explain a proportional relationship.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use mathematical representations to describe how wave amplitude relates to energy.
**Standards**
MS-PS4-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid; Ruler.
Provide the stated amplitude model, four input values and two blank graph spaces. Review baseline-to-peak amplitude. Keep wavelength and medium comparable in the explanation; students calculate relative values, not measured energy.
Material options: A ruler and hand-drawn grid replace graph paper. The bricks label four cases; no wave machine or sensor is required.
**Before you start**
A world that grows: I can explain a proportional relationship.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a wave exhibit using paper graphs and four brick labels. Explain why a larger amplitude can mean much more energy.
• Draw the four supplied wave amplitudes with the same wavelength and baseline.
• Use the given model to calculate relative energy for each amplitude.
• Graph the results and explain the relationship, including the conditions needed for the comparison.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Mathematical model for comparable waves in the same medium: relative energy = amplitude × amplitude. Amplitudes in chosen units: 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold wavelength and other relevant conditions constant. Values are model inputs, not measured wave data.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which conditions must stay comparable?
• How is amplitude different from peak-to-peak height?
Use the simplified relationship E ∝ A² for otherwise comparable waves in the same medium. This is a mathematical model, not a brick-wave experiment. Keep amplitude distinct from peak-to-peak height and wavelength. Do not imply a universal absolute energy unit.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I calculate and represent the four relative energy values accurately.
• I explain the square relationship and the model’s fixed conditions.
Look for: Check relative values 1, 4, 9, 16; correct amplitude labeling; and an explanation that doubling amplitude gives four times the modeled energy under fixed conditions.
Watch for: Doubling amplitude does not merely double energy in this model. Amplitude is measured from baseline to peak, not from trough to peak.
Exit prompt: Explain how the stated model relates amplitude and relative energy.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Calculate A × A in a two-column table before plotting. Label the baseline and first peak together.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare amplitude 1.5 with 1. Explain the energy ratio and why the graph is not a straight proportional line.
**Teaching scope**
Mathematical representation under stated model assumptions; no physical energy measurement.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a mathematical model to relate amplitude and energy.
**amplitude**
The distance from a wave’s resting level to a peak.
**relative energy**
Energy compared with a chosen reference amount.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Ruler
**Your mission**
Design a wave exhibit using paper graphs and four brick labels. Explain why a larger amplitude can mean much more energy.
**Your investigation clues**
Mathematical model for comparable waves in the same medium: relative energy = amplitude × amplitude. Amplitudes in chosen units: 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold wavelength and other relevant conditions constant. Values are model inputs, not measured wave data.
**Make & try**
1. Draw the four supplied wave amplitudes with the same wavelength and baseline.
2. Use the given model to calculate relative energy for each amplitude.
3. Graph the results and explain the relationship, including the conditions needed for the comparison.
**Make it yours**
Create a wave exhibit with rhythm and movement. Keep artistic emphasis consistent with the labeled amplitudes.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I calculate and represent the four relative energy values accurately.
• I explain the square relationship and the model’s fixed conditions.
**One last thought**
Explain how the stated model relates amplitude and relative energy.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Calculate A × A in a two-column table before plotting. Label the baseline and first peak together.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare amplitude 1.5 with 1. Explain the energy ratio and why the graph is not a straight proportional line.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=science-8#planner)
---
### A changing Moon, a steady light
**ID:** earth-8 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Earth and space science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Sunlit half · Moon's position · View from Earth. Moon phases depend on our view of its sunlit half, not Earth's shadow.
**Standard:** [MS-ESS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ESS1-1)
**Learning target:** Use a Sun–Earth–Moon model to explain patterns of lunar phases.
**Scope:** Lunar phases only; seasons and eclipses require additional instruction.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Fast change, slow change](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-7#planner) — I can explain landscape changes at different scales.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use a Sun–Earth–Moon model to explain patterns of lunar phases.
**Standards**
MS-ESS1-1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Draw the direction of incoming sunlight beside a blank Earth-centered diagram. Students choose four Moon positions and reason from viewing direction. Keep a separate space for each Earth-view sketch.
Material options: Paper diagrams and labeled brick markers are sufficient. A lamp-and-ball setup is optional and needs a separate trial; no Sun viewing is needed.
**Before you start**
Fast change, slow change: I can explain landscape changes at different scales.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make a tabletop model explaining why the Moon looks different through a month. Use four position markers and drawings of the view from Earth.
• Draw Earth and the direction of sunlight. Choose four Moon positions around Earth.
• At each position, mark the half facing the Sun and sketch the illuminated part visible from Earth.
• Use the model to predict a repeating phase sequence. Name a scale or viewing limitation.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Model facts: The Sun lights approximately half the Moon at all times. The Moon orbits Earth. From Earth we see varying portions of that lit half. The phase cycle is about 29.5 days. Sizes and distances on a tabletop are not to scale.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which half of the Moon faces the light?
• How does the observer's view change?
Use paper diagrams rather than a flashlight if materials are limited. Keep incoming sunlight parallel in the model. The new/full/quarter positions should emerge from reasoning about viewing direction; do not distribute a finished model to copy.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My sketches show the Sun-facing half and the Earth viewpoint.
• I explain a repeating phase pattern without using Earth’s shadow.
Look for: Check that the Sun-facing half stays illuminated and Earth’s view changes with position. Ask for a predicted return to a phase and one model limit.
Watch for: Ordinary Moon phases are not caused by Earth’s shadow. That explanation belongs to lunar eclipses.
Exit prompt: Explain a Moon phase using sunlight and viewpoint.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Begin with two opposite positions. Draw an arrow from each Moon marker toward Earth to establish the viewing direction.
**Extend the thinking**
Explain why an eclipse does not happen every month. Add the Moon’s tilted orbit as a labeled limitation of the flat model.
**Teaching scope**
Lunar phases only; seasons and eclipses require additional instruction.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain Moon phases using light and viewpoint.
**phase**
The apparent shape of the Moon’s sunlit part seen from Earth.
**orbit**
A path around another object under gravity.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Make a tabletop model explaining why the Moon looks different through a month. Use four position markers and drawings of the view from Earth.
**Your investigation clues**
Model facts: The Sun lights approximately half the Moon at all times. The Moon orbits Earth. From Earth we see varying portions of that lit half. The phase cycle is about 29.5 days. Sizes and distances on a tabletop are not to scale.
**Make & try**
1. Draw Earth and the direction of sunlight. Choose four Moon positions around Earth.
2. At each position, mark the half facing the Sun and sketch the illuminated part visible from Earth.
3. Use the model to predict a repeating phase sequence. Name a scale or viewing limitation.
**Make it yours**
Choose a clear visual system for lit and unlit regions. Make the sequence expressive without changing the science.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My sketches show the Sun-facing half and the Earth viewpoint.
• I explain a repeating phase pattern without using Earth’s shadow.
**One last thought**
Explain a Moon phase using sunlight and viewpoint.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Begin with two opposite positions. Draw an arrow from each Moon marker toward Earth to establish the viewing direction.
**Optional learner extension**
Explain why an eclipse does not happen every month. Add the Moon’s tilted orbit as a labeled limitation of the flat model.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=earth-8#planner)
---
### A trait in its setting
**ID:** life-8 · **Subject:** Science · **Strand:** Life science · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Inherited variation · Environmental conditions · Different reproductive outcomes. Inherited variation can affect survival and reproduction differently in different environments.
**Standard:** [MS-LS4-4](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-LS4-4)
**Learning target:** Explain how inherited variation can affect survival and reproduction in a particular environment.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [When resources change](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-7#planner) — I can use data to explain a possible resource–population relationship.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Explain how inherited variation can affect survival and reproduction in a particular environment.
**Standards**
MS-LS4-4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Provide the inherited-color assumption and both survivor tables. Students label starting groups before comparing outcomes. Keep survival evidence separate from the prediction about reproduction and later generations.
Material options: Draw beetle symbols beside labeled markers. Use the fictional records; no live beetles, food or predation demonstration is needed.
**Before you start**
When resources change: I can use data to explain a possible resource–population relationship.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create two habitat scenes. Use the same beetle trait cards in both to explain why a helpful trait depends on the setting.
• Draw light and dark backgrounds. Use labeled markers for beetle groups.
• Compare survival data in each setting. Make an evidence-based explanation.
• Predict how reproduction could change trait frequencies over generations. Name an assumption.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented selection scenario: Each habitat starts with 20 light and 20 dark beetles. After bird predation, a light habitat has 16 light and 5 dark survivors; a dark habitat has 6 light and 15 dark survivors. Assume color is inherited and survivors reproduce at equal rates. The example does not measure actual beetles.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which observations support an advantage in this setting?
• What assumption connects survival with future trait frequencies?
This is a supplied, simplified selection scenario, not a real predation trial. State that color is inherited in the scenario. Separate individuals surviving from populations changing over generations; survival alone is not sufficient without reproduction.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I use data to explain an advantage in each environment.
• I connect inheritance and reproduction to a population prediction.
Look for: Look for inherited variation, environment-dependent survival, reproduction, and a prediction supported by two comparisons.
Watch for: An individual does not choose a new inherited color because it needs one. “Helpful” depends on the environment.
Exit prompt: Explain how the environment could affect an inherited trait's frequency over generations.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Compare only the light habitat first. Use sentence frames: “More __ survived because __ may have made them less visible.”
**Extend the thinking**
Add a tradeoff, such as visibility to mates. Explain why one survival advantage may not determine all reproductive success.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain how inherited variation can matter in different environments.
**inherited variation**
Differences passed from parents to offspring.
**selection**
Differences in survival and reproduction associated with traits.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Create two habitat scenes. Use the same beetle trait cards in both to explain why a helpful trait depends on the setting.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented selection scenario: Each habitat starts with 20 light and 20 dark beetles. After bird predation, a light habitat has 16 light and 5 dark survivors; a dark habitat has 6 light and 15 dark survivors. Assume color is inherited and survivors reproduce at equal rates. The example does not measure actual beetles.
**Make & try**
1. Draw light and dark backgrounds. Use labeled markers for beetle groups.
2. Compare survival data in each setting. Make an evidence-based explanation.
3. Predict how reproduction could change trait frequencies over generations. Name an assumption.
**Make it yours**
Create contrasting scenes that communicate the setting. Label the evidence separately from your imaginative habitat details.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I use data to explain an advantage in each environment.
• I connect inheritance and reproduction to a population prediction.
**One last thought**
Explain how the environment could affect an inherited trait's frequency over generations.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Compare only the light habitat first. Use sentence frames: “More __ survived because __ may have made them less visible.”
**Optional learner extension**
Add a tradeoff, such as visibility to mates. Explain why one survival advantage may not determine all reproductive success.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=life-8#planner)
---
### Same shape, new place
**ID:** math-8 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Number, geometry and proportional reasoning · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Slide · Turn · Reflect. Translations, rotations and reflections preserve lengths and angles.
**Standard:** [8.G.A.2](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/8/G/)
**Learning target:** Explain congruence using rigid motions.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Room to imagine](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-4#planner) — I can find area and perimeter.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Explain congruence using rigid motions.
**Standards**
8.G.A.2
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Prepare a square grid and a traceable rectangular footprint. Students label corners before choosing a transformation. Keep the original visible so a partner can check the stated sequence and preserved lengths.
Material options: Use tracing paper if available or count grid squares. A hand-drawn grid replaces graph paper; no geometry software is needed.
**Before you start**
Room to imagine: I can find area and perimeter.
**2. Invite an idea**
An exhibition is moving its landmark to a new place on the map. Trace its footprint, then use a slide, turn or reflection to relocate it. How can you convince a visitor that the shape is congruent?
• Trace a brick footprint on a grid. Mark its corners.
• Draw it after a slide, turn, or reflection.
• Describe the moves. Explain why lengths and angles stay the same.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What stays unchanged during this movement?
• How could you describe the move precisely?
Work with two-dimensional footprints on paper. Students may combine translations, rotations, and reflections. Ask them to describe the sequence and preserved measurements.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I describe a sequence of rigid motions connecting two figures.
• I justify that matching lengths and angles are preserved.
Look for: A stated motion sequence links two footprints and explains preserved lengths and angles.
Watch for: Enlarging changes size. It is not a rigid motion.
Exit prompt: Explain why your transformed shape is congruent.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Trace a rectangle on squared paper and translate it first. Match corresponding corners before trying a turn or reflection.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare a rigid motion with a dilation. Explain which measurements are preserved and why only one guarantees congruence.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can explain congruence using movement.
**Congruent**
The same shape and size.
**Rigid motion**
A move that preserves distances and angles.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
An exhibition is moving its landmark to a new place on the map. Trace its footprint, then use a slide, turn or reflection to relocate it. How can you convince a visitor that the shape is congruent?
**Make & try**
1. Trace a brick footprint on a grid. Mark its corners.
2. Draw it after a slide, turn, or reflection.
3. Describe the moves. Explain why lengths and angles stay the same.
**Make it yours**
Use repeated shapes to create a route or motif across the map. Explain how your arrangement changes the visual effect while preserving each transformed shape.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I describe a sequence of rigid motions connecting two figures.
• I justify that matching lengths and angles are preserved.
**One last thought**
Explain why your transformed shape is congruent.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Trace a rectangle on squared paper and translate it first. Match corresponding corners before trying a turn or reflection.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare a rigid motion with a dilation. Explain which measurements are preserved and why only one guarantees congruence.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-8#planner)
---
### Look for a relationship
**ID:** math-data-8 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Data, statistics and probability · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** One paired observation · One point (x, y) · Describe the pattern. A scatter plot shows paired data; a visible association alone does not establish causation.
**Standard:** [8.SP.A.1](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/8/SP/)
**Learning target:** Construct and interpret a scatter plot for paired quantitative data.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Make the dots tell a story](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-6#planner) — I can make an accurate dot plot.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Construct and interpret a scatter plot for paired quantitative data.
**Standards**
8.SP.A.1
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Read all eight pairs and define both variables and the fictional score. Students choose equal intervals on each axis and plot every pair. Reserve time to discuss the unusual point before explaining the relationship.
Material options: A hand-drawn grid and shared ruler work. Bricks are movable checks; four pieces do not limit the number of plotted observations.
**Before you start**
Make the dots tell a story: I can make an accurate dot plot.
**2. Invite an idea**
Make a scatter plot to investigate a possible relationship. Use brick markers to plan the display, then draw all data points.
• Read the paired practice data. Choose and label two equally spaced axes.
• Plot every pair; use your four markers as movable checks.
• Describe direction, clustering, and any unusual point. Explain what the graph cannot prove.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Invented practice pairs (design trials, stability score): (1,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,5), (5,6), (6,7), (7,3), (8,8). Scores are fictional units, not validated measures of learning or construction quality.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does one plotted point represent?
• What can this relationship not establish?
Use all eight pairs, not just four bricks. Explain that the practice data are invented. Association in a small observational dataset does not establish causation; the unusual point should be discussed, not erased.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I plot all eight pairs on labeled axes.
• I describe a pattern, an unusual point, and an evidence limit.
Look for: Assess accurate paired plotting and a description of a generally positive association with an unusual point and a limitation.
Watch for: Connecting every point in order is not required for a scatter plot. Association alone is not cause.
Exit prompt: Describe a pattern in paired data and one limitation.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Provide axes and plot (1,2) together. Read each remaining pair aloud before placing a dot.
**Extend the thinking**
Sketch an informal trend line and discuss how the unusual point affects your judgment. Do not claim a precise predictive model.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can use a scatter plot to describe paired data.
**scatter plot**
A graph with one point for each pair of numerical values.
**association**
A pattern linking changes in two variables.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Make a scatter plot to investigate a possible relationship. Use brick markers to plan the display, then draw all data points.
**Your investigation clues**
Invented practice pairs (design trials, stability score): (1,2), (2,3), (3,4), (4,5), (5,6), (6,7), (7,3), (8,8). Scores are fictional units, not validated measures of learning or construction quality.
**Make & try**
1. Read the paired practice data. Choose and label two equally spaced axes.
2. Plot every pair; use your four markers as movable checks.
3. Describe direction, clustering, and any unusual point. Explain what the graph cannot prove.
**Make it yours**
Give the display a thoughtful visual hierarchy. Make unusual evidence visible instead of hiding it.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I plot all eight pairs on labeled axes.
• I describe a pattern, an unusual point, and an evidence limit.
**One last thought**
Describe a pattern in paired data and one limitation.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Provide axes and plot (1,2) together. Read each remaining pair aloud before placing a dot.
**Optional learner extension**
Sketch an informal trend line and discuss how the unusual point affects your judgment. Do not claim a precise predictive model.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-data-8#planner)
---
### Build a growing story
**ID:** math-function-8 · **Subject:** Math · **Strand:** Equations and functions · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Starting value b · Constant rate m · Linear rule y = mx + b. A linear rule connects a starting value and constant rate to a table, graph and context.
**Standard:** [8.F.B.4](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/8/F/)
**Learning target:** Construct a linear function and interpret its rate of change and initial value.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A plan with a fixed cost](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-equation-7#planner) — I can solve a two-step equation and explain it in a story.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Construct a linear function and interpret its rate of change and initial value.
**Standards**
8.F.B.4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid.
Display the starting amount and amount added at each stage. Students define variables before filling a table. Keep stages zero through three visible while they predict stage six and interpret their rule.
Material options: Draw the growing panels on paper and reuse four stage markers. No additional brick collection is needed to show later stages.
**Before you start**
A plan with a fixed cost: I can solve a two-step equation and explain it in a story.
**2. Invite an idea**
Invent a growing installation from a starting amount and a constant change. Use four markers to connect a table, graph, and rule.
• Use the supplied pattern to make four input-output pairs. Define both variables.
• Plot the pairs and write a linear rule.
• Explain the starting value and rate in your story. Predict a new value and check it.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Pattern brief: At stage 0 there are 3 display panels. Each new stage adds 2 panels. Represent stages 0, 1, 2, and 3; then predict stage 6. Brick markers identify stages, while drawings represent panels.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What does the starting value mean?
• Where can you see the constant rate in your table?
Use the brick markers for time points or stages, not as the full changing quantity. Require meaning and units for the intercept and slope. Discuss that the story uses whole-number stages even if the graph suggests intermediate values.
**4. Quick assessment**
• My table, graph, and rule agree.
• I interpret the starting amount and constant rate with units.
Look for: Check y = 2x + 3, the four correct points, an interpretation of 3 and 2, and a justified prediction.
Watch for: The starting value is not the rate. A line through the origin would describe a different situation.
Exit prompt: Connect your rule's rate and starting value to the story.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Complete the row for stage zero first. Add two at each step and compare successive outputs.
**Extend the thinking**
Compare a second plan y = 3x + 1. Find and interpret when the plans have the same total.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can connect a linear rule to a table, graph, and story.
**rate of change**
How much the output changes for each unit of input.
**initial value**
The output when the input is zero.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Graph paper or a hand-drawn grid
**Your mission**
Invent a growing installation from a starting amount and a constant change. Use four markers to connect a table, graph, and rule.
**Your investigation clues**
Pattern brief: At stage 0 there are 3 display panels. Each new stage adds 2 panels. Represent stages 0, 1, 2, and 3; then predict stage 6. Brick markers identify stages, while drawings represent panels.
**Make & try**
1. Use the supplied pattern to make four input-output pairs. Define both variables.
2. Plot the pairs and write a linear rule.
3. Explain the starting value and rate in your story. Predict a new value and check it.
**Make it yours**
Invent what the installation expresses as it grows. Use a visual pattern that helps reveal the constant change.
**You’ve got it when…**
• My table, graph, and rule agree.
• I interpret the starting amount and constant rate with units.
**One last thought**
Connect your rule's rate and starting value to the story.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Complete the row for stage zero first. Add two at each step and compare successive outputs.
**Optional learner extension**
Compare a second plan y = 3x + 1. Find and interpret when the plans have the same total.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=math-function-8#planner)
---
### Bring the best ideas together
**ID:** engineering-8 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Evidence from A · Evidence from B · Combine and retest. Combining useful features is a new design proposal that still needs testing.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-3)
**Learning target:** Analyze test data to identify features that can be combined in an improved solution.
**Scope:** Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils; Ruler. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A town square with tradeoffs](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-7#planner) — I can evaluate design tradeoffs systematically.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Analyze test data to identify features that can be combined in an improved solution.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-3
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside. Extra supplies: Ruler.
Agree the standing and footprint tests before designing. Prepare three trial rows for each original and the combined version. Require a recorded reason for keeping a feature before students build the hybrid.
Material options: Use a shared ruler and ten-second teacher count or timer. Sketch unbuildable combinations and explain their limits rather than adding unlisted pieces.
**Before you start**
A town square with tradeoffs: I can evaluate design tradeoffs systematically.
**2. Invite an idea**
Create a landmark that learns from two earlier ideas. Use test evidence to decide which features deserve a place in the next version.
• Test two four-brick ideas for standing and footprint using the same procedure. Record results.
• Identify a useful feature in each. Sketch a combined idea and explain your prediction.
• Build and test the combined design. Compare evidence and explain what improved or still needs work.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which tested feature is worth keeping from each idea?
• Did the combined design perform as predicted?
Use a ten-second standing test, footprint measurement, and three repeated standing trials per design. A hybrid is not automatically better. Ask whether the data support the prediction and whether features can actually be combined with the same four pieces.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I use data to choose features from two designs.
• I test the combined version and evaluate my prediction.
Look for: Collect records for three designs and an explanation connecting chosen features to results, including unsuccessful combinations.
Watch for: A design choice needs evidence against the agreed requirements; appearance alone does not establish that it works.
Exit prompt: Use test evidence to explain your combined design.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Circle one strength in each original record. Draw a proposed combination before rebuilding.
**Art · intention and evidence**
Refine an artistic intention through feedback and revision.
Look for: The learner documents a visual revision and explains how feedback influenced it without surrendering their own intention.
**Extend the thinking**
Identify a feature interaction that creates a new weakness. Propose the next controlled comparison.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted engineering practice with a separate original arts goal; not a full arts-standard assessment.
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can combine design features using test evidence.
**evidence**
Information from observations or tests.
**tradeoff**
A gain in one goal that may reduce another.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils. Ruler
**Your mission**
Create a landmark that learns from two earlier ideas. Use test evidence to decide which features deserve a place in the next version.
**Make & try**
1. Test two four-brick ideas for standing and footprint using the same procedure. Record results.
2. Identify a useful feature in each. Sketch a combined idea and explain your prediction.
3. Build and test the combined design. Compare evidence and explain what improved or still needs work.
**Make it yours**
Refine the landmark’s artistic intention as well as its function. Explain how feedback shaped one visual change.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I use data to choose features from two designs.
• I test the combined version and evaluate my prediction.
**One last thought**
Use test evidence to explain your combined design.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Circle one strength in each original record. Draw a proposed combination before rebuilding.
**Optional learner extension**
Identify a feature interaction that creates a new weakness. Propose the next controlled comparison.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-8#planner)
---
### Keep the message moving
**ID:** engineering-problem-8 · **Subject:** Engineering · **Strand:** Engineering design · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Connections · A failure test · Revise and repeat. Testing failed connections reveals weaknesses in a network design.
**Standard:** [MS-ETS1-4](https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/AllDCI.pdf#search=MS-ETS1-4)
**Learning target:** Use a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a design.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [A shelter that can pack away](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-7#planner) — I can evaluate tradeoffs with a clear scoring method.
- [A message in pieces](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-system-7#planner) — I can model how packets carry and rebuild information.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Use a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a design.
**Standards**
MS-ETS1-4
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Label four hubs and fix the sender, receiver and five-connection limit. Prepare one row for each connection failure. Students test one blocked connection at a time, restoring it before the next case.
Material options: Use pencil routes and a paper cover to block a connection. No electronics, string or real emergency communication is involved.
**Before you start**
A shelter that can pack away: I can evaluate tradeoffs with a clear scoring method.
A message in pieces: I can model how packets carry and rebuild information.
**2. Invite an idea**
Design a four-stop emergency message network on paper. Can it keep a route open when one connection fails?
• Use four bricks as hubs and draw up to five connections. Define a delivery success test.
• Block each connection in turn. Record whether a route remains between your chosen sender and receiver.
• Revise one connection and repeat the tests. Use results to explain the improvement or remaining weakness.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Which blocked connection breaks delivery?
• How does your revision change the repeated test results?
Use a graph model, not electronic equipment. Fix sender, receiver, edge budget, and the one-failure-at-a-time rule. Record each failure case for both designs. A four-hub model does not establish real network resilience under multiple faults.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I test every single-connection failure for both designs.
• I use the results to justify a change and state a model limit.
Look for: Assess a complete case table for two iterations, a specific evidence-based change, and an accurate limit on the result.
Watch for: More lines do not automatically prove resilience; the location of connections and failure assumptions matter.
Exit prompt: Explain an improvement and a remaining weakness in your network model.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Label hubs A–D and trace paths with a finger. Record “route remains” or “no route” for one blocked edge at a time.
**Extend the thinking**
Test two simultaneous failures. Explain whether the original criteria and edge budget are still achievable.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can improve a design using repeated model tests.
**iteration**
A revised version made after testing.
**resilience**
The ability to keep working when something goes wrong.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Design a four-stop emergency message network on paper. Can it keep a route open when one connection fails?
**Make & try**
1. Use four bricks as hubs and draw up to five connections. Define a delivery success test.
2. Block each connection in turn. Record whether a route remains between your chosen sender and receiver.
3. Revise one connection and repeat the tests. Use results to explain the improvement or remaining weakness.
**Make it yours**
Design a network map for an imagined community. Use route symbols that make alternatives easy to follow.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I test every single-connection failure for both designs.
• I use the results to justify a change and state a model limit.
**One last thought**
Explain an improvement and a remaining weakness in your network model.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Label hubs A–D and trace paths with a finger. Record “route remains” or “no route” for one blocked edge at a time.
**Optional learner extension**
Test two simultaneous failures. Explain whether the original criteria and edge budget are still achievable.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=engineering-problem-8#planner)
---
### Build a reusable idea
**ID:** technology-8 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Algorithms and programming · **Status:** Revised existing lesson
**Think about:** Name a procedure · Define its job · Call it when needed. A procedure packages instructions for a clear job so they can be reused.
**Standard:** [MS-ALG-PS-02](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Model procedures and control structures.
**Scope:** Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Can you break my game?](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-7#planner) — I can test an algorithm with different inputs.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Model procedures and control structures.
**Standards**
MS-ALG-PS-02
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Provide spaces for a named procedure, main rules and two traces. Students state the procedure's job before calling it more than once. A partner follows each call literally and checks the predicted state changes.
Material options: Words, arrows and paper counters replace formal code. Keep physical moves within four pieces even when a drawn variable is larger.
**Before you start**
Can you break my game?: I can test an algorithm with different inputs.
**2. Invite an idea**
Your brick game needs the same action sequence in several places. Give that sequence a name and a clear job, then call it from the main rules. Can a partner reuse it correctly in two different cases?
• Write a named procedure with a clear job using words or a flowchart.
• Call it from game rules with a start event, sequence, loop, and conditional choice.
• Trace two inputs within your brick limit. Compare predicted and actual results.
**3. Guide discovery**
• What single job does your procedure do?
• How will different calls use the same instructions?
Check that the named procedure has a clear job and is called more than once. Trace the main rules and the procedure separately, returning to the caller each time. Ask what becomes easier to change when repeated actions live in one place.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I define and call a named reusable procedure.
• I trace two inputs and explain why the procedure can be reused.
Look for: The student demonstrates the listed computing idea and explains a tested improvement.
Watch for: A partner follows the stated rules. They should not have to guess a missing step.
Exit prompt: Explain how your procedure is reused and how you tested it.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Write one small named action sequence first. Call it twice from the main rules before adding a conditional.
**Extend the thinking**
Give the procedure a parameter and compare two calls. Explain which details change and which instructions stay shared.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice · CSTA 2026
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can design and test a reusable procedure.
**Procedure**
A named set of actions you can reuse.
**Pseudocode**
Plain-language steps written like a program.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Your brick game needs the same action sequence in several places. Give that sequence a name and a clear job, then call it from the main rules. Can a partner reuse it correctly in two different cases?
**Make & try**
1. Write a named procedure with a clear job using words or a flowchart.
2. Call it from game rules with a start event, sequence, loop, and conditional choice.
3. Trace two inputs within your brick limit. Compare predicted and actual results.
**Make it yours**
Invent a name and symbol for your reusable action. Use the same symbol at each call so the design helps a player recognize the pattern.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I define and call a named reusable procedure.
• I trace two inputs and explain why the procedure can be reused.
**One last thought**
Explain how your procedure is reused and how you tested it.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Write one small named action sequence first. Call it twice from the main rules before adding a conditional.
**Optional learner extension**
Give the procedure a parameter and compare two calls. Explain which details change and which instructions stay shared.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-8#planner)
---
### An invention for more people
**ID:** technology-impact-8 · **Subject:** Technology · **Strand:** Computing impacts · **Status:** New lesson
**Think about:** Identify a barrier · Propose a change · Consider remaining impacts. Evaluate technology from different users' perspectives and make specific, testable improvements.
**Standard:** [MS-SOC-ET-41](https://csteachers.org/pk12standards/view/)
**Learning target:** Evaluate how emerging-technology design decisions affect different communities.
**Scope:** Targeted practice
**Materials:** At least 4 confirmed connecting bricks per group; paper; pencils. Follow any four-piece limit in the activity.
**Prerequisite links**
- [Does this job need a computer?](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-impact-5#planner) — I can explain when a computing tool is a good fit.
#### Teacher guide
**At a glance**
Grade 8 · Ages 13
35 min · 1 group
4 bricks per tray
**Teach this**
Evaluate how emerging-technology design decisions affect different communities.
**Standards**
MS-SOC-ET-41
Targeted practice
**Lesson rhythm**
Wonder 5 min
Create 15 min
Test & rethink 8 min
Share 5 min
Reset 2 min
**1. Get ready**
Per group: 4 reviewed bricks, paper and pencils. Keep spares aside.
Read the fictional kiosk brief and both community scenarios. Give four markers for benefits and barriers. Students propose specific changes, then compare whom each helps and what costs or limits remain.
Material options: Use a paper interface and role labels. Do not collect personal circumstances or require a real AI account, audio device or network.
**Before you start**
Does this job need a computer?: I can explain when a computing tool is a good fit.
**2. Invite an idea**
Redesign a fictional AI information kiosk. Show how one design choice can help one community while creating a barrier for another.
• Read the kiosk brief and two community scenarios. Map benefits and barriers with four markers.
• Propose two specific changes and explain who each change helps.
• Compare the revised design with the original. Discuss a remaining cost or limitation.
**Investigation clues · share with learners**
Fictional kiosk: AI gives spoken visitor directions in one language, needs continuous internet, and has no text or staff-help option. Community A includes visitors using several languages and some who cannot hear the audio. Community B has unreliable connectivity and a small maintenance budget. No real community is being measured.
**3. Guide discovery**
• Who can use this design easily and who faces a barrier?
• What cost or limitation remains after your changes?
Treat AI behavior as a fictional design assumption, not a claim about a real product. Evaluate access, language, connectivity, and correction options using the supplied scenarios. Do not ask for pupils’ personal circumstances.
**4. Quick assessment**
• I connect one design choice to different community experiences.
• I justify two changes and identify a remaining tradeoff.
Look for: Assess a clear design-choice-to-impact explanation for both communities and two justified revisions with a remaining tradeoff.
Watch for: A feature useful to one group is not automatically accessible or helpful to everyone. AI responses still need ways to be checked and corrected.
Exit prompt: Explain a design change, who it helps and a remaining trade-off.
Record: Needs a nudge / Explains with help / Explains independently.
**Support**
Use a table with columns: choice, who benefits, who faces a barrier, possible change. Start with language.
**Extend the thinking**
Choose between two changes under a fixed budget of one change. Explain the priorities and whose needs remain unmet.
**Teaching scope**
Targeted practice
Try the activity before class. Lesson-specific physical checks and classroom trials are pending.
#### Student challenge
**Today**
I can evaluate who benefits from a technology design and who may face barriers.
**accessibility**
Design that supports people with different abilities and needs.
**design decision**
A choice about how a tool works or is used.
**Your tray**
4 bricks available. Follow the challenge’s piece limit. Paper and pencils.
**Your mission**
Redesign a fictional AI information kiosk. Show how one design choice can help one community while creating a barrier for another.
**Your investigation clues**
Fictional kiosk: AI gives spoken visitor directions in one language, needs continuous internet, and has no text or staff-help option. Community A includes visitors using several languages and some who cannot hear the audio. Community B has unreliable connectivity and a small maintenance budget. No real community is being measured.
**Make & try**
1. Read the kiosk brief and two community scenarios. Map benefits and barriers with four markers.
2. Propose two specific changes and explain who each change helps.
3. Compare the revised design with the original. Discuss a remaining cost or limitation.
**Make it yours**
Design a welcoming kiosk and a clear story of its users. Show inclusion through practical choices, not appearance alone.
**You’ve got it when…**
• I connect one design choice to different community experiences.
• I justify two changes and identify a remaining tradeoff.
**One last thought**
Explain a design change, who it helps and a remaining trade-off.
**Show your thinking**
Draw, write, or tell someone what you tried.
I noticed…
Next I could try…
**Optional learner support**
Use a table with columns: choice, who benefits, who faces a barrier, possible change. Start with language.
**Optional learner extension**
Choose between two changes under a fixed budget of one change. Explain the priorities and whose needs remain unmet.
[Open this activity in the planner](https://brickomatic.io/classroom?lesson=technology-impact-8#planner)
## Library revision record
The original 36 lesson IDs are retained. All nine core engineering lessons now have distinct grade demands and explicit arts goals/evidence. Grade 7 and Grade 8 core Science now address forces/motion investigation planning and wave amplitude/energy, respectively. Grade 4 core Technology now requires a written algorithm, two branch traces, revision, and retesting. All 90 include observable success criteria and prerequisite links. The four previously simplified Grade 2 activities retain their accessible core approach.
Illustrated edition: all 90 retain their grade-specific learning targets and investigation data, with a unique challenge illustration, three key concepts, two discussion questions, an exit check, and a student-only classroom presentation. Physical materials checks and lesson-specific classroom trials remain pending. The separate 12-lesson pilot collection is retained.
Teaching-quality revision: all 90 now have an activity-specific setup and practical material alternatives. Repeated creative prompts and generic technology coaching have been replaced. Focused revisions strengthen 26 entries, including clearer purposes, fair-test routines, quantity-consistent instructions and a student-facing composition clue for the matter lesson. This is an upgrade of the existing library, not 90 additional lessons.
54 additions: 9 life science; 9 Earth and space; 6 fractions/decimals in Grades 3–5; 6 data/statistics/probability in K–2 and Grades 6–8; 3 equations/functions in Grades 6–8; 3 geometry/measurement in K–2; 9 additional engineering problems; 9 technology activities (3 data, 3 systems, 3 impacts).
The six supported Education kits are used only for teacher-confirmed brick-only activities in their grade bands. Selecting a kit does not assert an element-by-element inventory, functioning electronics, or official lesson endorsement. Missing kit pieces are acceptable only when the required lesson pieces and extras are available.
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.