Building Creativity and Imagination With LEGO - BuildToExpress Giveaway
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 5:00AM
LEGO Education® materials have enriched our homeschool in untold ways.
From learning to write stories, to learning about simple and motorized mechanisms and simple machines, it is safe to say that anything from LEGO Education® is a tremendous learning resource!
The most recent resource we have been using, BuildToExpress, is specifically designed to stimulate your child's creative thinking and imagination.
About BuildToExpress
The BuildToExpress product we have been using contains two parts:
- BuildToExpress Core Set The core set contains 200 elements that developers have carefully selected to peak students' interest in creating metaphors and telling stories. The set also comes with a building plate and a convenient storage container.
- BuildToExpress Guide & Activity Pack The guide and activity pack is what truly makes this a unique resource. While designed for classroom use, we have been using it on an individual basis (but I bet it would be FABULOUS for a co-op class, too!). There is a teacher's guide included, as well as a DVD Rom that includes all of the printables for 30 challenge cards and a challenge card creator.
These two resources together allow my son to use these LEGO bricks to think more deeply about literature we are reading, use his creative skills and imagination, and SO MUCH MORE.
Watch this video from LEGO Education® about BuildToExpress. You can also visit this page to read all about BuildToExpress.
*Note: This is done from a classroom perspective - as I have (and will address later) emphasized, this product can easily be adapted for use in your homeschool.
Challenge Cards
The challenge cards contain different cross curricular topics to get your student thinking and creating.
Since we love literature, I chose a literature challenge card set to share with you - and this was also the first activity Grant did with BuildToExpress.
We used The Sword in The Tree (a book Grant just finished), and talked about the book and Grant began to build.
I love how this first card encouraged him to THINK about the main character and other characters in the book.
Grant built this simple scene of Lord Weldon trying to escape the dungeon in Weldon Castle.
We had a great dialogue while he was building.
*I know from also having a seventh grader that these verbal and creative skills will translate into STRONG WRITING in the years to come!
You can see the remaining challenge cards in this activity - and with each one he talked with me more and continued to build. I can see us repeating this process with future books.
Challenge cards 3 and 4 are IMAGINE and CONCLUDE.
There are many more challenge cards that come in the BuildToExpress Activity Guide, and you can even create your own challenge cards.
What We Love about BuildToExpress
I could write a very long list, but I'll just limit this to a few:
- The set comes in a compact box that is easy to store. The pieces are engaging and A LOT can built just from a free build with the 200 elements included.
- The guide and activity pack help me organize an entire LESSON surrounding the LEGO bricks. Grant doesn't even realize we are working on elements of literature, or a science concept. All he knows is LEGO!
- LEGO Education® leaves no stone unturned. They give you MORE THAN ENOUGH direction, challenge cards, and teaching ideas.
- The potential in our homeschool is something I love, but I also love the potential to use this in a co-op or LEGO club setting. It can work well with individuals or groups.
We have just scratched this surface with this resource, and I am SO excited!
Reader Comments (254)
We are trying to incorporate Legos in our homeschooling, since my 10 year old is so obsessed! This sounds like a great curriculum. Thanks for a chance to win!
I see us utilizing legos in various subjects, counting, sorting, building historical buildings. I love the idea of idea cards.
Legos saves the day everyday! When my daughter is frustrasted she turns to legos. Yesterday she built a mini workshop. This tied in other things we were exploring without me having to direct it. It seemed more meaningful than any other assessment I could do.
Hmmmm....... My boys would quite happily build scenes from whatever I assigned them.
My daughter would love to use these. Her stories would be very interesting indeed.
This sounds like a fantastic set. Both my kids would love this.
What a great program and a great giveaway!
This would be an experiment with us as we have never used Legos in our homeschooling
Thanks for these posts about Lego's. I've been trying to incorporate more Lego work with my son while I am doing our Read-Alouds. Keeps him busy and engaged. Love your ideas!
With three girls and another on the way we would get a lot of use out of this set! My girls love telling stories and I'd love something a bit more formal to do with them to merge their greatest loves stories and.legos. :)
I didn't lost how we would use the program! My son wants to be a Lego engineer so this would be a great start to his education!
My kids would love to own legos of their own.
Drawing expression out of my boys, particularly my oldest, is painful, but building with Legos (my love/hate toy) has and could help. Am thinking they may use Express as a stepping stone to making stop motion Lego movies.
My boys love using legos to create things. This would be perfect for them.
My son absolutely loves the Lego Education products.
My son would absolutely so crazy for this set! Lucky winner for sure!
We don't homeschool but I like to continue education at home (no education - spiritual or academic should be left entirely up to anyone other than parents) so we would use these on weekends, holidays, after school, summer. I think this would help my son(s) translate his reading into more than just words. He's young so I don't completely know if he comprehends all that he reads.
I have so interested in the LEGO Education Build To Express! My children love LEGOS and I would love to incorporate them into our everyday learning in our Homeschool. Thanks for this awesome giveaway!
This would be so great to challenge the imagination.
I am teaching a Lego Challenge class at our coop. This would be an invaluable resource for us.
My son and daughter would love this! Thanks for a fantastic give away!
Thank you for another wonderful idea! I teach a Lego class, and I have found so many wonderful ideas from your blog!
My son is not confident with his writing/drawing skills, so this would be good for him. He could use the Legos to express himself. I am hoping this would push him further.
I love how open ended this is! My lego lovers would go crazy with it!
I have never heard of this curriculum until today. I can see that it could work great for my twins with autism!