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Monday, March 18, 2024
March 18, 2024

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Learning science through Legos

Program teaches kids laws of motion using toy bricks

The Columbian
Published:
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Students Joshua Whitney, 6, and Alison Dorn, 7, figure out how to assemble a seesaw from Legos on July 22 at Roosevelt Elementary in Yakima.
Students Joshua Whitney, 6, and Alison Dorn, 7, figure out how to assemble a seesaw from Legos on July 22 at Roosevelt Elementary in Yakima. They were taking part in a weeklong class to learn about the laws of motion, a class that's part of the Yakima School District's effort to offer learning during the summer. Photo Gallery

YAKIMA — Most K-2 students wouldn’t dare go into a school library in an empty school on a sunny summer morning — much less to learn about Isaac Newton.

But that is what happened recently at Roosevelt Elementary, when 20 of the brightest young minds in Yakima committed a few hours a day to learn about the mathematician-physicist’s three laws of motion.

The concepts of moving or stationary objects — inertia, force and equal but opposite reactions — were not lost on the students, part of the Yakima School District’s Highly Capable program.

Six-year-old Joshua Whitney and Alison Dorn, 7, worked on a motorized Lego seesaw. Using very basic coding, the two could start, stop, speed up, slow down and add sound effects to the seesaw.

One of their objectives on this day: to stop the Lego person on the seesaw just when it hit the ground. “This will let you stop it for as many seconds as you want it to,” Joshua said of a function he pointed to on the computer that could time the upward and downward motions of the seesaw.

The two ultimately completed the task. Whether or not they were more into the assignment because the always-popular brick toys were involved was up for debate.

“I like to play with the Legos,” said Alison, a soon-to-be second-grader and possible future artist.

The weeklong program was run by Bricks 4 Kidz, a national business with a franchise in Yakima. It was started six years ago in Florida as a way to boost interest in science, technology, engineering and math fields, or STEM.

The idea of incorporating Lego bricks with STEM caught on in Yakima. It was exactly the kind of business venture John Oord and Andy Sauer had previously said they would do together.

The franchise owners have been friends for more than 40 years — they met as first-graders in Toppenish. Both reminisced about how “hands on” science and math was when they were growing up.

“If I can be shown how to do it, I get it just like that,” said Oord. “That’s what we’re doing here — making sure kids have an opportunity. It’s good, fun, fast hands-on learning that they actually are building something.”

Bricks 4 Kidz has presented an opportunity to expand hands-on STEM work through after-school programs and summer camps. The Yakima franchise, opened earlier this year, is the first one east of the Cascade Mountains.

Parents are charged about $10 a week for the after-school program. For summer camp, the school district pays $200 an hour.

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