Extreme LEGO

6+ years of non-repeating projects and curriculum! And we are working on year #7 right now. In all of our LEGO programs, students build a number of projects throughout the session. The students then use those projects to investigate basic engineering concepts. For instance, they will build a merry-go-round using gears. Then they will switch the gears around to gear it up or gear it down. They will also learn how to understand and estimate gear ratios.

Our LEGO programs fall into a number of sub categories. Each category has it’s own distinct features. Here is a brief overview of each:

Extreme LEGO - For grades kindergarten through 3rd.

Projects are easier to build and to manipulate. We use the projects to cultivate the engineering concepts.
Students work as individuals.
There are four curricula for the Extreme LEGO program. Each one is 4-8 weeks in length, depending on the school’s scheduling needs.
- Extreme LEGO: Wheels & Axles – Build a lawn mower, a wagon, a race car and learn the difference between a separate and single axle, thick versus thin wheels and much more.
- Extreme LEGO: Gears – Build a fan, merry-go-round, design a circus sign and an arcade game. Investigate: gearing up, gearing down, gear ratios, idler gears, gearing at an angle & compound gearing.
- Extreme LEGO: Levers – Build a snapping dragon, a scale, design your own railroad crossing and use these projects to investigate basic lever concepts including: load, effort & fulcrum; the closer the load is to the fulcrum, the easier the it is to move; the three classes of levers. We may even to a marshmallow toss contest to finish off the session. What FUN!
- Extreme LEGO: Pulleys – Build a crane, a clown sign, design your own conveyor belt and use these projects to investigate basic pulleys concepts including: direction of rotation, increased speed, a fixed pulleys, movable pulleys system, and compound pulleys. We may even try to build the world’s longest conveyor belt made of LEGOs at the last class! How cool is that?

Extreme LEGO: Structures – For 1st – 5th grades

Build a LEGO version of the Golden Gate Bridge, the St. Louis Arch and even the Eiffel Tower. Students use these projects to explore structural engineering basics. Sure to ignite any budding architect’s enthusiasm.
ALL NEW! LEGO WeDo Robotics – For 2nd-5th grades.
- Build a LEGO eating alligator and program for chew for 5 seconds, say, “Ahhh” and continue chewing. Build a motorized race car, field-goal kicker, airplane and more. We use these projects to study basic engineering concepts then PROGRAM THEM USING A COMPUTER to complete different tasks and challenges. We provide the computers, LEGOs, curriculum and fun!

ROBOTICS

Robotics programs are certainly our most challenging, unique and instructive courses for 3rd grade through 10th grade.We use LEGO Mindstorm components and software. Each class students design, build, program, test and modify different robots to complete assigned tasks and compete in challenges.

robotics

As the course progresses, projects and challenges become more complex. Students build on the concepts and designs they have tried in the previous day. The final projects are challenging for even the most dedicated roboteer!

Students work in teams of 2-4 with each team member covering different tasks each day. Teamwork is a huge component of these courses. Teams that work together succeed. Those that don’t work together have difficulty completing the tasks.

Our curricula is comprehensive, fun and as in depth as students would like to get. Curricula includes:

Robolab: Team Challenge – Students build the seeing-eye-bot, bumper-bot, tank-bot and more. The final contest is the Can-Do challenge. We use the RCX brick for this course.
Robolab NXT – Students build multiple robots with a variety of sensors. Touch sensor, light sensor, rotation sensor and distance sensor. Each project allows the students to experiment with different programming and building options. We use the NXT brick for this curriculum.
Robolab NXT: Mayan Adventure – Students build robots to traverse ravines on a nothing more than a string, find and retrieve delicate artifacts and report their findings to headquarters. We use the NXT brick for this curriculum.
Robolab: Grand Prix – A fast-paced, fun class to get your ‘bot to the finish line first. We build different robots each day and design each one to compete in a drag race, obstacle course, parallel parking challenge or a ‘bot-on-‘bot tug-o-war! It’s as fun as it sounds!! Students use the RCX brick for this curriculum.
Robolab: Eco Challenge (in development)– Design and build your own robot that uses solar or wind energy! A class designed to probe the energy challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.
Robolab: Cyber Challenge – A highly advanced program with complex builds and tasks. Designed for middle school and upper school students. We use the RCX brick with this curriculum.

LEGO X – For grades 1st-5th

These courses are more challenging. The kits have 300+ piece. Students build in pairs and must work as a team to complete the projects. The projects are engaging and students manipulate each project a number of ways to make it faster, stronger or change it’s mode of operation. There are five curricula for this system.

NEW FOR 2010-2011 – LEGO X Pneumatic
LEGO X: Yachts & Hot Rods – Build a land yacht, a race car, compete in contests with your classmates and use the projects to investigate basic concepts including: single versus separate axles, wider versus thinner wheels, momentum & fly wheels.
LEGO X: Gear Jammers – Build a rockin’ cool street sweeper, windmill, clock and trundle wheel. Use these projects to cultivate the gearing concepts of: gearing up, gearing down, gear ratios, compound gearing and how gears work in the world around us.
LEGO X: Hammers & Ballerinas – The name says it all. Build an automated hammer and discover ways of making it pound nails faster. Build a ballerina and explore options to make her balance better and spin faster. Design and build your team’s own machine for automatically stamping letters. We use these projects explore basic levers engineering concepts, such as: load, effort, fulcrum, compound levers, how to increase the torque of a lever and make it more effective and much more.
LEGO X: Magnetix – Learn how magnets and pulleys work in the world to move objects and increase productivity. Students will build a magnetic circus act, a paper-clip-eating bird, a Big Game Fishing Pole and assess each project’s use and effectiveness for projects and challenges. Fun, inventive and engaging!

LEGO Machines – For 1st – 5th grades

A challenging course that implements motors to get their LEGO projects moving. The cirricula are:

LEGO Machines: Wheels & Racers
LEGO Machines: Gears
LEGO Machines: Drum Pedals & Hospital Beds
LEGO Machines: Pulleys

We have a multitude of other LEGO curriculum in development. For more details, feel free to call or email Youth Enrichment League with your inquiries.

PRE-K LEGO & Razzmatazz

Designed for students just getting introduced to LEGO engineering. These courses use both LEGO duplo blocks (the bigger ones) and regular LEGO components (the smaller ones). Students build numerous projects and use each project to investigate basic engineering concepts. lego

Curricula includes:

Simple Machines – An introduction to four of the six simple machines we use every day. We study: levers, wheels & axles, pulleys, and gears.
Structures – Build a wall. Knock it down. Build a stronger wall and try to knock this one down. No chance! Through hands-on, experiential projects, students learn why a stadium roof is built a certain way, how to anchor a wall and how a suspension tower works. Projects include: towers, bridges, stadiums, a fishing pole and even a machine operated soccer goalie. Fun and informative. Sure to ignite your inner-engineer!
Shapes and Badges – Students build and design different shapes, badges, logos and objects. Designed for younger LEGO builders. This course is a great introduction to basic concepts.

What is Razzmatazz?
YEL often does combination courses. For pre-k students, we combine our LEGO courses with (for instance) basketball, soccer, gym games or other classes designed to keep kiddos imaginations ignited and pulses-pounding.