Math in the World: Brick Safari

Lego are amazing regardless of your age. My mom still has Lego sets from when my siblings and were young. My own kids have at least a semester at a fancy college worth of Lego themselves. They are one of those toys which one never seems to outgrow. Lego Masters the TV show is also one that our whole family can agree to watch together even though my kids are now teenagers.

Towards the end of the pandemic Stone Zoo in the Boston area had an exhibit of Lego figures. This was a great opportunity to be outside doing something novel and as it turns out rather mathy!

The resource I am sharing spans a number of grade levels. The first section is a really nice look at scale factor beyond using the copy machine idea that seems prevalent in many textbooks. Lego models like those shared are one way to introduce this idea to students. You might also consider how scale models are used in architecture and landscape designs.

The majority of this resource prompts students to use their estimation skills. The slides build on each other so consider using them in sequence. There are also plenty of opportunities for students to create additional problems with the information provided.

Slideshow

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