Building for Science
Posted by Arwen Mosher in News on Wednesday, November 10, 2010 4:36 PM
Got any LEGO fans in your house? Or kids who are interested in space exploration? How about both?
If so, you might enjoy reading about this new endeavor: “NASA and LEGO Join Forces”.
As part of the first step of the partnership, astronauts on board the International Space Station will build models out of LEGOs while schoolchildren watch and make similar models in their classrooms.
According to the article, “NASA’s fundamental goal is to inspire children to learn about science, technical fields, engineering and math.” An astronaut quoted in the article says he thinks his engineering skills were enhanced by having played with LEGO and other construction toys as a child. I’m sure he’s right - my husband is a 30-year-old engineer who’s happy to spend an hour building an intricate bridge with the kids’ little blocks, and construction toys were an important part of his childhood. I doubt they would have given him engineering talent he didn’t already have, but I’m sure they helped him develop the latent intelligence.
Apparently NASA and LEGO are creating lesson plans for the students who will be involved in the project. Some of them “may even have the students challenge the astronaut to see who can build something quicker,” according to the article.
I bet any number of LEGO-loving kids would adore a chance like that! And they might win, too…
Post a Comment
By submitting this form, you give Faith And Family Magazine permission to publish this comment. Comments will be published at our discretion, and may be edited for clarity and length. For best formatting, please limit your response to one paragraph and don't hit "enter" to force line breaks.