K to Grade 5 Self-paced
online course
online course
Builder's Lab
Builder's Lab
Free online engineering course · 12 weeks
- Grade
- K to Grade 5
- Ages
- Ages 5 to 11
- Price
- Free
- Format
- Self-paced online course at learn.lanternlearn.com
About this course
Builder's Lab is a free 12-week online engineering course for Kindergarten to Grade 5, with a grown-up reading along. Each week is one challenge built from household materials: towers, a paper bridge, a paper airplane, a parachute, a marble run, a foil boat, a balloon car, an ice-cube keeper, a lever or pulley, and finally a challenge kids design themselves. Kids plan, build, test, change one thing and test again. Each week has short lessons Monday to Friday and a Saturday Build Day the family does together, with a note for the grown-up.
12-week list
Each week is one build challenge, with short lessons Monday to Friday and a family Build Day on Saturday.
| Week | Topic | Focus | NGSS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Think Like an Engineer | Ask, imagine, plan, create, test, improve | K-2-ETS1-1 |
| 2 | Tall Tower | The tallest tower made of paper | K-2-ETS1-2 |
| 3 | Ball on Top | A tower that holds a ball up high | 3-5-ETS1-1 |
| 4 | Bridge the Gap | A paper bridge that holds the most coins | 3-5-ETS1-3 |
| 5 | Fly Far | A paper airplane that flies 10 feet | 3-5-ETS1-3 |
| 6 | Slow Drop | A parachute that falls slowly | 3-5-ETS1-2 |
| 7 | Marble Run | A marble run that takes 5 seconds or more | 3-5-ETS1-1 |
| 8 | Float It | A foil boat that carries the most coins | 3-5-ETS1-3 |
| 9 | Balloon Car | A car pushed by balloon air | 3-5-ETS1-2 |
| 10 | Keep It Cold | A holder that keeps an ice cube from melting | 3-5-ETS1-3 |
| 11 | Lift It | A lever or pulley that lifts a small load | 3-5-ETS1-1 |
| 12 | Your Own Challenge | Design, build, test and share | K-2-ETS1-1 |