News Details

February 2025

Do you remember learning about atoms and molecules when you were a child?

If you’re like many of us, wrapping your brain around these higher-level science concepts wasn’t easy - in part because atoms and molecules are invisible to the naked eye.

Enter LEGOs.

“I always used the analogy that the elements were the building blocks of the universe and had the students think about how LEGOs can connect in different ways to make different designs,” said Candy Caldwell, who teaches science to sixth graders at Rhoades Elementary. “You can take the same LEGOs and rearrange them, take away some, or add some and you have endless possibilities, just like all the matter in the universe.”

Mrs. Caldwell purchased the LEGOs for her students with funding from the Wayne Township Education Foundation and DonorsChoose. She says the LEGOs have helped her students better understand processes such as photosynthesis - the process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Previously, she had used sticky notes to help students understand these processes. The LEGOs have proven more effective.

“I think the LEGOs make it several times more fun and engaging,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “While students can manipulate the post-its, it was still a slightly abstract form of modeling. Stacking the pieces of paper and thinking ‘these are connected’ - when in fact they are just a pile of colored papers - still made for a jump in connection. However, having to physically snap together and pull apart the LEGOs and also watching the molecules ‘grow’ in size as they connected them gave them that concrete example. I believe this was doubly helpful for my LAP and special-needs students to have that more concrete modeling to connect to the content that we were learning.”

The LEGOs are instructive - and fun.

“The students loved the LEGOs,” Mrs. Caldwell said. “I actually did not get the supplies in time for the lesson this year, so the classes had to use the post-it option like the textbook has us do. When I did get the LEGOs we took a day and redid the lesson with the LEGOs. Students who had been confused before were really engaged. It was so awesome to see their faces light up in shock and surprise when they converted their water and carbon dioxide into one giant carbohydrate molecule. You could tell they really started to understand how complex some of the molecules are.”

ABOUT THE WAYNE TOWNSHIP EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Wayne Township Education Foundation (WTEF) provides community leadership to enrich, engage, and stimulate teaching and learning in the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. WTEF accomplishes this by supporting school programs and resources, while recognizing excellence among students and staff. To learn more about WTEF and/or establishing a named, designated fund, call 317-988-7966, visit wtef.wayne.k12.in.us, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter @WayneTwpEdFound.