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Rocket & Raven · Kindergarten to Grade 5, ages 5 to 11

Builder's Lab

12 engineering challenges with paper, tape and cardboard. Build, test, improve.

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Free, start to finish. No card. Every week opens without signing in.

Builder's Lab course cover
Grade
Kindergarten to Grade 5, ages 5 to 11
Length
12 weeks
Pace
6 short lessons a week, about 20 minutes each
Price
Free, every week

About this course

Builder's Lab is the engineering counterpart to the Code Crew coding line. Each week is one real challenge: a tower that holds a tennis ball five inches off the table, a paper airplane that flies at least 10 feet, a marble run that takes 5 seconds or more. Kids plan, build, test, change one thing, and test again, using household materials. For K-5 with a grown-up reading along and helping with anything sharp.

Kids will

  • Sketch a design before building
  • Test, measure, and record what happened
  • Identify why a design failed (load, balance, friction, geometry)
  • Iterate: change one variable at a time
  • Compare two designs honestly using a measurement
  • Explain a design choice in plain language

The 12 weeks

  1. Week 1

    Think Like an Engineer

    Ask, imagine, plan, create, test, improve

    NGSS K-2-ETS1-1

  2. Week 2

    Tall Tower

    The tallest tower made of paper

    NGSS K-2-ETS1-2

  3. Week 3

    Ball on Top

    A tower that holds a ball up high

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1

  4. Week 4

    Bridge the Gap

    A paper bridge that holds the most coins

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3

  5. Week 5

    Fly Far

    A paper airplane that flies 10 feet

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3

  6. Week 6

    Slow Drop

    A parachute that falls slowly

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-2

  7. Week 7

    Marble Run

    A marble run that takes 5 seconds or more

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1

  8. Week 8

    Float It

    A foil boat that carries the most coins

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3

  9. Week 9

    Balloon Car

    A car pushed by balloon air

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-2

  10. Week 10

    Keep It Cold

    A holder that keeps an ice cube from melting

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-3

  11. Week 11

    Lift It

    A lever or pulley that lifts a small load

    NGSS 3-5-ETS1-1

  12. Week 12

    Your Own Challenge

    Design, build, test and share

    NGSS K-2-ETS1-1

Standards practiced. NGSS: K-2-ETS1-1, K-2-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-1, 3-5-ETS1-2, 3-5-ETS1-3. Each week is one build challenge, with short lessons Monday to Friday and a family Build Day on Saturday.

Try Week 1 today.

Open the course, pick Day 1 and go. Make a free parent account when you want progress saved for each kid.

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