This page outlines the scope and sequence for Grades 1-2. Individual Brickit lessons will be provided separately.
🧭 Teaching Philosophy
"Engaging Math with Spare LEGO Bricks" helps children understand mathematics through hands-on exploration. Through building, comparing, and storytelling, they discover how numbers and shapes work in the real world. This approach develops imagination, confidence, and mathematical language.
Hands-On Learning
Children learn best when they can see, touch, and manipulate objects. LEGO bricks make abstract concepts concrete and memorable.
Collaborative Exploration
Working in pairs and teams builds communication skills and cooperative problem-solving abilities.
Growth Mindset
Mistakes become opportunities for investigation rather than failures. Every build teaches something new.
Creative Connection
LEGO stimulates creative thinking and helps students recognize mathematical patterns in their own creations.
📚 Course Overview
This program is designed as a supplementary course to reinforce key mathematical concepts through play, creativity, and collaborative exploration. Each unit aligns with international curriculum standards (Common Core, Cambridge Primary, IB PYP) while maintaining flexibility for diverse classroom needs.
🎯 Curriculum Units
Counting & Number Sense
Students explore numbers through play — counting, grouping, comparing, and composing quantities using LEGO bricks.
- Counting Colours and Bricks
- Checking and Verifying Counts
- Making Equal Groups
- Comparing and Ordering Models
- Number Compositions
- Math Stories (Addition & Subtraction)
- Brick Counting Challenge
Fractions & Parts of a Whole
Students explore how wholes can be divided into equal parts, developing intuitive understanding of fractions and fair sharing.
- Equal Parts: Halves & Quarters
- Fair Sharing Challenge
- Building with Thirds
- Comparing Fraction Sizes
- Fractions in Real Life
- Fraction Stories
Addition & Subtraction with Models
Students model and solve addition and subtraction stories within 20, understanding operations as actions on quantities.
- Combining Parts to Make a Whole
- Take Away!
- What's Missing?
- Balancing Builds
- Building Math Stories
Place Value & Base-10 Thinking
Students understand that numbers are made of tens and ones, and that 10 ones can be regrouped as 1 ten using visual LEGO models.
- Building Tens and Ones
- Trading Bricks (Regrouping)
- Comparing Numbers
- Building Numbers to 100
- Tens & Ones in Action
Addition & Subtraction within 100
Students add and subtract within 100 using tens and ones models, making regrouping (trading) visible and understandable.
- Make Ten with LEGO
- Add within 100 (No Regrouping)
- Add within 100 (With Regrouping)
- Subtract within 100 (No Regrouping)
- Subtract within 100 (With Regrouping)
Measurement: Length & Perimeter
Students learn measurement concepts using LEGO studs as units, exploring length, comparison, and perimeter through building.
- Measuring in Studs
- Estimating and Recording Length
- Comparing Lengths
- Building Shapes with Equal Sides
- Perimeter Challenge
Problem Solving & Patterns
Students apply all learned skills to solve open-ended problems, recognizing patterns and explaining mathematical reasoning.
- Problem Builders
- Story Problems with Bricks
- Patterns Everywhere
- Symmetry & Balance
- The Great LEGO Challenge
🌍 Curriculum Alignment
This curriculum aligns with three major international frameworks, ensuring relevance across diverse educational contexts.
| Concept Area | Common Core (US) | Cambridge Primary | IB PYP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counting & Number Sense | K.CC.B.4, 1.NBT.A.1 | N1.2–N1.7 | "Numbers convey quantity and relationships" |
| Fractions & Parts of a Whole | 2.G.A.3 | M2.3 | "Parts and wholes help describe relationships" |
| Addition & Subtraction | 1.OA.A.1–1.OA.C.6 | N1.7–N1.9 | "Operations describe change and combination" |
| Multiplication (Early) | 2.OA.C.3–2.OA.C.4 | N2.4–N2.5 | "Patterns represent repeated relationships" |
| Measurement & Comparison | 1.MD.A.1–1.MD.B.3 | M2.1–M2.2 | "Measurement allows fair comparison" |
| Shapes & Symmetry | 1.G.A.1–2.G.A.1 | G1.1–G2.3 | "Shapes can be described and organized" |
| Problem Solving & Reasoning | MP1–MP5 | N2.6 | "Inquiry and reasoning lead to understanding" |
🧠 Skills Progression Map
This map shows how mathematical skills develop progressively across the seven units.
| Skill Domain | Unit Focus | Observable Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
| Counting & Accuracy | Unit 1 | Counts objects to 20 accurately, checks with peers, records totals |
| Grouping & Equal Sets | Units 1–3 | Forms equal groups; begins repeated addition |
| Addition & Subtraction | Units 3–4 | Adds and subtracts within 20; explains number stories |
| Early Multiplication | Unit 4 | Recognizes arrays, skip counts by 2s/3s/5s |
| Fractions & Equal Parts | Unit 2 | Divides models into halves and quarters; describes parts of a whole |
| Measurement & Units | Unit 5 | Measures in studs; uses “longer/shorter/taller” accurately |
| Geometry & Symmetry | Unit 6 | Identifies 2D/3D shapes; builds symmetrical models |
| Reasoning & Problem Solving | Unit 7 | Plans, tests, and explains problem-solving strategies |
| Communication & Reflection | All Units | Describes mathematical thinking using language and visuals |
🧰 Teacher Toolkit
Materials Checklist
- 300–500 LEGO bricks per team (mixed shapes/colors)
- 1 device with Brickit App for Schools
- Mini whiteboards or notebooks
- Markers, pencils, rulers
- Optional: baseplates, sorting trays
Group Setup
- 4–6 teams of 2–4 students
- Rotate roles: scanner, builder, recorder
- Ensure collaborative participation
- Tables arranged for easy scanning
Using Brickit App
- Spread bricks on a flat surface
- Scan the pile with the app (recognizes shape/size)
- Choose a suggested model (8–20 pieces)
- Build following instructions
- Allow creative substitutions
Assessment Tools
- Observation checklist
- Reflection cards
- Photo portfolio
- Peer review activities
- Student learning journals