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Piece Management Tip

"Every kit is marked with a number and students use the same kit from the beginning to the end of the project. Two students in the class are assigned as the "checkers". Once the models have been taken apart, the students bring their sets to the checkers. If a piece is missing the students go back and search for it. If they are unsuccessful, all the students participate in a full room search. So far, I have replaced only 2 pieces in the last two years!"

Debbie Armitage
4th Grade Teacher
Charleston, VT

Here's another hint: Debbie invested in 70 cents white rubber back tablecloths and uses white sheets on the floor. Dropped pieces stick out like they are lit up!




Helpful piece management hints from LEGO Dacta

  1. Number each set.
  2. Require students to sign out the same numbered set.
  3. Have students inventory their set before and after use.
  4. Consider grading students on set completeness.
  5. Have students build on cafeteria trays with upturned edges or on cloth or chamois- like material.
  6. Provide a lost and found cup.



Fun Homework

I wrote a mini-grant to purchase sets of LEGO bricks in carrying cases for my children to take home for homework. Sometimes the assignment is to build what they want; other times I assign a specific building task.

Brenda Cripliver
Kindergarten Teacher
Lexington, KY






Keep Your LEGO Products in Tip-Top Shape

In an educational program, it is very important to keep your materials clean. So, here are a few handy ways to clean your LEGO and DUPLO® bricks.

  1. DUPLO and LEGO elements are dishwasher safe (as long as water temperature remains below 104 degree Fahrenheit or 40 degree Celsius). Place them in a fish-net bag on the top shelf of your dishwasher, then run them through the wash cycle.
  2. Place your elements in a fish-net bag and wash them in an industrial sink in mild bleach and water solution. Just swish the bag in the water, then hang it outside in the sunshine to dry.
  3. Get your kids involved by having them wash the bricks in a water table. Have students "swish" the bricks around, then place them in the sunshine to dry.
  4. Place your LEGO bricks in a salad spinner with soap and water, and have children spin them around! After they are rinsed off, place the bricks in the sunshine to dry.

These ideas were supplied by Kathy Palker, an Early Childhood Specialist for LEGO Dacta and a teacher for 9 years.






The Video Record

"I have used the LEGO DACTA® Control Lab product for three years in our small school in a poor rural area. I was able to receive two LEGO DACTA Control Lab sets and a site license by writing and receiving grant money. When we first started, a team would work on a project, present the project to the principal and other classes, and then dismantle it so another group could work on a project.

One day, a student brought his parents in to demonstrate the project and I had already dismantled it to get ready for the next day. This was a slower learner and he was really proud of his accomplishments. At seeing his project gone, it was all he could do to keep from crying (he was a fifth grader). After that, I started videotaping students projects and demonstrations. Not only can we use them for future reference, but it is on tape for the students to show their parents."

Barb Thorson
Union Grove Elementary School
Union Grove, NC




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Page updated November 5, 1996