Lego Design Thinking

Overview

In this 60-minute Technology lesson, students use LEGO STEM Prime kits to explore a design challenge, co-create a user story, and brainstorm multiple design ideas using a simple design-thinking process. They communicate and compare ideas with peers, focusing on meeting user needs.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• define a problem using design criteria by co-creating a user story about a real need
• brainstorm several possible designs for a solution using LEGO STEM Prime parts
• communicate and compare design ideas using age-appropriate technical language and sketches

Success criteria

Students can:

• create a user story that clearly states the user, need, and purpose
• generate at least 3 different design ideas (sketches and/or labelled descriptions)
• explain how each idea meets the user story, and compare ideas with peers respectfully

Curriculum links

• Digital Technologies: generate, communicate and compare designs
• Digital Technologies: define problems with given design criteria and by co-creating user stories
• Design and Technologies (integrated): use appropriate graphical representation techniques to communicate design decisions

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Hook with a need

• Teacher shows a short “classroom problem” scenario (e.g., “Our classroom plants need easier water access” or “Students can’t find the recycling bin easily”).
• Students turn-and-talk: identify who is affected and what would make it better.

2. 5–15 min · Co-create the user story (problem definition)

• Teacher guides discussion using a template: “A ___ wants/needs ___ so that ___.”
• Students, in table groups, draft their user story; teacher records class version on the board.
• Quick check: teacher asks, “What design criteria do we need to follow?” (given constraints such as time, materials, safety, and function).

3. 15–25 min · Design thinking quick model

• Teacher introduces three simple design-thinking steps: Understand (user story) → Imagine (ideas) → Improve (compare and choose).
• Teacher models one example idea using a thumbnail sketch with 2–3 labelled parts/functions (e.g., “wheels” for movement, “lever” for pushing, “sensor” if kit supports it).
• Students choose an idea direction: “We will focus on moving / collecting / protecting / communicating” (teacher provides options aligned to the kit capabilities).

4. 25–40 min · Generate design ideas with LEGO STEM Prime

• Teacher allocates kit building time and sets rules: build lightly first (test shapes), then refine.
• Students work in pairs to produce at least 3 distinct design ideas across the table (either quick rebuilds or separate sketches).
• Each pair must include:
• one labelled sketch or card describing the main parts
• a 1-sentence explanation: “This helps because…”

5. 40–52 min · Communicate and compare designs

• Teacher runs “Gallery Talk”: pairs present their best idea to another pair and then rotate.
• Students use a comparison prompt sheet:
• “Which part/function helps with the user story?”
• “What could be improved for easier use, stronger effect, or clearer purpose?”
• Teacher listens for technical terms and whether comparisons link back to the user story and criteria.

6. 52–58 min · Reflection (formative assessment)

• Teacher leads a class discussion: “Which design ideas best meet the user story? Why?”
• Students complete a quick reflection: circle one statement and add one comment:
• “My design meets the user story because…”
• “Next time I would improve…”

7. 58–60 min · Exit ticket

• Teacher collects an exit ticket from each student (or group scribes if preferred) with:
• the user story in one sentence
• one design idea name (e.g., “Wheel ramp option”)
• one feature that matches the criteria

Resources

• LEGO STEM Prime kits (enough for paired use)
• Student build prompts cards (3 ideas to start)
• User story template (“A ___ wants/needs ___ so that ___”)
• Comparison prompt sheet
• Scrap paper or design journals for thumbnail sketches
• Markers/coloured pencils for labelling
• Timer for rotation and timed building
• Teacher chart paper/whiteboard for class user story and criteria

Assessment

• Observation checklist during brainstorming/building:
• generates multiple ideas
• uses the user story as a reference
• includes labelled sketches or descriptions
• Peer feedback evidence:
• comparison comments link to needs and criteria, not just “I like it”
• Exit ticket:
• accurate user story sentence
• one clear function/feature tied to the design criteria

Differentiation

• Support
• Provide sentence starters for user stories and explanations (“This helps because…”, “The user needs…”, “Our criteria are…”)
• Offer a partially completed comparison frame (tick the “meets need” column)
• Allow sketches with symbols (e.g., arrow for movement) and provide a small word bank (wheels, lever, ramp, support, barrier, connector)
• Extension for gifted learners
• Challenge: “Create an alternative design that reduces one problem you identified in Gallery Talk” (e.g., make it easier to operate, more stable, faster, or safer).
• Ask for a “criteria score”: each design idea gets a 1–3 score for at least two criteria, then students justify the scores.
• Optional advanced task: predict one test outcome (“If we push at the start, what will happen?”) and revise an idea accordingly.

Extension activities

• Gifted extension (if time/continuation next lesson begins immediately)
• Students draft a short “design decision note”: choose one idea and write two reasons it best meets the user story, plus one improvement to test next.
• Students create a labelled diagram of their chosen idea showing main components and their function (one diagram only).