National Engineering Week
Building with LEGO Workshops [Is there a better name for this?]
Description:
What can you do with a square brick? How about a curved wall? Arches and bridges? Strong towers with fewer bricks? Join NALUG members for a guided tour of their creations followed by expert building tips for projects using every day LEGO bricks. Have you ever wondered “how did they build that?” or had an idea that you didn’t know how to build? Come talk to local LEGO enthusiasts and find out how to think outside the brick.
NALUG members will give participants a glimpse into the design and creation of the detailed historical and technical models on display. Back in the classroom, participants will learn more from NALUG workshop leaders through examples from their personal collections and experiences. Participants will be challenged to build small, quick projects before receiving hints and techniques to successfully bring their own ideas into reality the next time they are playing with LEGO.
Each session will focus heavily on the individual models and experiences of the workshop leaders as well as the questions from workshop participants. The more curious the participants, the more exciting the results.
Who:
Workshop Leaders: NALUG members (likely 2 or 3 per session; do you need names?)
Target Audience:LEGO enthusiasts ages 8 to 88 years old
Participants must be 8 years-old or older
Under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
When: Saturday, February 24 12 noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Each session is an hour long
Where:Learning Centre 1 and 2 (as a combined classroom. Feel free to just say LC1)
Other Details:
Numbers:We will begin with 30 seats for each session.
Cost:Free with purchase of general admission.
Pre-registration requested but day-of sign-up is okay.
Note:Diana already has these sessions put into ATMS. They will create a waiting list if necessary as NALUG members are open to adding seats to these sessions or adding sessions.
Building Challenges with LEGO Brick
Description:
Can you make LEGO bricks do tricks? Come create your own stunning test structures with a TWoS National Engineering Week Building Challenge LEGO brick kit. Put your building skills to the test and become an honorary TWoS Brick Engineer.
12 noonLongest spanning, self-supporting bridge
1:30 p.m.Tallest free standing structure that cannot be blown over with a fan
3 p.m. “Strongest bridge” – Bridge able to support the test weights
This is a drop-in event with three challenges staggered through the afternoon. Teams will be challenged to build a structure with a given “kit” of LEGO pieces, then have their creation put to the test. (Specific test depends on the challenge as indicated above.)
The results will be logged on the challenge results board. (The structure itself will be taken apart to prepare the kit for another team.)
There is no physical prize for this event, just bragging rights. Winner (best design team) will be announced at the end of each challenge before beginning the next challenge. We will take a digital photo of each team with their creation and email them if requested (but not print). Perhaps an “Honorary TWoS Brick Engineer” (or some such fun title) certificate? These can be pre-made without specific names or a place to write their names.
Who:Program Leaders:Interpretive Staff/Volunteers, NALUG members
Target Audience:Families, LEGO enthusiasts
When:Saturday, March 3 12 noon to 4 pm.
Where:Skywalk
Other Details:
Numbers:12 teams at a time i.e. 12 kits being cycled through.
Cost:Free with General Admission tickets. No pre-registration required.
Note: Donnie, the last piece we were tossing around was a “LEGO cup” that NALUG could build. We would keep it on-site but perhaps have the photo op with the winning teams or just a fun photo op for participants. I’ll toss this one out to NALUG on Saturday at our meeting. I don’t think this needs to be put into the marketing though.