Mom's Choice Award

“We are happy to award deserving products like BrickLAB STEAMventures,” said Dawn Matheson, CEO, Mom’s Choice Awards. “Our panel of judges really felt this activity kit merited a place on our list of the best in family-friendly products that parents and educators can feel confident in using.”

BrickLAB STEAMventures: powered by curiosity!

BrickLAB STEAMventures enriches K-1st or 2nd-3rd grade learning no matter the environment it’s introduced in! As a student-driven kit containing manipulatives, grade-appropriate curriculum and optional extensions, this program hinges around a STEAM-themed magazine brimming with multi-subject integration. Whether it be homeschooling, preparing for next year or engaging with family, this brand-new program is innovating education and integrating core subjects with STEAM topics.

BrickLAB STEAMventures is individually kitted to provide flexibility, so you only pay for the materials you need. Furthermore, to support teaching multiple grades at once, the K-1st and 2nd-3rd grade magazines cover the same topics at age-appropriate depths. With hands-on builds, English Language Arts standards, critical and creative thinking activities, arts connections and so much more, BrickLAB STEAMventures is your surefire way to give your youngest learners a positive STEAM experience.

Grades: K-1, 2-3
Contact Hours:

• Magazine Activities: 4+ hours
• Online Extensions on build.edventures.com: 4+ hours

How to Order:

1. Select the grade band and the length of your subscription.
2. Add 1 quantity per child.
3. If you don’t already own BrickLAB Bricks, Legos or other building bricks, add on 1 BrickLAB Individual Kit per child.

Want to try before you buy? Click here to order a copy of BUILD Hot Air Balloons for free! (limit 1 per grade band per customer)

Release Schedule:

Issues are delivered to your door monthly, following the schedule below. Back-issues will become available for purchase after their release.

The deadline to receive a particular month's issue is the 10th of the previous month. (For example, if you start your subscription on October 10th, the first magazine you'll receive is the November issue.)

Flight: September - December, 2020

• September: Hot Air Balloons
• October: Airplanes
• November: Helicopters
• December: Rockets

Transportation: January - April, 2021

• January: Boats
• February: Bikes
• March: Cars and Trucks
• April: Trains

Food: May - August, 2021

• May: Gardens
• June: Grains
• July: Trees
• Aug: Tractors

Subject Targets:

Physical Science, Technology, Art/STEAM, Math, English Language Arts, Social Studies

Recommended Settings:

• Home Learning
• For classrooms, summer camps and other programs that need supplies for many students, see the Education Edition.

Each Issue Includes:

• Key Terms
• Step-by-Step Brick Build
• Science & Social Studies Content
• Math & Literacy Activities
• Art Integration
• Brick Engineering Challenge
• Unplugged & Digital Choiceboards for Family Engagement

Program Expansion:

BrickLAB Program Expansion: Once you have PCS Edventures BrickLAB STEAMventures brick kits, for as little as $129, you can expand your program by simply adding new BrickLAB curriculum titles.

• BrickLAB Core
• BrickLAB Tech

Each Subscription includes:

• BUILD Magazines: 1 per month
• Parent Guide: 1
• Access to optional online resources

Each BrickLAB Individual Kit includes:

• BrickLAB bricks: 300+
• Brick separator: 1
• Mesh bag for cleaning bricks: 1

K-1st & 2nd-3rd Grade

Habits of Mind:

16 thinking habits developed by Art Costa and Bena Kallick to empower students to succeed in a 21st-century learning environment.

• Persisting
• Thinking Flexibly
• Striving for Accuracy
• Creating, Imagining, Innovating

21st Century Skills:

A set of widely-applicable abilities essential for success in the information age.

• Creativity and Innovation
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Initiative and Self-Direction
• Productivity and Accountability

© 2018 Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21), p21.org. All Rights Reserved. P21 was not involved in the production of this product and does not endorse it.

K-1st Grade

Next Generation Science Standards:

• NGSS K-2-ETS1-1 Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
• NGSS K-PS2-2. Analyze data to determine if a design solution works as intended to change the speed or direction of an object with a push or a pull.
• NGSS 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
• NGSS 1-ESS1-1. Use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted.

NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

Common Core State Standards:

English Language Arts Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.B Use common, proper, and possessive nouns.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1.E Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and future (e.g., Yesterday I walked home; Today I walk home; Tomorrow I will walk home).
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.10 With prompting and support, read informational texts appropriately complex for grade 1.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.1.8. With guidance and support from adults, recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Mathematics Standards:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.A Know number names and the count sequence.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.MD.C.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.A.1 Count to 120, starting at any number less than 120. In this range, read and write numerals and represent a number of objects with a written numeral.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.NBT.C.4 Add within 100, including adding a two-digit number and a one-digit number, and adding a two-digit number and a multiple of 10, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method and explain the reasoning uses. Understand that in adding two-digit numbers, one adds tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose a ten.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.C.6 Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting on; making ten; decomposing a number leading to a ten; using the relationship between addition and subtraction; and creating equivalent but easier or known sums.

© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

2nd-3rd Grade

Next Generation Science Standards:

• NGSS K-2-ETS1-1 Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-2 Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
• NGSS K-2-ETS1-3 Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.
• NGSS 2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.
• NGSS 2-PS1-4. Construct an argument with evidence that some changes caused by heating or cooling can be reversed and some cannot.
• NGSS 3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object’s motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

NGSS is a registered trademark of Achieve. Neither Achieve nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.

Common Core State Standards:

English Language Arts Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.4.E Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.5 Know and use various text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.7 Explain how specific images contribute to and clarify a text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2-3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.8. Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.A Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.

Mathematics Standards:

• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems using information presented in a bar graph.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.A.1Understand that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, and 6 ones.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.A.3 Read and write numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.5 Fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.6 Add up to four two-digit numbers using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.NBT.B.7 Add and subtract within 1000, using concrete models or drawings and strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction; relate the strategy to a written method. Understand that in adding or subtracting three-digit numbers, one adds or subtracts hundreds and hundreds, tens and tens, ones and ones; and sometimes it is necessary to compose or decompose tens or hundreds.

© Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

Jill Janicek

Jill has been teaching in the West Ada School District in Meridian, Idaho for 27 years and has taught grades K, 1, 2, and 5. She is a life-long learner and advocate for project-based learning. She has had training by PCS Edventures at the SySTEMic Summer Institute and written grants for BrickLABs. She and Dori Atterberry have led professional development for fellow educators at the i-STEM Summer Institute for 5 years using PCS Edventures BrickLAB kits. Jill also uses BrickLAB in her classroom, from individual designs with directions all the way to a project-based learning experience in groups of 4-5. They have even had times where the entire class builds together! Jill has been involved in several STEM summer camps for children as well, and she is very excited to share new ideas with you and your students, wherever they might be!

Dori Atterberry

Dori is a 1st grade teacher at Galileo STEAM Academy, a STEM certified school in Eagle Idaho, and brings over 30+ years of teaching experience. She holds a BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Early Childhood, is certified by the National Board and is a life-long learner and advocate for project-based learning. In her classroom, Dori uses bricks at her morning centers and integrates bricks with math, literacy and science to create project-based learning units. She has taught at Camp Invention, a summer program in Idaho and has been a camp director for STEMbus summer camps as well. Dori has also had the pleasure of leading BrickLAB professional development sessions at the i-STEM Summer Institute, making her a BrickLAB expert and enthusiast!

View the playlist below to learn more about how to implement and maintain your program. You'll also get a closer look at each issue of the Flight collection!

Note: The following downloads include more information on each BrickLAB STEAMventures complete collection. These documents are written for the Education Edition, which comes in 10-student bundles with slightly different pricing and materials. The curriculum is the same between the Home and Educaiton editions.

Click links below to view files:

Flight Collection:

• Flyer
• Spec Sheet
• Catalog & Brochures