{"title":"The League of Young Inventors","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe League is on a mission to ensure that, regardless of zip code, engineering design is taught at every elementary school in the U.S. as an annual, progressive, core content area that equips students with a problem-solving skill set that they’ll utilize for a lifetime.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-design-series-balancing-mobiles","title":"LYI - Balancing Mobiles Unit (Grades K-1) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Balancing Mobiles unit, designed for grades K-1, students are introduced to a real-world problem: something at the museum is amiss–the mobile sculpture is tipped to one side. It’s up to them to figure out why and invent a solution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a series of four hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students experiment with pencils, mini-seesaws, and simple models to explore what makes a mobile balance and move.\u003cbr\u003eDuring this active research phase, just like scientists, they ask questions, test ideas, notice patterns, and share discoveries with their peers. These activities help students see how every part of a mobile works together–so when they add weight or change the position of one part, the whole sculpture moves differently.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final four lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, each child designs and builds their own mobile sculpture. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final mobiles–made with pipe cleaners, paper shapes, beads, and more–are joyful works of art that showcase the creativity and problem-solving of our youngest learners.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313044062231,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_10.05.47_PM.png?v=1764032884"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-design-series-floating-parachutes","title":"LYI - Floating Parachutes Unit (Grades 2-3) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Floating Parachutes unit, designed for grades 2-3, students are introduced to a real-world problem: a toy inventor's parachute falls too quickly, causing the ball it carries to tumble out of the cup. It's up to the class to figure out why and design a safer solution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough five hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore how parachutes slow a fall. They compare how flat and crumpled paper fall at different speeds, test seed-inspired paper flyers to see how shape affects movement, and tinker with parachute models by changing one part of the system at a time. Just like scientists, they ask questions, carry out fair tests collect data on drop times, and notice patterns. They see how unbalanced forces affect motion: gravity pulls objects down, air pushes back to create drag, and even small changes affect how\u003cbr\u003eslowly and safely a parachute falls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final five lessons, students work through the Engineering Design Process to design and build their own toy parachutes that can float through the air for two seconds or more. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final parachutes–built from paper, plastic bags, cups, string, and index cards–showcase how scientific understanding and creativity combine in imaginative, functional designs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313279238167,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_9.59.50_PM.png?v=1764032565"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-design-series-floating-boats","title":"LYI - Floating Boats Unit (Grades 2-3) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Floating Boats unit, designed for grades 2-3, students are introduced to a real-world problem: a toy inventor has built a boat that sinks when too many animal figurines are loaded aboard. It’s up to the class to figure out why and invent a better solution.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a series of four hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students test everyday objects to see which float and sink, explore how changing the shape of clay can make it stay afloat, and build simple models of rafts, canoes, and barges to determine how much weight each can hold. During this active research phase, just like scientists, they ask questions, test ideas, notice patterns, and share discoveries with their peers. These activities help students see how gravity pulls objects down, water pushes some objects up but not others, and small changes in shape or material can determine whether an object floats or sinks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final five lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, children work in partnerships to design and build their own toy boats. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final boats–made with bowls, trays, foil, and other everyday materials–not only hold weight without sinking but also showcase inventive ways of combining and reshaping materials, demonstrating how science understanding and creativity come together in students’ designs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313327636503,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_10.46.59_PM.png?v=1764035433"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-series-spinning-tops","title":"LYI - Spinning Tops Unit (Grades 2-3) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Spinning Tops unit, designed for grades 2-3, students are introduced to a real-world problem: a toy inventor’s top wobbles and quickly falls over. It’s up to the class to figure out why and design a top that can spin for five seconds or more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough a series of four hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore how balance, weight, friction, and shape affect a top’s motion. They spin washers, test toy tops of different designs, and then tinker with top models by adding weight or experimenting with different shapes to see how these changes affect balance and spin time. Just like scientists, they ask questions, carry out fair tests, collect and analyze spin data, and construct explanations from their results. Along the way, they see how a well-balanced top spins smoothly, how an unbalanced top wobbles, and how friction eventually slows every top.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final four lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in\u003cbr\u003epartnerships to design and build their own toy tops. Just like engineers, they brainstorm\u003cbr\u003esolutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final tops–built from cardboard, dowels, washers, and markers–spin smoothly, are fun to play with, and showcase how scientific understanding and creativity combine in imaginative, functional designs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313417912343,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_10.42.32_PM.png?v=1764035064"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-design-series-rolling-marble-runs","title":"LYI - Rolling Marble Runs Unit (Grades 4-5) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Marble Runs unit, designed for grades 4-5, students are introduced to a real-world\u003cbr\u003eproblem: a toy inventor’s marble run keeps getting stuck, and the ball doesn’t roll to the end. It’s up to the class to figure out why and design a marble run that can keep a ball rolling for five seconds or more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough a series of four hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore how ramps, slopes, friction, and collisions affect the motion of a rolling ball. They test different ramp angles to see how steepness changes speed, add bumpy surfaces to explore how friction slows motion, and extend tracks to investigate how distance affects rolling time. Just like scientists, they ask questions, carry out fair tests, collect and analyze data, and construct explanation from their results. They see how a ball starts to roll when forces are unbalanced, how it speeds up or slows down depending on the slope, and how a faster-moving ball hits harder and can knock things over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the five final lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in\u003cbr\u003epartnerships to design and build their own marble runs. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final marble runs–built from cardboard boxes, paper tracks, cups, and tape–send balls twisting, turning, jumping, and rolling to the finish, showing how scientific understanding and creativity come together in exciting designs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313559109655,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_10.25.24_PM.png?v=1764033983"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-toy-design-series-powered-paddle-boats","title":"LYI - Powered Paddle Boats Unit (Grades 4-5) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Paddle Boats unit, designed for grades 4-5, students are introduced to a real-worldproblem: a toy inventor’s paddle boat barely moves, because its paddle only spins for a short time. It’s up to the class to figure out why and design a boat that can travel across the water for ten seconds or more.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a series of five hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore how energy is stored and released to power motion. They tinker with paddle shapes, test different rubber band thicknesses, and compare boat bodies made from wood and foam to see how materials affect movement in water. Just like scientists, they ask questions, run fair tests, collect and analyze data, and construct explanations from their results. Along the way, students see how twisting a rubber band stores energy, how releasing it makes the paddles spin, and how the paddles pushing against the water transfers energy to move the boat forward.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the final five lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work independently to design and build their own rubber band–powered paddle boats. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, refine, and present their creations. The final boats–crafted from foam, wood, rubber bands, and everyday materials–travel across and back again in a water bin, showcasing how scientific understanding and creativity combine in imaginative, functional designs.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313766760471,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-12-08_at_9.15.57_AM.png?v=1765207267"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-everyday-engineering-series-neighborhoods","title":"LYI - Neighborhood Design Unit (Grades K-1) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Neighborhoods unit, designed for grades K-1, students are introduced to a real-world problem: city planners need ideas for what to build in a large empty space. It’s up to the class to investigate their own neighborhood and design new places that meet the needs and wants of the people who live there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThrough a series of six hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore what makes neighborhoods work. They study maps, go on neighborhood walks, and build a 3D classroom map to identify the important places people need (like schools, grocery stores, and hospitals) and the places they want (like playgrounds, restaurants, and movie theaters). Just like scientists, they ask questions, make observations, and collect information about how people use these spaces. Along the way, they see how neighborhoods balance needs and wants, and how every place supports the people who live there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the final four lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in teams to design and build their own models for the empty space. Just like engineers, they brainstorm ideas, sketch plans, build with everyday materials, and then test and improve their models against clear criteria: the new place must be useful, made from everyday materials, and clearly show its purpose. The final neighborhood models are imaginative, purposeful designs that highlight how even our youngest learners can combine creativity and problem-solving to reimagine the communities around them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313864245271,"sku":null,"price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-11-24_at_10.16.57_PM.png?v=1764033500"},{"product_id":"lyi-curriculum-units-everyday-engineering-series-building-bridges","title":"LYI - Building Bridges Unit (Grades 4-5) Hands-On STEM Curriculum","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Bridges unit, designed for grades 4-5 , students are introduced to a real-world problem civil engineers need new bridge designs for several locations in a city. It’s up to the class to determine which types of bridges will work best and create models that are both strong and creative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough a series of five hands-on, standards-aligned investigations, students explore four main bridge types: beam, arch, truss, and suspension. They build and test model bridges using paper, string, and simple supports, adding washers one at a time to see how much weight each design can hold. Just like scientists, they ask questions, carry out fair tests, record results, and construct explanations about what makes each bridge type strong or weak. Along the way, they see that all bridges must deal with two key forces: compression, which squeezes parts of the bridge together, and tension, which pulls parts of the bridge apart–forces students can see in action when their bridges bend, sag, or hold firm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the final five lessons, following the Engineering Design Process, students work in teams to design and build their own bridges for one of the city locations. Just like engineers, they brainstorm solutions, sketch ideas, build prototypes, and then test, improve, and present their designs against clear criteria: the bridge must hold weight, allow for travel underneath, and add to the landscape. The final bridges–built from cardboard, craft sticks, string, and tape–are unique solutions that show how scientific understanding and creativity combine to solve real- world problems.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The League of Young Inventors","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43313929355287,"sku":null,"price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0717\/0840\/9879\/files\/Screen_Shot_2025-12-08_at_9.15.34_AM.png?v=1765207094"}],"url":"https:\/\/whymaker.com\/collections\/the-league-of-young-inventors.oembed","provider":"WhyMaker","version":"1.0","type":"link"}