Fulcrums, leverage and pulleys. Merced kids use Legos to understand engineering

Students at Reyes Elementary in Merced are learning science, technology, engineering, art and math in a fun, hands-on way as members of the Lego Club, which meets every Friday after school.

The subjects, collectively called “STEAM,” have the students tackling concepts such as what a fulcrum is and how it works, as well as leverage, load, rotation, balance and effort, according to a news release.

They’ve seen those terms come to life while building catapults, merry-go-rounds, go-karts and other contraptions, the release said. The projects also require reading, writing, creativity and collaboration.

Fourth-grader Guadalupe Ortega said her favorite part of the class is the construction process. “You have to learn vocabulary so you can understand what you’re going to build,” she said.

After school programs “provide extra time to learn and are designed to support the unique needs of students at each campus,” the release said. Programs are funded and designed through the Local Control Accountability Plan, which is created with help from parents, staff and anyone else interested in education.

Other programs on Merced City School District campuses include robotics, gardening, drama, leadership and foreign languages, not to mention tutoring for reading and math, the release said.

This story was originally published March 18, 2018 at 1:42 PM with the headline "Fulcrums, leverage and pulleys. Merced kids use Legos to understand engineering."