The Build Path
A curated list of 10 projects in sequence to get started teaching STEM
New to teaching hands-on STEM? Start here.
The Build Path is a suggested route for educators deploying our projects for the first time. Rather than picking at random from the full library, follow these ten in order to warm kids up to thinking and acting like engineers.
Students learn to work with glue, sticks and wheels on simpler builds, then put those skills to work storing and releasing energy. By the final project, they're ready to take on hydraulics. The sequence works across a unit, a semester or an after-school session for grades 2 and up. It's a starting route, not a rulebook, so skip ahead or linger wherever your group needs.
Trigger Launcher
Learning Focus: Freely experiment with trajectory, go wild with creative designs
Builds on Step 04: Pyramid Catapult
Propeller Car
Learning Focus: Combine learnings from stored energy, propulsion, friction, and more.
Builds on Step 02: Helicopter
Bow and Arrow
Learning Focus: Use triangles in a new way to build a sturdy frame
Builds on Step 06: Trigger Launcher
Crash Test Car
Learning Focus: Explore momentum and impact. Protect the passenger.
Builds on Step 05: Slingshot Car
Path complete.
Your students have built ten projects. Head back to the full library and choose your next adventure.
One project a week at home
Every guide is free. Grab a small-pack kit when you want the parts pre-counted.
Shop small packsRun the path with your class
Classroom packs of 10 to 100, school POs with net-30, and custom bundles for the whole sequence.
Get a bulk quote