History Builders: Famous Americans Brick Building

Course Summary

Step into history and build it brick by brick! In this hands-on class, students will learn about famous Americans who shaped our country through courage, creativity, and determination. After exploring their stories through engaging discussion and visuals, students will use building bricks to create things that bring history to life. From inventors to leaders to heroes, we’ll design creative builds that connect past achievements to today’s world.

Course Description

Step into history and build it brick by brick! In this weekly ongoing class, students will discover the stories of famous Americans who shaped our nation. Each week highlights a new leader, inventor, or hero, and learners will bring the story to life through creative brick-building challenges (any building bricks work — LEGO®, Mega Bloks®, etc.). From Washington’s log cabin to Rosa Parks’ bus, kids will explore history through hands-on design. Each class begins with an engaging story, followed by group discussion to connect the person’s legacy with our world today. Then, students will complete a themed brick build that represents their life or accomplishments. At the end, everyone shares their creation and takeaway thought from the lesson. Because each week is stand-alone, students may join at any time. No prior history knowledge is required. This class blends history + creativity + STEM, helping kids practice problem-solving, imagination, and public speaking skills while learning about the past.

Syllabus

🏛 Founding Fathers & Presidents Week 1: George Washington – Build a log cabin with chimney Week 2: Benjamin Franklin – Build a kite with a lightning bolt tower Week 3: Betsy Ross – Build an American flag OR create your own flag Week 4: Abraham Lincoln – Build the Lincoln Memorial with columns Week 5: Theodore Roosevelt – Build a teddy bear OR forest park Week 6: Thomas Jefferson – Build Monticello or an ink well and quill Week 7: Andrew Jackson – Build a frontier fort or log fence Week 8: Ulysses S. Grant – Build a Civil War camp scene Week 9: John F. Kennedy – Build a rocket launch pad (“To the Moon!”) 💡 Inventors & Innovators Week 10: Eli Whitney – Build a gear machine (cotton gin simplified) Week 11: Thomas Edison – Build a glowing light bulb Week 12: Alexander Graham Bell – Build an old-fashioned telephone Week 13: The Wright Brothers – Build a biplane Week 14: Henry Ford – Build a Model T style car Week 15: Samuel Morse – Build a telegraph key + wire tower Week 16: George Washington Carver – Build a farm field with crops + lab table ✊ Civil Rights & Social Change Week 17: Harriet Tubman – Build a lantern + safe house station Week 18: Frederick Douglass – Build a podium with an open book Week 19: Susan B. Anthony – Build a ballot box with a slot for votes Week 20: Rosa Parks – Build a bus with seats Week 21: Martin Luther King Jr. – Build a microphone + stage 🌎 Exploration & Frontiers Week 22: Lewis & Clark – Build a canoe with paddles Week 23: Sacagawea – Build a compass + trail sign Week 24: Daniel Boone – Build a wooden fort with lookout tower Week 25: Amelia Earhart – Build a red airplane Week 26: Neil Armstrong – Build a rocket + American flag on the moon 🔬 Science, Medicine & Discovery Week 27: Clara Barton – Build a Red Cross station Week 28: Florence Nightingale – Build a hospital lamp or field tent Week 29: Katherine Johnson – Build a NASA math lab with star charts Week 30: Rachel Carson – Build an ocean research station or nature lab 🎨 Arts, Education & Modern Impact Week 31: Helen Keller – Build a book with Braille-style bumps Week 32: Booker T. Washington – Build a schoolhouse with open doors Week 33: Walt Disney – Build a castle tower or animation studio Week 34: Jackie Robinson – Build a baseball diamond + home plate

Supplies

Building Bricks Base Printed Handouts