Using LEGO™ bricks as atoms offers tactile approaches to help people learn by visualizing key processes in environmental health sciences. The hands-on models provide an inviting way to learn, even for those without a technical background. In the models, the colors of the atoms are CPK International Standard colors for the elements. Therefore, young people learn the correct colors for the elements from the start. Also, some of the key concepts about molecules can be taught without having to explain about the electron bonding details. The atoms easily join and cling together to represent specific shapes. The molecules have been consistently fashioned to match space-filling models. These LEGO™ models don’t differentiate between double and single bonds. If two bricks are snapped together, there is bonding between them.
Learn more about this novel approach:
- Chapter 12, Tactile Approaches to Help Learners Visualize Key Processes in Environmental Health Science [PDF]
