Sarah E. Goode LEGO Folding Desk to Bed Build

Overview

Design a LEGO build that transforms from a desk into a bed, inspired by Sarah E. Goode’s folding cabinet bed. This challenge highlights how engineers solve real problems—like limited living space—by creating furniture that serves multiple purposes.

Watch the full build video: https://youtu.be/h9pIRXLIa8w

Best for: Grades 2–6
Kits: LEGO Spike Prime or Spike Essential
Time: 45–60 minutes

Who Was Sarah E. Goode?

Sarah E. Goode was an inventor and furniture store owner who lived in the late 1800s. As cities grew, many families lived in very small apartments with limited space. Sarah noticed that people needed furniture that could do more than one job.

Her solution was a folding cabinet bed—a piece of furniture that could be used during the day and transformed into a bed at night. She became one of the first Black women to receive a U.S. patent.

Big idea: Good design makes life easier by solving everyday problems.

This image is an AI enhancement of the blurry photograph.

Real Invention: Key Features

Sarah Goode’s folding cabinet bed needed to:

This invention helped families live more comfortably in tight spaces.

LEGO Robot Challenge

Your mission: Build and program a LEGO model that transforms from a desk into a bed using motion and structure.

Build Requirements

Optional Add-Ons

Suggested Materials

Programming Concepts

Extension: Use conditionals so the build only transforms when it is safe.

Discussion Questions

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Extensions & Challenges

Video Connection

🎥 Watch the full build video: https://youtu.be/h9pIRXLIa8w

Part of the Black History LEGO Robotics Series

This build is part of our Black History LEGO Robotics Challenge—exploring inventors, engineers, and innovators through hands-on LEGO robotics.

What problem would you solve with transforming furniture?

Alexander Miles - LEGO Spike Automatic Door Build

Overview

Build a LEGO robot that opens and closes a door automatically—no hands required. This challenge is inspired by Alexander Miles, the inventor whose automatic elevator door system made buildings safer and helped shape modern cities.

Watch the full build video: https://youtu.be/CT-ELr0o-v0

Best for: Grades 2–6
Kits: LEGO Spike Prime or Spike Essential
Time: 45–60 minutes

Who Was Alexander Miles?

Alexander Miles was an inventor who noticed a serious safety problem in the late 1800s: elevator doors were often left open by mistake, leading to dangerous accidents. After a close call himself, Miles designed an automatic elevator door system that opened and closed on its own. His invention reduced human error and made elevators much safer to use.

Big idea: Automation can protect people by removing dangerous human mistakes.

Real Invention: Key Features

Alexander Miles’s automatic door system needed to:

These ideas are still used in modern elevators and automatic doors today.

LEGO Robot Challenge

Your mission: Design and program a LEGO door that opens when someone approaches and closes automatically after a short delay.

Build Requirements

Optional Add-Ons

Suggested Materials

Programming Concepts

Extension: Add conditionals so the door stays open while someone is detected.

Discussion Questions

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Extensions & Challenges

Video Connection

🎥 Watch the full build video: https://youtu.be/CT-ELr0o-v0

Part of the Black History LEGO Robotics Series

This build is part of our Black History LEGO Robotics Challenge—exploring inventors, engineers, and innovators through hands-on LEGO robotics.

What will you automate next?

Garrett Morgan LEGO Traffic Signal Build

Build a working LEGO traffic signal inspired by Garrett Morgan, the inventor whose improved traffic light design helped make roads safer. In this challenge, students design a motorized signal system, learn why timing and clear communication matter, and connect history to real engineering decisions.

Watch the Video! Click Here

Who Was Garrett Morgan?

Garrett Morgan was an inventor and entrepreneur who saw a dangerous problem on early 1900s streets—cars, horses, and pedestrians all competing for space. After witnessing a serious accident, he designed an improved traffic signal that warned drivers before it was time to stop. His ideas laid the foundation for modern traffic lights and saved countless lives.

Big idea: Engineering starts with noticing a problem and designing a safer solution.

Real Invention: Key Features

Morgan’s traffic signal needed to:

LEGO Robot Challenge

Your mission: Build a LEGO traffic signal that controls movement using timing and visual signals.

Build Requirements

Optional Add‑Ons

Suggested Materials

Programming Concepts

Extension: Add conditionals to handle pedestrian crossings.

Discussion Questions

Learning Objectives

Students will:

Extensions & Challenges

Video Connection

🎥 Watch the full build video: https://youtu.be/o2VpeirX9PY

Read More About Garrett Morgan

After spending four years in Cincinnati, in 1895 Morgan moved to Cleveland, where he took a job sweeping floors at the Roots and McBride Co. Over time, he grew familiar with the company’s sewing machines, teaching himself how to operate and repair them. Not only did Morgan become a skilled machinist, but he also found inspiration for his first invention — a belt fastener for sewing machines.

In 1907, Morgan started his own business where he repaired and sold sewing machines. Two years later he opened a tailor shop: The Morgan Skirt Factory. While his wife Mary sewed clothes, Morgan built and maintained the sewing machines. He also began experimenting with a liquid for polishing sewing machine needles, preventing them from burning fabric as they sewed. When he discovered the liquid also could straighten hair, he used it to develop a hair cream, and he soon established the G. A. Morgan Hair Refining Co. Morgan then began investing his profits into developing more inventions.

Morgan found the motivation to develop one of his most impactful inventions when he learned about the devastating Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire that caused the deaths of 146 garment workers in New York City in 1911. Understanding that the firefighters had struggled with smoke inhalation, Morgan began to devise a solution. In 1912, he filed for a patent on his breathing device, a “safety hood” that was designed to give a first responder the ability to “supply himself at will with fresh air from near the floor [and] at the same time forcibly remove smoke or injurious gases from the air tube.” Two years later, he established the National Safety Device Co.

In 1916, the importance of Morgan’s safety hood invention was demonstrated at the site of a tragic accident in Cleveland. Following an explosion at the Cleveland Waterworks that killed 18 workers, survivors were trapped as a gas-filled tunnel collapsed under Lake Erie. Without effective safety equipment, rescuers had been unable to reach them because smoke, dust and fumes blocked their way. But when some volunteers — including Morgan himself — put on safety hoods, they were able to successfully reach and rescue several survivors.

Despite his invention’s obvious lifesaving potential, Morgan found difficulty in selling his safety hood to white fire chiefs who refused to buy products from a Black inventor. In response, Morgan sought the advice of the famous entrepreneur J.P. Morgan, who suggested he remove his first name from the product. Following this advice, the inventor began calling his device the “Morgan Safety Hood.” He also hired white actors to promote the product at conventions, helping him to avoid racist objections. Morgan’s new marketing strategies worked, and fire departments across the country finally began to buy his early gas masks.

By the 1920s, Morgan had established himself as a successful businessman and had purchased an automobile. While driving through Cleveland one day, he witnessed a collision between a horse-drawn carriage and another vehicle at an intersection. This experience compelled Morgan to once again use his talents and skills to develop an invention that would improve the safety and welfare of his fellow citizens.

Build a Caesar Cipher with LEGO SPIKE Prime (Enigma Machine Challenge)

My gumball machine coins disappeared… and in their place was a secret message.

The only way to crack it? Build an Enigma-style cipher machine using LEGO SPIKE Prime.

In this challenge, we design and program a LEGO robot that can encode and decode messages using a Caesar Cipher. One motor selects the cipher key, another selects letters, and the SPIKE hub displays everything as the code comes to life.

Along the way, we:

Once the code is cracked, the mystery is solved… and the gumball machine is back in business 🍬

This project is perfect for:

Want to try this challenge yourself? Grab your SPIKE Prime kit and start decoding!

Here is my code to get you going!

Classroom Challenge: LEGO Enigma Machine

Challenge Story

The coins for the gumball machine are missing! In their place is a secret coded message. Your mission is to design and program a LEGO SPIKE Prime Enigma-style machine that can encode and decode messages using a Caesar Cipher. Crack the code, recover the coins, and save the day.

Learning Goals

Materials

Build Requirements

Your Enigma Machine must include:

💻 Programming Tasks

  1. Create a list (array) that holds the alphabet (A–Z)
  2. Program Motor 1 to select a cipher key
  3. Program Motor 2 to select a letter from the list
  4. Encode the letter by shifting forward
  5. Decode the letter by shifting backward
  6. Fix errors when shifting past A or Z

🧠 Think About It

🧪 Bonus Challenges (Optional)

⭐ Add sound or light feedback when a letter is encoded

⭐ Decode a full word instead of a single letter

⭐ Hide the message somewhere in the room for another team

⭐ Increase difficulty with a random cipher key

🏁 Success Criteria

✅ Machine encodes and decodes letters correctly

✅ Cipher key can be changed using a motor

✅ Alphabet list is used in the program

✅ Edge cases (A/Z) work correctly

🏆 Mission Complete!

You cracked the code, found the coins, and unlocked the gumball machine. Great work, codebreaker!

Mission to Mars LEGO Robotics Unit

Building a Mars Rover with LEGO Robotics

A rover is an automated motor vehicle that propels itself across the surface of a celestial body. A rover may examine territory and interesting features, analyze weather conditions, or even test materials, such as soil and water.

What does it take to go to Mars?

People have long been fascinated by Mars, the planet in our solar system that’s most like Earth. Uncrewed missions have sent orbiters, probes, and rovers to explore the planet since the 1960s, but what would it take to carry out a successful human mission to Mars?

Mission Mars Unit Overview

In this unit, your students will work as scientists and engineers. They’ll immerse themselves in motivating STEM activities that prompt creative problem-solving, communication, and exploration.

Mission: Activate Communications

Mars Mission : Activate Communications - Sprattronics

Mission: Vent Bot

VENT Bot Maze Mission - Sprattronics

Mission: Ice Collection

Mars Mission : Ice Collection Challenge - Sprattronics

Mission: Rocket Launcher

Lesson Video

Step by Step Build Directions

Mission: Supply your Base

Robot Rabbits vs. Pythons LEGO Spike Engineering

Download this as a PDF to use in class or at home!

Today you are an engineer! Your mission is to design and build a robot rabbit that can move in a rabbit-like way. We’ll use the Engineering Design Process:

Challenge → Brainstorm → Design → Create → Test → Improve → Share

Real-World Context: In Florida’s Everglades, invasive Burmese pythons hurt native wildlife. Engineers experiment with “robot rabbits” to lure and safely capture pythons so scientists can protect other animals.
Your goal: Build a rabbit-like robot that shows realistic motion (hopping, moving forward, or “being interesting” to a predator) and can keep moving without falling apart.

Challenge

Deep in the Florida Everglades, something unusual is hopping into action. It’s not a real rabbit—it’s a robot bunny! And this little machine has a big job: helping scientists fight one of the Everglades’ most dangerous invaders, the Burmese python.

Why Pythons Are a Big Problem

Burmese pythons are not supposed to live in Florida. They came to the U.S. as pets in the 1970s, but some were released into the wild. By the 1980s, they were living and breeding in the Everglades.

These snakes are huge—some grow over 18 feet long—and they eat almost anything they can catch. That includes raccoons, rabbits, opossums, bobcats, and even deer.

Scientists found that in parts of the Everglades, mammal populations have dropped by more than 90%. For example, marsh rabbits, a favorite python snack, have nearly disappeared. With so many animals gone, the entire ecosystem is out of balance.

Today, there may be tens of thousands of Burmese pythons in Florida, and they’re spreading farther north each year.

The Idea of Robot Rabbits

To stop the pythons, researchers at the University of Florida came up with a creative plan: build fake rabbits that trick the snakes.

These aren’t ordinary toys. Each robo-bunny is stuffed with special electronics:

From far away, they look just like marsh rabbits—the kind pythons love to eat.

When a python slithers near, the robot alerts the research team. The hope is that the snakes can then be caught before they eat more of Florida’s wildlife.

Why Not Use Real Rabbits?

Scientists tried that years ago. They placed live rabbits in pens, and pythons showed up almost every week. But caring for live animals across the huge Everglades was too difficult and not very kind to the rabbits.

The robo-bunnies solve that problem. They can survive in water, mud, and rain, and they don’t need food or care. Some researchers are even testing if adding rabbit scent will make the robots more convincing.

Other Ways Florida Fights Pythons

Robot rabbits aren’t the only strategy. Florida has tried many ways to reduce the python population, including:

Even with these efforts, the snakes are still winning. That’s why scientists are excited to try bold ideas—like robo-bunnies.

Could Robo-Bunnies Save the Day?

The project is still in its early stages. Right now, scientists are testing 40 robo-bunnies in different areas of South Florida. If they work, they could help hunters find more pythons, faster, and bring back balance to the Everglades.

It may sound a little silly to fight giant snakes with toy rabbits. But sometimes, solving big problems requires small, creative solutions.

As one scientist put it: “After 10 years of studying the problem, you don’t just want to watch it happen—you want to do something.”

And maybe, just maybe, robo-bunnies are the heroes the Everglades have been waiting for.

Brainstorm

Come up with ideas on how to solve the problem.

List or sketch 3 different features that are important to include with our robot.

Parts or mechanisms we might try (check any):
 ☐ Legs with hinges ☐ Wheels as “feet” ☐ Cams/lifters ☐ Rubber band power
☐ Gear train ☐ Counterweights ☐ Tail/ears for balance

Design

Sketch out your robot plan. What parts do you think you will need to make your rabbit a reality?

Create

Build your robot using the materials you have. You can build a robot rabbit using a LEGO Spike Essential Kit, a LEGO Spike Prime Kit, or just LEGOs you have with you.

Build checklist:
 ☐ Frame is sturdy
☐ Moving parts don’t jam
☐ Battery/motor (if used) is secured
☐ Nothing sharp or loose

Test

Try out your LEGO Robot to see if it works.

Mark a start line and a goal line. Clear the path.

Run your trials and record results:

TrialWent Straight? (Y/N)Distance (cm)Stayed Together? (Y/N)Notes
1
2
3

Did it meet your success criteria?
 ☐ Yes  ☐ Not yet

Improve

Make changes to make your robot rabbit work better.

What didn’t work the way we wanted?

Change we will try:

Why we think it will help:

Re-test results (pick one):
 ☐ Better ☐ Same ☐ Worse

Our robot did not hop correctly. We changed our code to make it hop in a more bunny-like manner. Another problem we faced was that the snakes hunt by temperature and scent detection. Adding a "Hot Hands" and some rabbit spray to our bot, it made the snake more likely to approach.

Share

Name of our robot rabbit: _______________________________________

How it works (in one or two sentences):

What we’re proud of: _____________________________________________

What we would try next time: ______________________________________

Share your robot in the comments on our YouTube page!

Reflection (Optional)

One thing I learned about engineering: ______________________________

One thing I learned about invasive species: __________________________

A new idea I want to try: __________________________________________

Quick Checklist

☐ I completed all 7 steps
☐ I tested at least 3 times
☐ I improved my design
☐ I can explain how my robot works

A robot rabbit stands near a snake with its mouth open

Mars Mission : Activate Communications

Activate Mars Communications Challenge

🧭 Mission Brief


You’re designing and programming a LEGO Spike Prime rover to navigate across a Martian landscape, activate an underground communications satellite, and send a “signal” back to Earth—just like real Mars rovers supporting human exploration.

🎯 Challenge Instructions

Phase 1: The Challenge

Phase 2: Brainstorm & Sketch

Phase 3: Complete the Challenge

Deep Space Communication

Satellite dishes are a type of antenna that uses radio waves to receive or transmit data. On a human mission to Mars, they’d be used to transmit messages between Earth and Mars. Radio waves travel at the speed of light, and because the distance between Earth and Mars is variable, there’s an approximate delay of between four and twenty-four minutes in communication between the planets.

NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN)

NASA operates a global system of giant antennas called the Deep Space Network. These are located in:

They’re spaced around the Earth to allow constant communication with distant spacecraft. The dishes are huge—up to 70 meters wide—so they can catch the tiny signals sent from across the solar system.

Delay in Space Communication

Because radio waves travel at the speed of light, there’s a delay when sending or receiving signals from space.

This is why real-time conversations with astronauts on Mars would be impossible.

Laser Communication Is the Future

NASA is testing laser-based communication, which can send more data much faster than traditional radio waves.

This could be the key to streaming high-quality video from the Moon or Mars one day.

What the Deep Space Network Does

The DSN does more than just listen. It:

Without the DSN, we’d lose contact with most space missions!

Why Three Locations?

Each DSN station is 120 degrees apart around the Earth so that at least one of them always has a view of a spacecraft, even as the Earth rotates. This setup allows 24/7 communication with distant probes.

Satellites Closer to Earth Use a Different System

Satellites that orbit Earth don’t use the Deep Space Network. They use a different group of ground stations called the Near Earth Network. These satellites help with weather forecasting, GPS, and communications here on Earth.

The SCaN Program

NASA's Space Communications and Navigation program (SCaN) manages all the networks—both for deep space and near Earth. They’re responsible for upgrading antennas, developing new technology like lasers, and preparing for future Moon and Mars missions.

💡 Build & Code Hints

AreaHint
Drive BaseUse a sturdy wheel base that can travel straight and align easily.
Activation ArmA lightweight beam or fork that can push just enough—not too much—to trigger the activation mechanism.
SensorsUse Ultrasonic to detect when you’re close to the button; use Color Sensor or distance tracking to keep your path straight.
ProgrammingUse loops for straight motion, conditional waits to stop at precise points, and fine motor power settings for controlled pushes.

📐 Step-by-Step Measurements & Angle Calculation

Step 1: Measure distance from base to satellite button in your setup (e.g. 40 cm).

Step 2: Calculate turning angles if you need to approach the button from the side:

Step 3: Sample Code

Encourage students to fill in their exact measurements and calculated angles.

📺 Final Video Solution

Once students have built and programmed their rovers, they can watch the final completed mission. The video demonstrates a working solution—from navigation to block alignment to satellite activation and return to base.

“Mission Walkthrough” — Compare your approach with our at-home version

✅ Evaluation & Reflection

Self-Assessment:

Badge Levels:

🧰 Lesson Resources

🌻 Flower Robot Challenge: Seek the Sun!

🚀 Your Challenge:

Can you build a LEGO robot that acts like a real flower?
Your robot should spin slowly to look for light, then stop when it finds the sun (or anything yellow)!

🌱 What Do Real Flowers Do?

Have you ever noticed how sunflowers turn to face the sun? That’s not just for fun—it’s a real plant behavior called phototropism.

🌞 Phototropism means:

Plants grow or move in response to light.

💬 Fun Fact:

Some flowers stop turning once they’re grown, but younger ones still move every day!

🔧 Robot Build Instructions

You’ll build a flower that:

🛠️ Step 1: Build the Spinning Base

Build a sturdy base and mount a motor horizontally so it can spin a platform.
Make sure the whole thing doesn’t tip over when spinning!

We used the Twirling Teacups lesson as an introduction to a spinning base.

🪴 Step 2: Make the Stem

Use LEGO beams to make a vertical stem that connects your flower head to the spinning platform.

🌸 Step 3: Create the Flower

Your color sensor becomes the center of the flower.
Decorate it with bright petals—but make sure it can still “see” colors in front of it!

💻 Coding the Robot

Use this basic idea for your code:

forever:
   Spin slowly
   If color sensor sees yellow or a bright light:
       Stop spinning

📹 Watch the example video for how this works:
Watch on YouTube

💡 Tip: You can use "wait until color sensor sees yellow" in your program, or detect brightness using the reflected light sensor mode.

🧪 Test Your Robot

Try these tests:

🎨 Bonus Challenges

📓 Record Your Learning

Use these questions in your science notebook:

QuestionYour Answer
What is phototropism?
How does your robot behave like a real flower?
What does the sensor do in your robot?
What did you change during testing?
What would you do differently next time?

🌼 Share Your Build!

Take a photo or video of your robot in action and share it with your class or post with permission!

Mars Mission : Ice Collection Challenge

Mission Brief

You're an astronaut-robotics engineer stationed on Mars Base 7. A massive dust storm has just passed, revealing delicate ice crystals on the red surface. These crystals may hold the key to:

But there's a problem: the crystals are too fragile to be picked up by normal grabbers. Your mission is to design a rover with a One‑Way Curtain to collect them safely and bring them home.

🎥 Watch the Mission Video

Check out the full mission walkthrough:
https://youtu.be/20_-gqwPFDc

Step 1: Build the One‑Way Curtain

Create a mechanism that lets ice shards pass into the collection basket—but won’t let them fall out.

Step 2: Build Your Rover

Start with a simple SPIKE Prime drive base:

Add sensors, color tiles, or bumpers if you like!

Step 3: Program the Mission

Using SPIKE Prime’s coding interface:

  1. Drive forward to sweep crystals
  2. Turn and repeat to cover the area
  3. Return to the Home Base when done

Tip: Use loop blocks, timers, or sensor-based navigation to make it reliable.

Step 4: Create Ice Shards

Make your own LEGO “ice crystals”:

Your Challenge

Build, attach, code, and collect:

MISSION GOALS

Document your mission: take photos or videos!

🗣️ Share & Compete

Once your mission is complete, do this:

  1. Comment below the video with your rover’s design and strategy
  2. Like the video if you enjoyed the challenge
  3. Subscribe for more robotics missions
  4. Tag us on social media with your rover—your build might be featured!

VENT Bot Maze Mission

A LEGO Spike Prime Challenge to Save the Mars Base

🚀 Your Mission

The Mars base has lost power. The lights are out. Systems are offline. The only way to reach the life support core is through a maze of narrow vents.
Your job is to build and program a LEGO Spike Prime robot — codenamed VENT Bot — to navigate the maze and save the crew.

Download your printable mission materials:
👉 VENT Bot Mission Tracks Printables (PDF)

💡 Pseudocode Mission Log (PDF)

🧱 What to Build

Begin by laying out a maze with items from home, class, or the printable maze tiles.

Your robot must be compact and precise. Use your LEGO Spike Prime kit to build a robot that can:

Required components:

HINT!

We used the Driving Base 1 building instructions from Competition Ready.

💻 What to Code

You’ll need to:

Example pseudocode:

Move forward 40 cm  
Turn right 90°  
Move forward 20 cm  
Turn left 45°

Use the printable Maze Mapping Log to record each step!

HINT!

Watch this video about using the Gyro Sensor to make precise turns.

📏 Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Set up your maze using tape, tiles, or printed paths.
  2. Test your robot: Can it move straight and turn consistently?
  3. Use a ruler or tape measure to record distances between turns.
  4. Use the gyro sensor to test turn angles (e.g., 90°, 45°).
  5. Record your pseudocode for the entire maze path.
  6. Translate your plan into a working program in the Spike app.
  7. Test and revise — update your code until the robot can complete the maze!

🎯 Success Criteria

🎥 Watch the Full Mission Video

See how the mission begins, how the robot is built and programmed, and how VENT Bot saves the Mars base! Leave us a comment on YouTube if you completed the mission!