What is the LEGO® Education Panama Canal?

George Washington Goethals

It is an educational building model LEGO®  set about the Panama Canal Third Set of Locks and the STEM behind this amazing engineering.

On 1914, for the first time in the history of the Humanity, and after centuries of tryouts and global powers interest and dreams, the America continent was opened to allow the transit of ships from the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, to the Pacific Ocean and vice versa.

The story behind this great achievement made by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the incredible resolution from Coronel George Washington Goethals is of great inspiration and is considered by many historians, one of the greatest achievements of mankind.

Now, after more than 100 years since this event, the Panama People build and inaugurate a new set of locks, and LEGO® Education has joined these efforts with a limited edition Educational Set for children in the United States, Panama, and Latin America to learn the STEM behind this engineering Marvel of the World.


Why the LEGO® Education Panama Canal

Promotes Creativity

The LEGO Education Panama Canal Set builds creativity among students at the same time that immerse the children on real-life applications of STEM-related topics and problem-solving collaboration 

What is a ship? How those great steel boxes float and move 90% of the world's commodities and products, including your latest video game console?

These questions were never easier to explain to children in elementary school than with the Panama Canal LEGO® Education set. With 5 ships of different cargoes (car carrier, passenger cruise ship, bulk carrier and a container ship) and mechanical movable gates the Panama Canal LEGO® set is a fantastic tool for children to have an incredible learning experience on the following topics:

Water Cycle

 Science

From the Water Cycle that allows the lakes of the Canal to be filled by the heavy daily rain to the incredible and unique biodiversity of the Canal Rain Forest Ecology System. This Set opens the mind of students about how the Ecological Balance is of paramount importance to the sustainability of the Panama Canal system.

LNG Vessel

Technology

From gates that contain the water levels inside the locks using electromagnetic gears and winches to ultra-low temperature automated controlled LNG vessels bringing energy resources from the US to the Far East, this sets brings technology understanding far behind the kid’s imagination.

Engineering

Using water and hydraulic energy to rise ships of thousands of tons more than 25.9 meters (85 feet) above the sea level to the Lake Gatun and lowering them Back to the Sea level, with these set, gears relation and force become apparent to children of all ages. Using the rising levels of this set to lower the small ships coming from the Gatun Lake level through each of the chambers till the last one at Sea Level, the children will experience a Panama Canal transit, again and again, having fun and learning at the same time.

Arts (History)

Theodore Roosevelt

No other President of the United States has ever started such a risky endeavor and project as the Panama Canal Construction in 1903. President Theodore Roosevelt Jr. not only foreseen the independence of Panamá to achieve the construction of the Canal but started a complete Political Principle named the Monroe Doctrine that shapes the United States relations with the Latin American Countries for almost a century. Find more about the History of the United States, Panama, and the Latin American Countries at the same time that you play with the ships, locks, and mini-figure included.

Archimedes Principle

Mathematics

Have you ever wonder how the Archimedes Principle works? Never this mathematical equation was so clearly shown and graphically explained as with these Educational Set. But the fun does not stop there, volume calculations and basic arithmetic to calculate the number of containers or the number of ships transiting the canal on a daily, weekly or yearly base, are just some of the real-life examples of lessons that a teacher can teach every day in the Classroom.

In the Classrooms

A Growing Community of Teachers

So, for the first time, students of all the continent and around the world, will have in their classroom the opportunity to develop knowledge and wisdom with this engineering marvel.

With a Curricula Development Starter Kid, your teachers will be able to create and share their own content and participate in the Panama Canal LEGO® Education Award. 

On this contest, a Teacher and 10 of his or her students that together elaborate and Educational Curricula STEAM topics, participate in a competition to win a  be able to visit the Panama Canal by themselves and see this engineering wonder live.

If your school is interested in the acquisition of sets for your classrooms, please do not hesitate and contact us to provide you with information about our School Educational Packages and Prices.