South Dakota STEM standards: hands-on mechanical engineering activities

South Dakota Standards Mapping

Teachers can use Toyineer projects to address selected South Dakota Science Standards through hands-on mechanical construction.

Alignment reviewed October 2026.

Executive summary

Teachers can use Toyineer projects to address South Dakota academic standards by giving learners physical systems they can construct, observe and explain. Learners can compare how pushes and pulls affect motion (K-PS2-1), investigate balanced and unbalanced forces in a working mechanism (3-PS2-1), and observe repeatable motion patterns that allow future movement to be predicted (3-PS2-2). The completed toy provides visible, hands-on evidence for classroom discussion of force, motion, cause and effect, patterns and mechanical systems. Toyineer projects are hands-on engineering activities that teach mechanics, geometry, spatial reasoning and technical problem solving through the construction of working mechanical toys. Video instruction and clear assembly guides support independent and classroom use while keeping educator preparation minimal.

Standards and evidence.

These alignments use only the ordinary Toyineer construction process. They do not depend on a separate extension activity.

I. 2024 South Dakota Science Standards: Forces and Motion

KindergartenK-PS2-1

Plan and carry out an investigation to compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.

During ordinary assembly and functional testing, learners push and pull moving components and can compare how changes in direction or relative effort affect the resulting motion.

Grade 33-PS2-1

Plan and carry out an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Toyineer mechanisms make balanced and unbalanced forces visible. Learners can compare a mechanism at rest with one under an applied force and explain how the resulting net force changes motion.

Grade 33-PS2-2

Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence for how a pattern can be used to predict future motion.

Rockers, followers, push rods and other constrained parts follow repeatable paths. Learners can observe one cycle and use the recurring pattern to predict the next position or direction of the moving component.

Official standards sources: South Dakota Science Standards — Adopted 2024 and South Dakota Content Standards.

Hands-on evidence for standards-aligned learning.

Teachers can use Toyineer projects to address these standards. Students also gain skill in their use of tools and appreciate the importance of accuracy in engineering.

All standards pages