West Virginia STEM standards: hands-on mechanical engineering activities

West Virginia Standards Mapping

Teachers can use Toyineer projects to address selected West Virginia Science and Mathematics standards through hands-on mechanical construction.

Alignment reviewed October 2026.

Executive summary

Teachers can use Toyineer projects to address West Virginia academic standards by giving learners physical systems they can construct, observe and explain. Learners can compare how pushes and pulls affect motion (S.K.1), investigate balanced and unbalanced forces in a working mechanism (S.3.GS.1), and observe repeatable motion patterns that support prediction (S.3.GS.2). West Virginia Mathematics adds direct spatial connections through identifying real-life objects as two-dimensional or three-dimensional (M.K.22) and composing individual two- and three-dimensional forms into composite shapes (M.1.21). The completed toy provides visible, hands-on evidence for classroom discussion of force, motion, geometry, spatial reasoning 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. West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science: Forces and Motion

KindergartenS.K.1

Plan and conduct 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 direction or relative effort affects the movement produced.

Grade 3S.3.GS.1

Plan and conduct 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 why the resulting net force changes motion.

Grade 3S.3.GS.2

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

Rockers, followers, push rods and other constrained components follow repeatable paths. Learners can observe one cycle and predict the next position or direction of the moving part.

II. West Virginia College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Mathematics: Geometry

KindergartenM.K.22

Using real-life objects, identify shapes as two-dimensional (flat) or three-dimensional (solid).

Toyineer begins with flat printed components and turns them into three-dimensional structures, giving educators a direct physical example of the distinction between 2-D and 3-D form.

Grade 1M.1.21

Compose two-dimensional shapes or three-dimensional shapes to create a composite shape and compose new shapes from the composite shape.

Learners combine separate cut, folded and assembled components into larger structures and ultimately into one composite mechanical object.

Official standards sources: West Virginia Science and West Virginia Mathematics 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