Brick by Brick, Plastic by Plastic: teacher key

How Plastic Toy Bricks Are Made, grade 6 edition, written for 6th grade. From Kiddicraft and Bakelite to ABS and recycled bottles, follow the story of toy brick plastic and what it means for plastic waste.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. Who sold interlocking plastic bricks before LEGO?
   • Kiddicraft (answer)
   • Bakelite
   • ABS
2. When did LEGO switch to ABS?
   • 1907
   • 1963 (answer)
   • 2021
3. Why did LEGO not use the recycled bottle brick?
   • It was too colorful
   • It was too small
   • It would not have cut carbon emissions (answer)
4. What is a prototype?
   • A first test model (answer)
   • A finished sale
   • A kind of mold
5. Why does trash handling matter?
   • Trash never changes
   • Much waste comes from places with weak trash collection (answer)
   • Plastic is always recycled
6. How many materials had LEGO tested by 2023?
   • About 5
   • Exactly 12
   • More than 300 (answer)

Words

• thermoplastic: melts, then sets
• prototype: test model
• Bakelite: first made plastic