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  Course: Systems & Structures
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Introduction to LEGO® System The LEGO System is more than just bricks. Almost every element in the LEGO System has been derived from the basic LEGO brick. In this lesson you will learn the names of the most common LEGO System elements, and find out how to connect them to make strong and stable structures.  
Now that you know how and why the parts of a LEGO brick work, what can you do with your LEGO elements? Whatever you heart desires! Some people are content to build the model that appears on the front of the box. Well, that may be fine for some people, but not you -- you are a designer!
What will you make? Perhaps you built a model once, but an hour or a day later you took it apart, and now you have a pile of LEGO elements again. "What can I make now?" Sound familiar? The best thing you can do with your LEGO elements is PLAY! The more you play, the more you will learn. Like any other artistic medium (clay, paint, music, etc.), you must first become familiar with your materials in order to create your best work. Look at each element in your LEGO set and ask yourself, "What does this look like?" Is it an antenna, a shifter, or a tattered piece of thread? Could it be a radar dish, a shield, an eye, or a hat? Thinking about LEGO elements in new ways is one of the most important skills of a LEGO Designer. What is LEGO System? LEGO System is an open-ended building system that lets you create anything you can imagine! Based on the stud-and-tube coupling system that is used to connect LEGO bricks (discussed in the Introduction to LEGO lesson), the LEGO System works on the principle of stacking elements together to build models. Every LEGO System element is derived from the two most basic elements, bricks and plates. A brick is defined as an element that is at least 8mm wide, 8mm deep and 9mm thick, and has at least one stud on top. A plate is similar to a brick, but is 1/3 the thickness of a brick in height (or 3mm). This means that three plates add up to the height of one brick! (Remember this fact, because it will come in handy later.) The LEGO System features several special plates, including a group of plates with no studs on top called tiles. You can use tiles to provide a more finished look for your model. Another special plate called a half stud has only one stud on top so elements that you stack on top of it will shift slightly. Although not as thick as a standard plate, base plates form an excellent starting point for your models, as they ensure that the base of your structure will stay stable as you build. Another basic LEGO System element is the roof brick, which is generally used for (you guessed it!) making roofs on houses and buildings. Roof bricks also make great noses for large-scale figurines! A roof brick is identified by the fact that it looks like a regular brick with one side flattened. The pitch, or angle, of a roof element is either 30° or 45°. A 45° angle has a steeper slope than a 30° angle, which means that you can make a steeper roof with a 45° roof brick.
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