I don’t know what the spirograph lesson is, and I’m sure only a fraction of people here do. Please link to this so that we know what it is you’re referencing.
From what I can find about the laser you bought is that it’s most likely just a 5 watt diode and nowhere near the 15 -20 watts of a CO2 laser.
Start with a power scale to find out what your unit can do.
Make one of these for each material you intend to use so that you have a reference sheet.