3D Printing

Students in grades K-5 work with 3D printing. Each grade level works through a challenge.

• K: Magnets

• 1: Composed Shapes

• 2: Backpack Tags

• 3: Trinket Toys

• 4: Bubble Wands

• 5: Boats

Project complexity for each grade level builds, so students are utilizing skills learned in previous years. We use Tinkercad. I create grade level classes, and every classroom in a grade belongs to the grade class I’ve created. That way I only have six classes instead of 26 to navigate in Tinkercad. Students join via the class code. It’s pretty slick!

We spend two days on the grade level challenge. Day one is a review and practice. Day two is designing and submitting the design to be printed. We have five 3D printers so it generally takes a month or two to print 360+ projects! I have developed an organization system to keep track of all the prints and NO ONE takes their print home until the entire class has been successfully printed.

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You can download and/or view the slide deck, example pictures and videos, and other items by clicking the arrow below.

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When they finish with their project, they name it using a special naming convention that indicates their first name, class code, and the color they want their project printed in. Before they send me their file, they review the project’s criteria and constraints. They then share their project with me via email. When I click the link it takes me directly to their project, where I can do a quick assessment for any potential print-issues that might occur (off the bed, not grouped, etc.).

In addition to using our 3D printers for grade level challenges, we print pieces and parts for things that break or are lost, circuitry components, and cardboard attachment components.

Examples:

• new *bones* for our Operation Game

• new mouse and yellow bucket for our Mousetrap Game

• hinges and brackets for our Makedo cardboard tools

• LED light and battery holders

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