Overview:

The process of 3D printing is essentially a manufacturing technology to create objects in three dimensions using various materials heated to a temperature that allows them to be formed into different shapes. 3D printing has gained much popularity in the past few decades due to availability of cost-effective 3D printers as well as books/knowledge source on how to use 3D printers. It is a convenient way to create prototypes or customized items for inventors and novice who likes to create their own designs. Prior to 3D printing, 3D model (typically in STL file format) needs to be created through software like TINKERCAD to create the design shapes ideal for printing. The lesson here is focus on 3D modelling using TINKERCAD rather than detail 3D printing which is more hardware focus.

Lesson Objectives

Students will explore a foundation in 3D modeling by designing simple structures. Students will learn tips, techniques and associated best practices for exciting explorations in 3D modelling and printing.

Students will create a name tag using TINKERCAD with detail step-by-step instruction

Students will work independently using TINKERCAD after completing the initial name tag design to create another design that is useful and can be apply to daily use (pencil box, soap holder, bookmark, bookend, etc..)

Students are encourage to further their learning and creating design and publish it on open source such as Thingiverse.

Required and optional materials:

TINKERCAD (FREE, need to create an account)

Markers / Pencils / Paper

Scissors / Tape or glue

3D Printer (Optional, only if you want to print out your designs). A list of popular 3D printers with various price point and functionality can be found in this link. If you are looking for specific 3D printer with enclosure as well as dual extruder (allow you to print 2 different color), we will recommend to use the FlashForge Creator Pro.

3D Printer Filament (Optional, only if you want to print out your designs). You can find many 3D printer filament materials on the market, the dominate filament type is ABS or PLA. We recommend to use PLA as it is the least toxic filament. For more guidance on what filament to choose and safety tips, please read through the safety tips article here.

Reflection: *Specific printer and filament are recommendations. Feel free to use another make or model. Also, be aware that 3D printers are slow; the quality of the design also depend on the resolution of the printing. Prior to create your design, you should consider the difficulty of the print (shapes) and the duration of the print (size).

Overview:

Lesson Objectives

Vocabulary

Suggested time: 240 minutes (best to break into 3 parts)

Suggested age level: 8+

Required and optional materials:

Optional resources