Experimenting with 3D Printing - Multiple Days 2

 

Title: Experimenting with 3D Printing

Grade level(s): 6th-Grade

Time Required:

3-5 days depending on class sizes

Standards:

AASL I.B.3 - Generating products that illustrate learning.

Materials and/or tools needed:

3D Printer	Pencils
Filament (variety of colors)	Sketching Paper

Procedure:

Day 1: Students will come in and have a seat waiting for instructions. First, explain that this particular activity will take several days and could even take up to a week to complete.

Begin to explain to students why we would use a 3D printer in today’s world. Ask for input and ideas that they would have to using a 3D printer. Ask what they already know about the printers.

Explain that we will be working as groups to create a larger project using the 3D printer.

Today, we will focus on how the printer works and what we need to get the printer going, such as filament.

So the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LBTkLsjHGQ

Briefly show students on the promethean board, how the software we have looks and works.

Explain that on our next visit, they will be placed into groups of 4-5 students. Each group will be assigned to work together coming up with their design to print.

Day 2: Students will be randomly assigned into groups of 4-5 students. 

Now that groups are formed, explain that each group will have a base of a puzzle piece; however, their groups can sketch out a design that will go on top of their puzzle piece. 

Allow groups time to come up with ideas. Provide drawing and illustrations books on the table for them to reference for ideas.

Day 3: Groups will submit their sketches to begin having them uploaded into the 3D printer software system.

Explain to students that their design will go on top of a puzzle piece and that once all designs have been printed, we will put the puzzle pieces together from the entire class. Creating a unique representation of our class.

Begin loading in filament with students' help and start printing the first sketched puzzle piece.

Depending on how many groups did a puzzle piece will determine the amount of days that the printer will be going. Estimating 3-4 days will finish up the prints and then we can meet together again to work on the display of the finished puzzle pieces.

Physical Set Up:

Day 1: Have a promethean board ready for the video and the presentation of the software program.

Have the 3D printer up front and on display so students can see up close the parts of the 3D printer.

Day 2: Have blank pages, pencils, and drawing books available for reference.

Day 3: Have filament colors out for students to choose for their designs.

Extensions:

This could easily be tied to a math lesson to collaborate with the teachers with highlighting elements of symmetry.

Also, could involve art teacher collaboration to help with sketching the designs.