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From Crash Tests to Martian Habs: 3D Printing in Middle and High School

Presentation Resources

Some Benefits of CAD and 3D Printing

  • Empower the learner

  • Foster innovative thinking

  • Develop spatial reasoning

  • Encourage the growth mindset

  • Teach about iteration

Considerations

Funding

  • How many printers, what kind, filament

  • Computers

  • CAD program

 

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Space

 

Maintenance, print management

 

Teaching time: hrs/ week, sem.

 

Collaboration

My Situation

Funding

  • 2 UM2s, 1 Prusa i3 MK2

  • MacBooks and Chromebooks

  • PLA filament

  • Tinkercad

 

Dedicated lab serves 1-8 grade

 

Maintenance, print management: me

 

Teaching time:  2x45min / Semester

 

Collaboration: Where I can!

Links to useful sites and products:

Prints to Support Student Learning

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Many of my designs are available on Thingiverse, and other ideas and instructions are on my 3D printing page

BBC Micro:bit tray

Hummingbird Duo Tray

Hummingbird Duo Distance Sensor Tray, Servo Mount

Hummingbird Duo Servo attachments--connect with pins to create articulations

Structure Sensor 

Coin Cell Battery Holders for Copper tape projects

Coding Tiles for Bee Bots or other robots

Math manipulatives

Sphero orientation disk

Sphero Rig

Air rocket and fin collar

Crumple Zone Crash Test Car

Introductory projects

Prototyping with bookmarks

Ziggurats for History class

Lithophanes

Designs with Turtle Blocks, add Tinkercad

Turtle Blocks, Structure Sensor Scans, Tinkercad combinations

Martian / Ocean Colony Project

Martian / Ocean Colony Project

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