Build a Better Phone Stand Lesson

thingiverse

Project #10: Design a Functional Phone Stand Using 3D Printing In this project, students will design their own personal phone stand for their smartphone by creating, printing, testing different ideas for making a functional device that can hold up a phone vertically and horizontally. All components of the stand must be made out of 3D printing materials (ABS recommended). This project emphasizes engineering design and creative applications of science in line with Next Generation Science Standards. With many correlations between 3D printing and 3D design, this project will enhance students' learning experience in any scientific discipline they are studying. Designing a useful real-world device like a phone stand helps develop students' understanding of science and its many applications. Print Settings: Printer: Flashforge 3D Creator Pro Rafts: Yes Supports: Yes Resolution: .27 Infill: 15%-50% Notes: Rafting and external support are required for this print to come out properly. The infill percentage should be at least 15% to ensure the attachment for the phone stand can withstand stress forces when used vertically. Post-Printing: Completed phone stand. Butterflies cover up some names etched into this particular stand. How I Designed This: Phone stand design created on Sketchup Overview and Background: This project allows students to engage in a design competition/lesson that instructs them to create a functioning phone stand using only 3D printed materials. After designing a prototype 3D model and refining it, students will then 3D print their phone stands and test them with the guidance of their instructor to determine reasons for why their phone stand performs effectively or ineffectively. This type of project is important as it engages students in engineering design and allows them to readily test their conceptual knowledge of different science disciplines in applying this knowledge to create a real-world device that can solve a particular need, such as having something that can hold a smartphone device vertically or horizontally. Objectives: Students will design a real-world device, like the phone stand example in this project, that can function in different configurations. Students will 3D print and evaluate the performance of their 3D designs (such as the functionality of their phone stands). Lesson Plan and Activity: Step 1: Explain activity to students Step 2: Form groups of 2-4 and have them brainstorm on paper some ideas for a phone stand Step 3: Have groups go into a 3D modeling software to produce a prototype model Step 4: Once prototype is finalized, have each model printed for each group Step 5: Have each group test their phone stands and evaluate ways to improve their design in the future Step 6: Identify exemplar phone stands from the class and debrief the activity in terms of connecting engineering design to the learning of science Skills Learned (Standards): HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem, based on scientific knowledge, student-generated sources of evidence, prioritized criteria, and tradeoff considerations by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering. Class Breakdown: 1st/2nd Class: - Explaining the project, allowing students to get into groups, brainstorming session, and 3D modeling a prototype 3rd/4th Class: - Finalizing the prototype, 3D printing the phone stands, testing them, evaluating exemplar phone stands, debriefing the lesson Materials Needed: Lab area/workspace to design/test phone stands The teacher must have enough filament to print out student phone stands A cardboard cutout can be used in lieu of an actual smartphone for students who do not own a smartphone/cannot borrow one from another classmate Phones for testing (students may use their own) 3D printers to make the phone stands Laptops with 3D modeling software (SketchUp, TinkerCAD) Ruler or calipers for measurement/testing Duration of Lesson: 4 classes Rubric and Assessment: Teachers can evaluate the custom phone stands based on: Aesthetics* (1-5) - Is the phone stand a marketable invention? Is it visually appealing to use/accompany with a phone device? Function* (1-5) - Is the phone stand capable of holding a phone vertically and horizontally? Does it have a feature to allow different viewing angles at these positions? Is it easy to place any type of phone into the stand? Reliability* (1-5) - Can the phone stand withstand phones of different sizes/weights? Is the phone stand resilient enough to withstand being dropped/moved around? Engineering Excellence (1-5) - Overall, is this project designed proficiently with form and function in mind? References: http://www.nextgenscience.org/dci-arrangement/hs-ets1-engineering-design