kids designing class

thingiverse

The project's main goal was to give young kids, aged 10-12, the chance to actually design their own three-dimensional modules. I know it sounds dull, but it was awesome. I took a simple open-source STL model, the maker faire robot, explained what a 3D printer is in about 15 minutes, designed something random to add to the module, and told them they could do whatever they wanted. Then, I put them in a room with computers for an hour and a half. To be honest, I didn't expect it to work so well; they got a freakishly fast learning curve if you just let them at it. After that, I printed their new improved modules for them, and they went crazy. How I Designed This The basic tips the kids need to know are as follows: After explaining how a 3D printer works, tell them that the printer cannot print on air; everything should be connected and not fall under 60 degrees when there's nothing underneath. Also, every design needs to have some width to be printed. Both of these points are easily explained. I found that letting them draw their design on paper before they start modeling helps a lot. This way, you can give them an OK or approval before they begin working on it. Introduction Introduce 3D printers in any way you like. Introduce Tinkercad and upload the maker faire model. Ask the kids for ideas of what to add, but don't give them concrete ideas – just concepts to let their imagination run wild. Take one of their ideas and model it in front of them slowly while asking how they think you should do it. Design Step Pair the kids up and ask them to draw their design on a piece of paper. All designs must be approved before moving on to the next step. Keep in mind the physical constraints of 3D modeling, and keep their designs simple. Modeling Step Open each pair's Tinkercad project with the maker faire robot model. Let them work on it for two hours without guiding or solving any problems. It will help them learn faster and better if you just guide them as much as possible and let them break their heads on it for a while. Print Step Go over the models, fix what needs to be fixed, and print them out.