Prehistoric Animal Project

thingiverse

This was a 7th grade science project where students delved into prehistoric animals, researching and writing in-depth reports about their chosen species while creating detailed 3D models of these ancient creatures. To add an extra layer of challenge, students were encouraged to choose lesser-known animals instead of the usual suspects like T Rex and Velociraptor that dominate the Jurassic Park movies. Many of the 3D printed models required additional support to print correctly, and some of the two-legged models struggled with balance - a fact that now makes perfect sense given dinosaurs' need for those long tails! The models weren't always to scale, but that didn't detract from their appeal. Standards: NGSS Overview and Background This project coincided with the end of a unit on Earth's geologic history. Following a computer coding project where students created an animated story about a past era using scratch.mit.edu, they moved on to choose one animal from the past as the subject for this new project. They wrote a short report on their chosen animal and created a 3D model of it. Lesson Plan and Activity Students first picked out an animal from the past that sparked their interest. Many chose one from a previous project, while others opted for a less familiar creature from a list provided by me (see PDF assignment sheet). Next, they researched their selected animal and wrote a short report detailing its characteristics (see assignment sheet and student example). Students then used Tinkercad to design a 3D model of their chosen animal. Given their prior experience with a similar project on endangered species (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1851360), they required minimal instruction. Finally, students shared their completed reports and models with their classmates. Materials Needed Only a 3D printer and some filament were necessary for this project. For research purposes, students could utilize the Internet or library books.