Let’s be honest. 3D design and printing is seen as futuristic, complicated, and expensive. It is viewed as a skillset meant for only those who are creative and tech savvy.
What if I told you that you could have your students designing in 3D in 40 minutes or less?
Well, with Tinkercad, you can! Tinkercad is a kid-safe, free web app that allows users to create just about anything they can imagine. Although I’ve only used the 3D design portion of Tinkercad, it also offers opportunities to explore electronics and coding.
Your first step is to create a teacher account. From there, you can create a classroom and add students with a digital link invite or class code. While in the classroom, you can monitor student progress and review designs privately, which means their work is not shared in the public Gallery. You can also assign and collect work within Tinkercad, or you can link it to your Google Classroom!
My first Tinkercad lesson is always to have the students Learn the Moves. Typically, I model the first two or three moves with them while they are projected on the classroom screen. Once they understand the format, I allow them time to work independently while monitoring them very closely. I’ve had some students rush through this portion, only to fail miserably on their first project. Students really need to understand how to manipulate the shapes on the Workplane to find maximum success.
My second lesson suggestion varies. If you have access to a 3D printer, I recommend having students complete Key Ring, Letters. This is a very accessible experience for students, and the designing only takes about 40 minutes. They absolutely love watching their designs being printed! If you do not have access to a 3D printer, a nice step-up activity is Build a Tinkercad House. The design on this takes a bit longer at about 80 minutes, but I have cut out the second step, “Create a Floor Plan”, and allowed them to go crazy in step three, “Make It Your Own”. This is the point where your true creators may become addicted. It is so fun to watch what they add to their homes. We’ve had vehicles, plants, and even pets. Fun!
Tinkercad has so many uses and applications. We’ve designed and printed bookmarks, jewelry, coasters, and dice. I even had a student create a helmet for a rubber duck that had been tossed around reading class! However, we’ve also used Tinkercad to spec drawings for grade five’s motion and design unit. I envision many opportunities for creating models in social studies and science. You can find more ideas by visiting Tinkercad’s lesson plan bank.