3D Projects for Middle School Students

This fall at Olimpico Learning, Middle School students have been learning about 3D printing and design in an innovative, hands-on enrichment program. I have created a 10 week curriculum for students to learn the concepts of 3D space and design, as well as an introduction to Tinkercad through a variety of small scale projects that can easily be completed within the scope of the course time.

We are now midway through the course, and students have been enjoying their introduction to 3D printing. This course is a more advanced and extended version of the curriculum we introduced as a special project at Olimpico’s summer STEAM program.

This summer, Olimpico Learning ran several weeks of innovative, hands-on project-based summer learning opportunities for K-5 under served students. As part of these programs, students were introduced to an innovative set of 3D printing enrichment lessons, where students learned about 3D design concepts, 3D space, and were introduced to how 3D printers work.

For our middle school program, students are also learning about similar 3D concepts, with lessons tailored to their more advanced grade level, with a special emphasis on the principles and concepts of 3D design. Furthermore, as we have 10 weeks of learning time, students are getting an introduction to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) through the free, online program -Tinkercad. Our students are learning to create their own custom designs and projects.

As an introduction to Tinkercad and working with 3D space, students created a simple 3D pencil holder. They were later able to customize their project after completion and have it printed, receiving a tangible object of their own creation.

Until students were able to fully design and create their own objects, we have been giving students sample objects downloaded and printed from sites such as MyMiniFactory and Thingiverse. Doing so serves two purposes -students are introduced to how 3D objects work, and the possibilities and limitations of 3D design. Discussions on the printed objects is a great way to assess student learning of the course material. Furthermore, giving students 3D objects to keep and interact with also helps maintain interest in the course material, and gives students a source of inspiration for their own future projects.

Sample 3D elephant design downloaded from MyMiniFactory, available here. This clever design allows the students to move the head and legs, and get a feel for how objects can be 3D printed.

The student introduction to Tinkercad has begun with a variety of projects and lessons. Students are learning about the manipulation of 3D space through structured projects, such as creating a 3D pencil holder, and are also given the opportunity to explore their design skills with free design time.

Sample student Tinkercad object creation after just a short introduction to the program!

Stay tuned to see some sample projects students have created through this course, and track their progress!