Making Across the Curriculum
One of the missions of the BITlab is to help every class add a making or technology component to their traditional course content. I enjoy helping teachers develop a project based on the unit they are studying, or help implement a project they have already designed or seen done. There is no need for teachers to know how a 3D printer, laser cutter or CNC router works, I’ll run those machines for them, though I’m happy to teach them along the way! To quote one colleague, "I’ve done two projects with my class in the BITlab and still don’t know how a laser-thingy-printer-cutter works!"
So far I haven't been presented with an area of content where I wasn't able to find or come up with a hands-on project that helped students learn the concepts, got them engaged in doing and feeling creative. To give you ideas, here are some of the content area projects we have done already this year:
Reimagining Pangaea
Students in Earth Science class created imagined interlocked continents on paper and then on Google Drawings. We then cut those shapes out of foam using our Shopbot CNC router to make physical versions of them. Students then carved, painted and sculpted them to place their mountains, rivers and shorelines.
Screen Printed Drawings
Studio Art classes made drawings on paper which were then scanned and turned into vector images using software in the BITlab. We then machine cut those images out of vinyl and used them as masks for screen printing, allowing students to reproduce their drawings on different surfaces and in different colors.
Sensory Vitamins
Middle School Health students researched different vitamins and minerals and created objects designed to replace a Powerpoint. By drawing shapes in Google Drawings and having those shapes cut out or engraved in wood, each letter is filled with symbols representing important aspects of the vitamin or mineral.
And that’s just a few! We also designed and 3D printed models of hinge, socket and other joints for Anatomy class, Astronomy created a 3D printed scale model of the solar system after doing all the necessary math, African American Studies class recreated ancient African artifacts using contemporary technology, and Public Health classes created puzzles showing the connections in the teenage brain.
These projects are based on the course content and are designed to help students learn and understand that content in a hands-on environment. Making and manipulating models of continents or hinge joints expands the ability of kids to understand how things work, not just memorize information. It also builds STEM skills and exposes kids to the Makerspace. These types of projects are a win for students, teachers, and myself.
