4.2 Designing a 3D Printing and Modeling Lesson

Now that you’ve had a chance to learn all about 3D printing and modeling, it’s your turn to create a student-centered lesson plan that supports creative thinking.

Take a look at the table below and notice the difference between teacher-centered and student-centered learning experiences. The student-centered example allows students the chance to create, evaluate, explore, and collaborate, while the teacher-centered example only allows students to take in and share out information.

Which one of these examples will be most memorable to students?

Which will support the highest level of academic achievement?

Teacher-Centered	Student-Centered
Students listen to a lecture on the origins of the Declaration of Independence, its importance, and why it is still relevant today. Students break up into groups and answer questions from the textbook based on the chapter focused on the Declaration of Independence. The class comes together and discusses the answers to the questions they gave.	In groups, students will brainstorm what they know about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class. Then students will watch video about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class. Next, students will get into groups and sketch out their design of a 3D model representing the Declaration of Independence. Using PlayDoh, students will construct their physical design. Then, students will use Tinkercad to create a digital version of their 3D model. Groups will share out what they created. The class will discuss how each group’s model represents the Declaration of Independence. Then, the class will vote on a single model to be printed and showcased in the classroom gallery.

Teacher-Centered

Student-Centered

Students listen to a lecture on the origins of the Declaration of Independence, its importance, and why it is still relevant today.

Students break up into groups and answer questions from the textbook based on the chapter focused on the Declaration of Independence.

The class comes together and discusses the answers to the questions they gave.

In groups, students will brainstorm what they know about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class.

Then students will watch video about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class.

Next, students will get into groups and sketch out their design of a 3D model representing the Declaration of Independence.

Using PlayDoh, students will construct their physical design.

Then, students will use Tinkercad to create a digital version of their 3D model.

Groups will share out what they created. The class will discuss how each group’s model represents the Declaration of Independence. Then, the class will vote on a single model to be printed and showcased in the classroom gallery.

Design a 3D Printing and Modeling Lesson

Activity Objective: Design a lesson plan that puts student learning at the center and supports creative expression of ideas.

Activity Description: Take one of your own learning plans and redesign it to have a student-centered approach. Or create a new lesson plan from scratch. Feel free to use the template below or adapt the VR lesson plan template to construct the new learning plan!

When you’re finished, share your lesson plan on Twitter with the hashtag #ARVR3D.

Example of Student-Centered Learning Plan:

Title of Lesson	Exploring the Declaration of Independence
Grade Level(s)	9-10
Essential Question	What message did the Declaration of Independence entail, and how did it help establish a desire for wanting independence from Great Britain?
Content Standard(s)	USI.T1.5: Explain the main argument of the Declaration of Independence, the rationale for seeking independence, and its key ideas on equality, liberty, natural rights, and the rule of law.
Interdisciplinary Content Standard/Learning Objective	What skills and knowledge will students acquire from other disciplines? Students will be able to learn about the complex language the Declaration of Independence was written in and why some things were written the way they were on purpose.
Description of Lesson	Please provide a detailed description (e.g., step-by-step directions) of the lesson (this might include multiple learning activities). Students will brainstorm in groups for 5 min. And come up with what they know about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class. We will then view a video about the Declaration of Independence and discuss as a class. Next, we will break off into groups again and they will then sketch out their design of a model 3D Declaration of Independence. Using PlayDoh, students will construct their design After, students will use Tinkercad to create digital models of their designs. Groups will share out what they created and the class will vote on the best 3D model representation of the Declaration of Independence to print.
SWBAT	What do you want students to know and be able to do at the end of the lesson. In other words, how does your lesson complete the statement “Students will be able to . . . or SWBAT? Students will be able to explain and display the core meaning of the Declaration of Independence through visual design and 3D modeling.
Skills	What skills will learners gain from this activity (e.g., creativity, problem-solving, communication, critical thinking, design, innovation, collaboration, technology, spatial reasoning)? Creativity Problem-solving Communication Critical thinking Design Innovation Collaboration Technology literacy
3D Modeling	Which 3D modeling software will the students be using? How will they learn to use this software? Tinkercad. Students will have had prior practice with Tinkercad but if the software is new to the student then they could work with more experienced students so that they can teach each other.
3D Printing Logistics	How many models will the class be making (e.g., 1 per student? 1 per group of 4?)? 1 model per group of 4 students What will be the size of the models? No bigger than the actual size of the Declaration of Independence
3D Printing Budget	How much will it cost to print all of the 3D models (give your best estimate)? Note: It costs $0.15 per gram to print at the UMass Amherst library. $30
Implementation Strategy	How will you implement your design (e.g., In class? Homework? Small Groups? Stations?)? Small groups What might be the challenges to implementation (e.g., lack of access to devices; Internet might go down; login trouble)? Tinkercad being too challenging, trouble with logging in, Wifi going down, students confused on assignment, and lack of time. How do you plan to address/overcome these challenges? Group students who have more Tinkercad expertise with beginner Tinkercad users, have students draw out their designs if tech fails, and extend lesson for another day.
Assessment	How will you assess student learning (think beyond just academic achievement – students might learn other skills like creativity and problem solving)? Students will explain the reasoning behind the development of their model to represent the Declaration of Independence – this will showcase their understanding of the topic and their creative thinking skills. How will you evaluate the impact of the 3D printing aspect of the lesson? Through informal conversations with students as they work on their digital 3D models – I’ll ask about the use of Tinkercad, the design of 3D models, and students’ interest in 3D printing their designs.