https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter Organized by grade level en-us 2018-02-16 17:42:21 UTC 2025-10-27 17:20:36 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232441398 This teacher outlines how she uses a 3d printer in her kindergarten classroom. ]]> 2018-02-16 17:52:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232441398 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232446409 Thingiverse provides free pre-designed 'things' to print with your 3D printer, as well as lessons and a collaboration space to share lesson ideas.]]> 2018-02-16 18:04:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232446409 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232447510 Tinkercad is an online 3D design website that your students can use to create 3D models which can be printed on your 3D printer. ]]> 2018-02-16 18:07:24 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232447510 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232448918  3D Printed Jewelry with 3-5 graders:]]> 2018-02-16 18:10:54 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232448918 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232459917 We have STEAM nights at Wilkinson four times a year, and I bring the 3D printer to each one. Kids who aren't my students love seeing the printer in action and the parents are often even more amazed! ]]> 2018-02-16 18:36:27 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232459917 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232460267 As a whole group, the class can direct the teacher in drawing the main character, then design the character in Tinkercad. This lends itself to discussions not only about the character, but shapes, colors, etc. Here is a very non-expert (aka my own) rendering of the pigeon from Mo Willems' books:]]> 2018-02-16 18:37:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232460267 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232470307 Extend STEM challenges to 3d design. As teachers present a real-world problem (my pencil keeps rolling off my desk!) or issue a character faces in a story, students could use Tinkercad to design and print a solution.

Below is an example a fifth grade student made when given the challenge to design something that makes her life easier. It is a box that can be used to juice oranges and hold the peels:]]> 2018-02-16 18:59:10 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232470307 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232472202 3D printed objects can be raffled off daily or weekly as PBS rewards for students. PBS winners could even choose the design and color of their object and help print it the next day! ]]> 2018-02-16 19:03:15 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232472202 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232472312 Use the measurement guides in Thingiverse (click on your object to see measurements) to discuss the measurable attributes or create objects of different sizes to compare. 

Design 2D and 3D shapes.

Compose real-world designs using simple shapes.

100s boards and counters - lots of ideas on Thingiverse, including the manipulative shown below. Counters could be printed to correspond with content-area topics as well:]]> 2018-02-16 19:03:30 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232472312 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232477746 Print United States symbols, community helper tools (police badge, siren, fire truck) and  examples of landforms.

Design citizenship awards after discussing how people can be a good citizen.  ]]> 2018-02-16 19:14:02 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232477746 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232479515 Students can create fossils in Tinkercad, print them, and take part in a 'dig' to locate and identify classmates' fossils.

In this video, first graders work through the engineering process to design cars (fast forward to 2:40 to get right to the action!) .  ]]> 2018-02-16 19:18:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232479515 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232979077 2018-02-19 16:32:09 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/232979077 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233024031 In Civics, students could print representations of American government symbols, including Scales of Justice, political party , and significant quotes from founding documents. These models could be used to create timelines, used as writing stimulus, or as game pieces in student-created games. 

Thingiverse has many printable options for World History and American History. My favorites are puzzles of different locations (continents and colonies) that could reinforce knowledge of geographic locations. Students could eventually design and label their own geography puzzles. ]]> 2018-02-19 18:57:01 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233024031 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233025789 Students could design and print symbols, flowers, animals, land forms, flags or buildings representative of a state or geographic area they are studying. These representations could be used as game pieces, study materials, or artifacts for a gallery.]]> 2018-02-19 19:02:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233025789 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233033417 Students can spell out their names using Hieroglyphics by following the steps in the project description. ]]> 2018-02-19 19:25:59 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233033417 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233075624 2018-02-19 22:48:42 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233075624 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233077182 Not only does the 3D printer allow you to print and design for your classroom, but your students can sell their designs to raise funds. Some classes have produced school mascot figurines, holiday ornaments, and jewelry that have been sold to raise money for more filament, class parties, and charities. 

Below is a 3D printed ornament that my friend and fellow Trailblazer, Mrs. Watson, and her class printed and sold around the holidays to raise classroom funds. ]]> 2018-02-19 22:57:51 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233077182 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233077369 Many of the computer science standards can be met while students use Tinkercad to design activities based on the other Big Ideas. For example, students can use digital tools and discuss responsible digital citizenship while designing models in Tinkercad. 

Models can be designed and printed of plant parts, planets, layers of the earth, clouds, and even parts that work in tandem with circuitry.

Thingiverse offers examples of rock types that students could use as examples while working to design their own specific rock type. This would require the students to notice the characteristics of their rock type and use the digital tools to make those characteristics apparent. ]]> 2018-02-19 22:58:58 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233077369 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233078163 ThingiverseEDU has many resources for middle grades science. Highlighted below is a kit with which students can build a plant and animal cell, which can then be printed and painted. ]]> 2018-02-19 23:04:14 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233078163 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233079399 This list outlines 9 excellent ways to use 3D printers in the middle school math and science classroom. ]]> 2018-02-19 23:13:48 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233079399 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233084905 The most obvious use of a 3D printer in the intermediate grades is by using measurement to design models. Tinkercad uses metric measurements, so students must become adept at taking measurements (and converting if using a standard  ruler) in order to make a precise model. 

Lines of symmetry can be sliced into models in Tinkercad. Students could 'slice' examples and non-examples of lines of symmetry in various designs.

Fraction models can go beyond the typical fraction bars or pies! Students can slice objects into fractional pieces, which can lend itself to comparisons of sizes of one whole vs. smaller parts. 

Teachers could provide students with specific parameters for objects, for example: "Your object must have three right angles and two sides that are parallel" and students can design models that meet the guidelines. 


]]> 2018-02-19 23:51:50 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233084905 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233086639 Students create something for a time capsule based on their book. This requires the student to examine themes, symbols, and character traits to determine which most represents the book. Below is an example my fifth graders did. First, a Lego prototype of the main character from Peter Brown's The Wild Robot, and second, the robot in Tinkercad.  ]]> 2018-02-20 00:02:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233086639 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233087811 This student created a pencil and pen holder for his desk:]]> 2018-02-20 00:13:01 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233087811 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233585536 Students could design and print book characters. They could also "add a character" to the book, designing a character that would make sense based on the book's plot, setting, and other character's traits. 

When studying text structures, students could create applications of their written work on the 3D printer. For example, Rube Goldberg machines could pair with sequence and cause and effect texts, "oops" projects and their completed-as-planned projects could spur compare/contrast and problem/solution writing, and students could partner up and try to guess each other's 3D printed object after reading their written descriptions. ]]> 2018-02-21 02:57:07 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233585536 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233586228 Older students can take a leadership role within the school, training and creating for younger students, staff, and visitors to the school. 

Leaders could interview younger students or staff members about their hobbies, favorite colors, and interests and design something they think their buddy would like. My students are very interested in the "real lives" of the lunchroom aides, so I think the aides may be beneficiaries of new 3D printed objects soon!]]> 2018-02-21 03:02:23 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/233586228 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/234854121 2018-02-23 18:59:17 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/234854121 tessa_healy1 https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/234939806 This teacher uses a 3D printer to extend teaching To Kill a Mockingbird]]> 2018-02-24 01:38:12 UTC https://padlet.com/tessa_healy1/3dprinter/wish/234939806