Learning Objectives:
- Utilize advanced modeling techniques and precision in TinkerCad.
- Understand structural strength and its impact on design.
- Apply optimization principles to balance strength and material usage.
- Engage in collaborative projects to design and test structures.
- Explore mathematical concepts through designing puzzles.
Overview of the Course:
- Structural Strength and Optimization:
- Students learn about design factors that affect strength and durability, applying this knowledge to create strong models.
- Design Challenges and Testing:
- They participate in challenges like building a strong bridge, testing their designs to understand real-world implications.
- Collaborative Projects and Mathematical Exploration:
- Group projects involve creating interlocking puzzles, combining creativity with mathematical concepts and teamwork.
Session 1: “Unlocking New Dimensions: Exploring Complex Shapes”
Description:
Students dive deeper into TinkerCad, exploring complex shapes like toruses, stars, and shape generators. They experiment with combining these shapes to create intricate designs, enhancing their modeling skills and creativity.
Session 2: “Mastering Measurements: Precision in Design”
Description:
The focus is on precise measurements and scaling. Students learn to use TinkerCad’s ruler and alignment tools to create models with exact dimensions. They practice by designing an object that must fit specific dimensions, such as a custom storage box or a phone stand.
Session 3: “Designing Functional Objects”
Description:
Students brainstorm ideas for practical items they can use daily, like desk organizers, key holders, or bookmarks. They begin modeling their chosen objects in TinkerCad, applying the precision skills learned in the previous session.
Session 4: “Finalizing Designs and Preparing for Printing”
Description:
Students complete their functional object designs, ensuring they are ready for printing. The teacher guides them in checking for common issues like unconnected parts or overhangs. They prepare their files for printing, learning how to export their models and set them up in the slicing software.
Session 5: “Printing Our Creations”
Description:
Students watch as their designs are 3D printed. The teacher explains the printing process, including slicing and how the printer builds objects layer by layer. Students observe and take notes on the printing process, fostering anticipation for handling their own creations.
Session 6: “Hands-On Experience: Evaluating Our Prints”
Description:
Students receive their printed objects and spend time examining them. They test the functionality of their designs and note observations about strength, texture, and weight. This firsthand experience allows them to assess how their design choices affected the final product.
Session 7: “Understanding Strength: How Design Affects Durability”
Description:
Building on their observations, students discuss what makes an object strong or weak. The teacher introduces concepts of structural strength, explaining how design elements like thickness, support structures, infill patterns, and shape influence durability. They relate these concepts to their printed objects, identifying areas for improvement.
Session 8: “Design Challenge: Building a Strong Bridge”
Description:
Applying their new understanding of strength, students design a small bridge in TinkerCad that can support weight. They consider factors like arch designs, trusses, and material distribution in their models. The challenge encourages them to apply engineering principles to create the strongest bridge possible within given constraints.
Session 9: “Printing and Testing Bridges”
Description:
Students print their bridge designs. Once printed, they test the strength of their bridges by gradually adding weight until failure occurs. They record how much weight their bridges held and analyze which design elements contributed to better performance. Safety precautions are emphasized during testing.
Session 10: “Reflection and Optimization: Learning from Results”
Description:
Students reflect on the performance of their bridges. They discuss why certain designs were stronger and how they might improve their models. The teacher introduces the concept of optimization, encouraging students to consider how to enhance strength while minimizing material usage. The session concludes with students sharing their insights and plans for future designs.