3D printing is no more a technology limited to industries and big organizations. However, it has become accessible to end-users as well.
With the advent of FDM desktop 3D printers, the reach of the technology is widened to a greater number of people. With a small amount of savings, one can plan to buy a 3D printer.
The applications are also surging exponentially. Hence, the need for proper 3D printing lesson plans isn’t too much to ask for.
Apart from adults, children are equally interested in exploring the plethora of things possible with 3D Printing.
Either it’s a novice or an expert, the learning graph isn’t going to cease with time. This is one of the fastest progressing technologies.
And, with time, there would be higher developments in the niche. To keep up with the changing trends, the demand for learning tools and plans would increase as well.
The need is already noticed by many 3D printing communities. Hence, you would find a number of 3d printing lesson ideas surfacing every now and then.
While a few years ago, not many knew about 3D printing, now people seek lessons and classes to excel at 3D designing. It is because of the many factors that have contributed to the awareness of people across the nation.
A simple example is COVID 19 pandemic. In such a situation of despair, 3D Printing is trying to help the community by creating masks and other gadgets getting out of stock from the market.
The technology is known to fill the gap in a number of circumstances where the demand and supply aren’t balanced. Hence, to wish to find out more about 3D printing is a very natural feeling.
What Are 3D Printing Lesson Plans?
As mentioned, the need for 3D printing tutorials is only going to rise with time, the time is no far when the college and school curriculum will start including 3D printing as one of the essential subjects. Without getting that distant, let us just talk about the current scenario.
Today, many individuals including kids are interested in learning about 3D Printing. However, because of the lack of proper learning plans that depends on the age as well as the learner’s level, it becomes difficult to find an apt tutorial.
Many like to explore the plethora of benefits that the technology entails. But due to lack of proper working experience with additive manufacturing decide to stick to their old school ways of creating things.
There are even businesses that wish to shift to this revolutionary technology. But the lack of 3D printing learning plans pushes them back.
The good news is that there is already progress happening in this direction. A lot of 3D printing companies are coming up with solutions that may change the face of learning pertaining to 3D Printing.
Nowadays, you can find tutorials for beginners as well as experts. The plans are designed for educators who can help children find the facts of 3D printing. Isn’t that exciting.
Not only adults, but children from schools could now opt to learn about technology in the best-sorted way possible. And, with time, the plans are only getting better.
By understanding the needs of the students, companies are trying to design the best 3D printing learning plans based on their level of expertise.
What Are the Best 3D Printing Lesson Plans?
Whatever people say, one cannot learn 3D printing in a days’ time. It requires hard work and regular practice. Yo,
u cannot just take up a course and believe that you know everything. It’s about experimenting with your designs and getting a few failed prints to know what the technology entails.
Here are a few of the course patterns designed by 3D printing companies and communities to help those wanting to explore 3D printing from the eyes of the maker.
Makerbot Thingiverse project
With the Makerbot Thingiverse project, you can expect to find out the many shades of 3D printing through their comprehensive set of courses, targeting different subjects and age groups.
You can search for a particular course based on the learning level as well as your interest.
The courses are interesting and ensure to keep students engaged during the entire learning plan. By using the STEAM concepts, Thingiverse projects bring the best tutorial for innovation and experimentation.
The courses are well equipped with essentials tools and activity plans. Apart from their well-established step by step instructions, the course also offers downloadable activity sheets, directions and a lot of other perks.
Activities such as designing artifacts, building bridges, etc are highly interactive and keep children motivated from start to end.
Science
If your child is interested in Science, you can give him or her great exposure to the facts with the help of the Cutaway Earth Model project.
Using the 3D printer, classes can experience the Earth Science concepts through envisioning the Earth’s various layers closely.
For elementary school students, the project could add more fun to the learning graph. Students can print as well as color different layers created with 3D printers and paste them together.
Another lesson is the Hurricane Patricia lesson. The course is for students of Grades 3 through 5. Students are given proper learning plans to analyze the atmospheric conditions of a storm when looking through space.
The course is set in seven steps. Students would be able to create physical models of storms by using the images taken from satellites.
Technology
Students feel great when accomplishing complex 3D designs. And, it is possible through the K-12 Design Project. The course is about the Freight Car & Train lesson. In just five classes, students can 3D print their own freight cars as well as trains.
Through this course, the students can start understanding the basics of CAD designs. The lesson helps students duplicate the CAD designs, and connect those smaller parts into larger recognizable structures.
Students also get to learn how to work with Prezi presentations and worksheets. The best part is that the course could be adapted to the expertise level of the students and made simpler as much as possible. Hence, it could help students with different learning capabilities to accomplish their goals at their own pace.
Engineering
As you progress, you need more challenges to fight. This helps you understand where you stand in terms of your skills. The project under the engineering section helps one do that.
Giving students the flexibility to design their own bridges, empowers them to think independently.
The Bridge Building lesson asks each student to 3D design parts and fits them together to create a bridge. This bridge must hold at least 5 kg of mass and must be 25cm long.
Art
The art section is for those students who love creativity. They could turn their vivid imaginations into reality through these 3D printing learning plans. Students get the freedom to design their 3D printed snowflakes.
Math
Now comes the Math part. The course encourages the student to think more. Students won’t even know how much they are learning when they seem to have fun.
The lesson is the Beast Belly which is a Fraction Game for grades K through 8. The challenge is to fill the belly of a 3D printed beast with tokens. The tokens must make a whole number.
When doing so, students need to work with a different combination of a fraction to find the perfect match. With skills such as addition and subtraction of fractions, students learn to complete the puzzle to come up with a whole number.
Students also get the print directions as well as worksheets to keep the challenge simpler and achievable for them.
Ultimaker 3D Printing Lesson Plans
Ultimaker is one of the most popular manufacturers of 3D printers. The company is also focused on creating awareness among individuals towards the use of technology in their day to day life.
It keeps coming up with surprises and the 3D printing learning ideas had to happen. The tutorials are based on the subject of interest as well as the level of expertise.
You can choose between various pioneers such as Design and Tech, Language Arts, Math, Art and Design and much more.
They also have lessons based on the experience of the individuals. You can find different courses for beginners, intermediate and experts.
The courses also mention the time of completion of the lessons. In addition, it offers other necessary details such as the name of the contributor, prerequisites required and other important details.
The best part is that the courses are easy to accomplish with the step by step guide provided in the simplest form. You can find almost every answer you are looking for. If your interest is in design, you can choose the lesson that provides you with that exposure.
A complete guide with all the help you will ever require to reach the end of the tasks.
PrintLab
PrintLab’s 3D printing basics course focuses on introducing students to the fundamental of 3D designing as well as 3D printing.
The Basics Workshop
The 3D printing lesson plans are structured step by step. And, it starts with the basic workshop. In the complete 60 minute workshop, individuals are given the basic knowledge of the technology.
The course provides an overview of 3D printing technologies. In addition, it lets students experience the opportunities and limitations of 3D Printing from their perspective.
Basics of 3D Modelling
This session completed in one to two hours. It provides the key fundamentals of 3D design. Using the application Tinkercad, the students are taught the basics of 3D modeling.
Students learn to navigate the model workspace. It also showcases the different ways of placing objects in order to create mirroring parts as well as combining different shapes together.
3D Designing in Tinkercad
This particular course provides a deeper understanding of designing with TinkerCAD. With 10 essential tips, the course is accomplished through a video.
One can learn the tips to improve their FFF 3D prints while using overhangs and bridges. The course also teaches how to plan the wall thicknesses and tolerances.
The tips are very useful in making students equipped with the information they would need often when working with FFF 3D printers.
The course focuses on tips that are necessary to learn for reaching the best possible results. There also is an assessment quiz at the end of the course to find what students have learned from the tutorial.
Overall, it is very helpful in introducing students to the best side of 3D printing.
3D Slicing Basics
Slicing is also an important part of 3D printing. If not used correctly could ruin the entire model. Hence, the course includes the 10 tips for accomplishing this step with complete precision.
Once again, the tips are for FFF based 3D printers and are curated through a video for helping students have a visual experience of what they must execute when performing 3D slicing themselves.
The course includes basic topics such as print speed, outer layer thickness, temperature, orientation and much more. The course ends with an assessment quiz.
The Conclusion
Learning about new technology is always fun. You cannot just hide that excitement when going through a course you have been waiting to take for a long time.
3D printing has become a trending lesson for young and adults alike. A lot of individuals ask for proper courses to help them learn about technology in the simplest way.
There weren’t many inputs available a few years back. However, today, we have so much to learn from the experts that we can change the way we think about 3D printing.
Instead of being the one seeking 3D printing products, we could accomplish our own designs. If you are interested in learning about 3D printing, you must act now.
You do not even have the excuse that the 3D printing lesson plans aren’t available. Because not only the courses are there but they are very well designed. So, go on and choose what you wish to know.
