TinkerCAD

New Mexico Common Core Standards Alignment:

Visual Arts:

• Creating: This applies across all grades.

  • Grades 3-5: Focus on originality, exploring ideas, and using different materials/techniques (in this case, digital tools).

  • Grades 6-8: Emphasize refinement of skills, expressing ideas with intent, and using the elements of art and principles of design in their ornaments.

  • Grades 9-12: Connect their creations to personal meaning, explore more complex design challenges, and perhaps even delve into the cultural/historical context of ornaments.

• Presenting: Again, universal, but with development.

  • Grades 3-5: Sharing their work clearly, explaining choices.

  • Grades 6-8: Presenting in a way that communicates their intent, using art vocabulary.

  • Grades 9-12: Critiquing their own and others' work with deeper analysis, possibly incorporating research or diverse perspectives.

• Responding: Analysis and interpretation grow with age.

  • Grades 3-5: Describing what they see and how it makes them feel.

  • Grades 6-8: Explaining how the elements of art and principles of design are used in their ornaments and others'.

  • Grades 9-12: Connecting the work to broader ideas, cultures, or historical periods, forming nuanced interpretations.

Math:

• Geometry: This becomes increasingly sophisticated.

  • Grades 3-5: Identifying and creating basic 3D shapes (cubes, spheres, cones) in their ornaments.

  • Grades 6-8: Exploring concepts like scale, proportion, and potentially surface area/volume if they're making complex ornaments.

  • Grades 9-12: Potentially linking to higher-level geometry concepts like transformations, tessellations, or even using Tinkercad to model mathematical ideas.

• Mathematical Practices: These are crucial at ALL levels.

  • Problem-solving: Figuring out how to design and create their desired ornament in a 3D space.

  • Reasoning: Thinking about the steps involved, the tools needed, and how to troubleshoot issues.

  • Modeling: Tinkercad itself is a form of mathematical modeling, representing real-world objects in a digital environment.

Technology:

• Creativity and Innovation: This is core to the activity.

  • All Grades: Students are using technology to create something new, expressing their ideas in a digital format.

  • Emphasis: The complexity of their creations and the problem-solving involved will increase with grade level.

• Technology Operations and Concepts:

  • All Grades: Learning to use Tinkercad, understanding digital tools, and applying them effectively.

  • Progression: Younger students may focus on basic skills, while older students could explore advanced features or even coding within Tinkercad.

Key Takeaways for 3-12:

• Differentiation: You'll need to provide different levels of support and challenge based on grade level.

• Open-endedness: Encourage creativity and personal expression within the activity.

• Assessment: Use a variety of methods (observation, project critiques, presentations) to assess learning across different standards.