Design Lab
From drafting boards and drawing tools to desktop CAD and 3D printing, the Design Lab is our space dedicated to expressing imagination through applied math and geometry. Finished products include architectural drawings, wearable art, geometric expansions, bridge truss designs, kitchen tools and all manner of coolness.
Current projects in the Design Lab:
Pasta Sorters
March 2024
Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Framework
7G-B. Solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume.
4. Circles and measurement:
a. Know that a circle is a two-dimensional shape created by connecting all of the points equidistant from a fixed point called the center of the circle.
b. Understand and describe the relationships among the radius, diameter, and circumference of a circle.
c. Understand and describe the relationship among the radius, diameter, and area of a circle.
d. Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems.
e. Give an informal derivation of the relationship between the circumference and area of a circle.
6. Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, volume, and surface area of two- and three-dimensional objects composed of triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, cubes, and right prisms.
Lighthouse A block's finished prints.
The Stanford Bunny shown in tessellation.
3d Printing 6th grade
March 2024
After designing in Tinkercad, it's time to go from screen to printed object. Tinkercad produces STL files of the students' designs. Depending on who you ask, STL stands for Standard Tessellation Language, Standard Triangular Language or Stereo-lithography.
An STL file uses triangles to describe the surface of a three dimensional model. The Stanford Bunny image shows an example of triangulation. The Stanford Bunny is the first seamless 3d computer model of a complex object. It was created by Mark Levoy and Greg Turk at Stanford University in the 1990s.
6th graders had a crash course in converting files from STL to G-Code, which is the code that the 3d printers run on. G-Code stands for Geometric Code. A program line in G-Code is a set of coordinates on the Cartesian plane, along with instructions on how to move to that point.
A lot of work, a lot of listening and following instructions. Our 6th graders did a great job!
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN (CAD)
A few of the promising designs in Tinkercad!
March 2024
Tinkercad is a free, online modeling program students can use to design objects for 3d printing. O'Maley 6th graders are getting familiar with some of the functions of Tinkercad by designing name plates for printing. Their designs must hold together after printing, and fit a size envelope of 2,000-3,000 square millimeters.
Engineering Design
March 4, 2024
6th graders are in the design lab using isometric paper to draw 2 dimensional representations of 3 dimensional objects on the x,y,z coordinate plane. Using snap cubes, students build objects of increasing complexity. Turning and drawing the objects from different views helps build spatial visualization skills. By adding color, students separate the top, front and side views of the objects.
Spatial visualization is the study of 2 and 3 dimensional objects and the ability to mentally manipulate these objects. Spatial visualization skills are helpful in many subjects and fields including math, science, engineering, art and sports. How strong are your spatial visualization skills?
Spatial Visualization Quiz Answers
Massachusetts STE Standards:
6.MS-ETS1-5(MA). Create visual representations of solutions to a design problem. Accurately interpret and apply scale and proportion to visual representations.*
Clarification Statements:
• Examples of visual representations can include sketches, scaled drawings, and orthographic projections.
• Examples of scale can include ¼ʺ = 1ʹ0ʺ and 1 cm = 1 m.
A room full of concentration and focus!
Representing 3 views-front, side and top.
PRELUDE TO BRIDGE OVER MY ICE CREAM SUNDAE
Students use West Point Bridge software to test designs.
Students select materials and place connections.
Red shows compression, blue shows tension.
November 2023
Can you build an 8 foot bridge that will carry your team over a tray full of ice cream sundaes? 7th graders are taking on the challenge! West Point Bridge CAD software helps them visualize the forces of tension and compression in play as a live load crosses a bridge of their design, all while tracking materials and costs. The students use the software to generate rapid prototypes, allowing for immediate testing of both minor and major design changes.
Next, O'Maley's 7th graders will begin construction of an 8 foot, wood truss bridge of their own design in The Birdseye Hammond Techroom.
Massachusetts STE Standards:
7.MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing solutions to a given design problem using a decision matrix to determine how well each meets the criteria and constraints of the problem. Use a model of each solution to evaluate how variations in one or more design features, including size, shape, weight, or cost, may affect the function or effectiveness of the solution.
7.MS-ETS1-4. Generate and analyze data from iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process to optimize the object, tool, or process for its intended purpose.
7.MS-ETS1-7(MA). Construct a prototype of a solution to a given design problem.*
7.MS-ETS3-4(MA). Show how the components of a structural system work together to serve a structural function. Provide examples of physical structures and relate their design to their intended use.
Clarification Statements:
• Examples of components of a structural system could include foundation, decking, wall, and roofing.
• Explanations of function should include identification of live vs. dead loads and forces of tension, torsion, compression, and shear.
• Examples of uses include carrying loads and forces across a span (such as a bridge), providing livable space (such as a house or office building), and providing specific environmental conditions (such as a greenhouse or cold storage).