varina hs

Outdoor Classroom 3D Design

Henrico Learner Profile (HLP) Attributes & Skills

Grade: 9

Class: Energy Supply and Sustainability

DLIS: Innovative Designer, Global Collaborator

Learning EXPERIenCE

Students, as global citizens and collaborators researched, designed, and are assisting with the creation of an outdoor classroom that will be built on campus with community support, including native plants and recycled materials. The students used TinkerCAD to create 3D models to visualize the space and plan the location of outdoor classroom items like seating, planters, and more. The 3D printed model will guide the construction and landscaping for the project, all designed by students. It is an authentic experience that will benefit students in the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability and all Varina High School students for years to come.

What the students like about this experience:

We liked being creative and coming up with ideas for the outdoor classroom, and the fact that our design will actually be used for real on campus! Each person and group contributed, so it's a total team effort. They've already started removing non-native plants, and we are excited to see the classroom become real. I liked designing in TinkerCAD and seeing my design 3D printed. This is going to be such a cool thing for Varina High School and the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability!

What the teacher likes about this experience:

So much of the curriculum with the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability is authentic and connected to the community, and this lesson is exactly that. They learned TinkerCAD so easily and were really excited to see their designs printed and used by contractors and community partners. The student collaboration and communication was great to see, as they worked together to design, revise, and create their designs. It's going to be so powerful to teach and learn in this outdoor classroom that was designed by students for students.

Additional Pictures/Media/ARTIFACTS

Students Creating

More TinkerCAD

3D printer at work

Construction work

Thank you to the innovators that helped make this experience possible:

Kassandra Epps
Terri Vernon
ALL students in the Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainability

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