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What is Fab Lab?
What is Fab Lab?
Fab Lab stands for Fabrication Laboratory, and its a place for creating, learning, and inventing. Students are exposed to many high and low tech tools and materials, and engage in design thinking process during projects focused on community-based needs. Some of the tools and materials students will have access to are:
ShopBot - CNC mill, a computerized tool that cuts, carves, and engraves wood, plastic, metal, and other materials
Hand tools for working with wood, metal, plastic, fabric, and more ...
Single-board microcontrollers and microcontroller kits for building digital devices (such as Arduino, and LittleBits codeBit)
3D Printers
LittleBits (an open source library of modular electronics, which snap together with small magnets for prototyping and learning)
Cricut - die cutting machine
Sewing machines and sewing tools
Badge-buttons maker
Some technologies on the wishlist:
Mayku Form Box - Mold maker
Dedicated class-set of PC Laptops for Fab Lab
Overlock
Laser cutter
What is Design Thinking Process?
What is Design Thinking Process?
Design Thinking Process definition from edsurge.com:
In a nutshell, design thinking is a way to define and solve tough challenges. It focuses heavily on rapid prototype solutions and learning from mistakes. In education, a design thinking curriculum immerses students and teachers (i.e., the designers) in real-world problem solving. The journey begins with empathy work—an opportunity for understanding the needs and motivations of a group of people (i.e., the end users).
Using this data as a guide, designers then work collaboratively to define a problem. Problems take the form of a question such as, “How might we design a classroom habitat for plants and animals to co-exist?” Or, “How might we create machines based on historical models?” Or even, “How might we create a playground space for disabled students?”
From there, designers brainstorm solutions, design a prototype and test their product. The process rarely takes a linear approach. At any point in the process, designers may return to different parts of the process to fine-tune their work before eventually moving forward.
The process is not linear, and students keep revisiting the different stages throughout it.
Fab Lab Mission
Fab Lab Mission
We work diligently to create a 21st century learning environment. In Fab Lab, students are able to exercise their skills as competent, capable, caring and curious community members. Our school’s mission focuses on preparing lifelong learners to engage in the work of creating a new paradigm for an increasingly inclusive and sustainable world. This goal deeply resonates throughout the Fab Lab curriculum. Here, learning focuses on the needs of communities, small and large, by following the Design Thinking Process in all the projects. Through the process, learners develop intrinsic strengths such as confidence in dealing with complexity and open-ended problems, attention to details, persistence in working with difficult problems, tolerance for ambiguity, independence of thought and decision making, and ability to work and communicate with others to achieve a common goal or solution. Students acquire and apply academic skills while collaborating on creating real-life solutions.
Fab Lab Curriculum
Fab Lab Curriculum
The following are examples of some of the work students engage in Fab Lab (the actual projects may change from year to year):
The following are examples of some of the work students engage in Fab Lab (the actual projects may change from year to year):
Fourth Grade. The first unit introduces the students to ShopBot, a CNC tool. Learners incorporate social studies themes, and their newly acquired mathematical skills about angles while developing a basic understanding of a CAD software that they will deepen in fifth grade. Next, they explore various materials, tools, and technologies in makerspace stations that culminates in projects presented at the annual BPC School Maker Faire.
Fifth Grade. Students participate in Fab Lab on a bi-weekly basis as part of their math curriculum. Some of the projects students participate in are:
Glockenspiel unit: While making this instrument from scratch, students learn about science of sound, music principles, and engage with lots of advanced math.
Building Challenge: Students design buildings in TinkerCad while adhering to specific volume and area requirements. Beside deepening geometrical skills, our makers develop better understanding of CAD-based applications.
12x12 Challenge:This unit is based on the Design Thinking Process and brings our students’ attention to the needs of our school’s community. The final products are made primarily from wood with the help of CAD application (VCarve), and our ShopBot (cnc mill tool).
Eighth Grade Elective. In Fab Lab Elective, we build on the skills and knowledge students acquired in previous years of the program. We continue taking advantage of ShopBot and 3D printers, and challenge students to make more complex objects with attention paid to their aesthetic qualities and overall craftsmanship. We are also very fortunate to collaborate with Boyce Technologies on a project that focuses on our school community’s needs. Students have the opportunity to work with designers and engineers and collaborate on the physical production of their ideas.
Here is an article that explains well the thought behind makerspaces in libraries: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/03/everyone-is-a-maker/473286/
Article from NYT "How 'Makers' Make the Classroom More Inclusive"
Student Resources
Student Resources
How to sand your ShopBot Project - Video with instructions
Student Work
Student Work
7th Grade 2021-2022 Projects Slideshow
5th Grade 2020-2021 Blended Learning - Student Work
5th Grade - Building Challenge (This work was 3D printed)
5th Grade - Designing Thinking Process with Index Cards
5th Grade - Prototypes for the Pandemic
Remote Learning 2020 - Student Work
4th Grade - Recycled-Materials Projects
4th Grade - Medallion Designs for a TinkerCad Project
5th Grade - "I Made It" Challenge
Fab Lab 2019/2020 Curriculum
Fifth Grade - In collaboration with the fifth-grade math teacher, Francis Laros, I provided students with the Fab Lab program for double-period every other week during their math time.
This year we began with making our own glockenspiel. Learners worked together to create one instrument in each class. The project involved science, music, and math concepts that strengthen their skills in these subjects as well as extended them beyond fifth grade. For example, students acquired and applied their understanding of sound waves, vibration, pitch, musical scales, percentages, algebra, measurement, and exponents/roots in order to cut and tune copper pipes into a correct pitch. Photographs of students' work.
The second project of the year was developed in response to a need in the fifth-grade math curriculum. Students needed more time to work on a geometry unit before state tests were administered. In response, I worked with the fifth-grade students on area and volume concepts during their weekly library period. Learners were presented with a challenge that asked them to figure out how to make a building in TinkerCad based on two rectangular prisms and with certain measurement requirements. Once the base was constructed accordingly to the challenge, students were able to add architectural details to their buildings. The buildings were 3-D printed. Each class was planning a layout of a town for their buildings when the pandemic struck, and we were unable to complete the towns that require close hands-on collaboration. Photographs of some of the students' buildings.
The third project, "12x12 Challenge" required students to design, prototype, and create wooden products for the school community or for sale at our annual Maker Faire. Students had a choice of three categories for their items. Learners met with potential clients, sketched designs, made prototypes from foamboard, cardboard, and wood, and created precise vector-based drawings that our CNC mill, ShopBot, followed while cutting and carving wood. Due to the pandemic, students completed their CAD drawings remotely with my support. I produced their items using ShopBot over the summer, and students are expected to sand, finish, and put together the pieces into the final objects, this year.
8th Grade Elective
Students began by creating logos that represent them. This activity was designed to teach students how to use CAD software for ShopBot production.
Elective's second project was the same as fifth graders - 12x12 Challenge - but some of the product categories were different, slightly more challenging.
Eighth graders also collaborated with a manufacturer, Boyce Technologies, to produce an item that our school community needs. After investigating the needs of various groups in our community, students decided to make a merchandise cart for PTA to store and sell from fundraising products (ex. clothing and other items with school logo). Students collaborated with the Boyce team from the school as well as visited the factory to partake in the engineering process and experience how such a product is made in real life. Photos from the collaboration with Boyce Technologies
Creating a useful product using TinkerCad and 3D printing was a final project for the year and was completed remotely from the beginning to the end.
Fourth Grade - Fourth-grade students alternated between library and makerspace every other week. Due to the pandemic, students were unable to complete their first project, and alternative activities were designed for remote learning.
Their first project was a ShopBot drawing project. This activity was designed to teach students how to use CAD software for ShopBot production that they would use more extensively in fifth grade.
During the pandemic, students were engaged in a recycled-materials project as well as a TinkerCad project that required them to design a 3D medallion that is meaningful to them. Completed medallions were 3D printed.
Third Grade - The third-grade makerspace program was scheduled for June, and due to the pandemic was canceled.
Fab Lab 2018/2019 Curriculum
Fifth Grade - Francis, the fifth-grade math teacher, and I, the teacher assigned to the library, offer a weekly Fab Lab period to each class in this grade. During this period, children learn how to use CAD-based software to design products that will be made by ShopBot. We started with a drawing project to get students familiarized with all the software and equipment involved in the process. The project will culminate with the machine drawing students' designs with a Sharpie marker. The next activity will challenge students to design functional products from 8"x10"x1" pieces of wood that will be used in our school community or sold at our annual Maker Faire in June.
8th Grade Elective - This year the elective follows the Fab Lab curriculum for 5th grade except it will include an additional final project where students will have more choice in selecting the type of materials, their sizes, and equipment used to make the products.
Fourth Grade - Students will begin makerspace activities at the beginning of February. Their first project will be the ShopBot drawing project (as the fifth grade). Next, students will explore and tinker with various technologies and materials in stations. Finally, the fourth graders will design and execute projects for the Maker Faire.
Third Grade - Students will learn how to use TinkerCad during their library visits. This is to prepare them for the future use of 3D printers.
VCarve Tutorials
VCarve Tutorials
VCarve Tutorial - Tracing Images
Research Resources for Sustainable Development Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:
Research Resources for Sustainable Development Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:
Cardboard Joints Tutorials:
Cardboard Joints Tutorials:
Watch both of the videos. Some content repeats but each of these tutorials introduces additional techniques and provides more information.
Cardboard Attachment Techniques - Video 1
Cardboard Attachment Techniques - Video 2
Fab Lab Elective - Designed World Community Project - Chargers Info Spot
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