Fab Lab

The following are examples of some of the work students engage in Fab Lab (the actual projects may change from year to year):

Chargers Info Spot

Student Resources

VCarve Tutorials

Sustainable Development Goals - Research

Cardboard Joints Tutorials:

Other Student Resources:

Student Work Examples

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?

The five stages of Design Thinking, according to d.school, are as follows: Empathise, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test.

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

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

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"

Chargers Info Spot

The Chargers Info Spot kiosks are now installed on the eighth, seventh, and sixth floor as well as the lobby.

These devices were invented and created by the eighth-grade students in the 2023-2024 Fab Lab elective with a collaboration of Boyce Technologies' team of designers, engineers, machinist, and other staff members.

Link to the Chargers Info Spot website.

Student Resources

VCarve Tutorials

VCarve - Tutorial 1 - Creating a File and the Line Tool

VCarve - Tutorial 2 - Creating Curves

VCarve - Tutorial 3 - Text and Geometric Shapes

VCarve - Tutorial 4 - Tracing Images

VCarve - Tutorial 5 - Connecting Vectors

Sustainable Development Goals - Research

UN's Sustainable Development Goals Website

Goal 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production:

Goal 4 - Quality Education

Goal 4 Introduction Video in Spanish (Educación de calidad ODS 4 - Objetivos de desarrollo sostenible para niños)

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

Art Slides - Exploring Cardboard as a Building Material

Cardboard Project Information Form