Resources

TinkerCAD

TinkerCAD is a free program that allows engineers, inventors and students to design 3D prints, laser cut designs, and circuits.

Thingiverse

Thingiverse is a free database of 3D printable designs. These designs can serve as inspiration for future projects, or they can be imported to TinkerCAD and modified by teachers or students.

Instructables

Instructables is a giant text book for all types of maker technology. It also has step by step instructions for making all types of projects

NGSS for California Public Schools

We are focusing in this professional development on the Engineering Design standards for the Next Generation Science Standards.

We can add relevance to engineering projects by visiting a place where such an undertaking has occured. We will visit one of the tallest buildings in the world, the Barj Kalifa. With a cell phone and a $5 google cardboard you can feel like you are at the tower. A database of all the google expeditions can be found here.

Philosophy

The maker movement is about both building things, but also learning to make things and teaching others. It fits perfectly with the Next Generation Science Standards. Engineering is now a central part of science. Having students work to make solutions to problems we face is one of the reasons we learn science and integrating tools and concepts from the maker movement helps make the whole endeavor more fun. Your 3D printer can be an amazingly versatile tool in your makerspace/science classroom.

Activities

Design a Gear System

We are going to reverse engineer a gear. We'll then design a second gear with fewer or more teeth. We are also going to create the second gear so it fits in a block created for your later invention.

Build a Tower

We are going to start our Tower Challenge by building a tower out of K'nex. Our goal is to make the tallest tower possible. that is strong enough to hold at least 6 cones.

Plans

Writing while working in the makerspace is key. Google Drawing can be a powerful tool for collaboration. Multiple students can work together on a shared document at one time. We used Britannica as a resource to find more about a chosen structure as inspiration for our creation.

Contest

Create the tallest, strongest tower that can be placed over your 4x6x3 lego block.

Engineering Constraints

Print time

Engineering Goal

Height
Strength

Height (mm) * Bricks - Print Time (minutes)

10 Extra points for clear inspiration from existing tower.

Procedure

We will test up to 6 bricks, on the floor, wearing safety goggles.

The bricks are stacked on a broad wooden plank so they are no more than two bricks high, to avoid them falling and hurting anyone.

Wind Turbines

Our final project is creating a 3D printed wind turbine. We'll start with an investigation, creating a turbine out of materials in the FabLab. The knowledge gained from this can be used to design a powerful 3D printed turbine.

Engineering Clean Energy

Wind turbines are a local phenomenon. One of the largest wind farms in the country is at the Altamont Pass. This video from the US Department of Energy has lots of information about energy production.

Engineering Notebook

We are investigating wind energy generation with wind turbines. Choose a question and create turbines to help answer your question. Your engineering notebook should have

Question
Procedure
Data
Chart
Diagram
Conclusion

Intro to Coding

We are going to learn some basics of computer science and use a microbit to create a turbine tester. The code for this program can be found here.

Test Your Design

If you clip your microbit to p0 and GND you can get a reading of the voltage generated.

Engineer a Turbine

We can create a turbine design from smaller objects, or we can use the featured shape generator for turbine blades.

Thank You for Visiting!

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Makerspace Engineering with 3D Printing