Our 3rd annual STEM Fair is coming up!  Look at all the things (and there are still more) that we've 3D printed.  Of course some of these are failed printed, but regardless, they have all taught us a lot!

In an intense integrated project, sixth graders wrote plays in Language Arts.  Their focus included having a fluid plot, stage directions, and dialogue that helped convey meaning. Working in collaborative groups, they used the writing process from start to finish, using a shared space in a Google doc to refine their plays to a two-minute production cap.

After their plays were complete, they began working on their video production.  Students were to 3D print at least one prop and filter for their play, both of which were critical in understanding the play.  Along side these 3D printed artifacts, students were to use principles of light they learned in science as a way to convey meaning.  Lastly, they learned to use a video creation tool, learning the process of editing a visual display.  Here is their final work!

Fifth graders are enhancing their skills in Google Drawing!  Check out these drawings which depict all the places water is located on Earth!  We discovered this after some pretty intense research, modeling, and discussion in science class.

Here are some self-portraits being developed in 6th grade...

​This is a work in progress due next week!

And here are some models being developed in 5th grade.

So sixth graders have started to learn Tinkercad and are beginning to 3D print things!  They're working simulataneously on two projects and are about to start a third.

1.  Everyone has designed a personalized keychain.  This was our first crack at using the printer, and it's off to a great start.  There have certainly been some fails, and that's okay!

2.  Some students are working on 3D printing sun-moon-earth models to show the application of the light models we've developed in class.   

​Check back soon for an integrated science/literacy project!  Students will be creating videos of plays they write in language art.  Must-haves in their video include the use of 3D printed props and filters which will change the mood of the play!

During last school year, I was awarded a grant to receive and be trained on a 3D printer from the Digital Harbor Foundation in Baltimore.  This past summer I attended the training, and the printer is up and running in our classroom.  Sixth graders are currently using it, and it's off to a great start!  Check back for projects students print!  

Sixth graders started the year with an assignment where they had to write their name in Google Drawing as a way to express their creativity and interests.  AWESOME work!