Are you a multiple-subjects teacher, a math or computer science teacher, a STEAM specialist, or a librarian with a makerspace? These free ready-to-download design-and-making units are for you!
Four projects for each grade, 4th–7th with research-based activities
Students make a toy with wheels for a younger child. They 1. Learn about the needs of their user 2. Prototype designs with scrap paper and tape 3. Design wheels in Tinkercad and 3D print them 4. Make the rest of the toy with inexpensive or upcycled materials Give the toy to the child and see if it’s a fun toy to play with!
Example from grade 5
Providing opportunities to:
MPACT addresses key topics in most state standards for math and national standards for computer science. Students learn concepts and solve problems with real objects they can hold in their hands, not just with words and diagrams on paper.
Dimensions
Surface Area
Volume
Ratio and Proportion
Scale
Probability
Numeric and Unit Conversions
Debugging Algorithms
Decomposing Problems
Mental Rotation
Predicting New Shapes
Empathy
Perseverance
Design Thinking
Additive Manufacturing
I mean even the days where it was just a lot of lecture going through the slides with the design and even with the math part they just, I mean they were totally engaged…they knew this was like a special project for them.”