Lesson 3 introduces students to coding 3D models using TinkerCAD code blocks. TinkerCAD code blocks is free to use and built upon the scratch concept of coding from MIT. The program works by dragging and dropping ‘code blocks’ that can be stacked and edited to form a code that create a 3D shape which can then be 3D printed.
If you have taught your classes scratch programming then this is a perfect way to introduce them to 3D printing and build upon their existing skillset without having to learn traditional 3D CAD.
Scratch is user friendly, taught to many ages and widely recognized as the foundation for teaching coding skills in schools developed by the world’s top technology university, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). TinkerCAD code blocks is built on scratch 3.0 and is free, intuitive, fun and really develops students’ programming skills.
This lesson pack could be taught as an introduction to coding if students have never been taught this before. Or as part of a coding/3D printing project building upon prior learning of scratch programming.
Learn 3D printing with TinkerCAD code blocks
The learning topics in this lesson teaches students the basics of coding and how to create basic 3D models that can be 3D printed. The concept of X, Y and Z coordinates are introduced and how to edit basic shapes through building and editing sequences of code blocks.
Within every lesson, there is a high degree of math skills involved enabling students to build upon their numeracy skills. This lesson is the first of 3 coding lessons that developed students’ skills to enable them to attempt a series of design challenges through ‘designing with code’.
This can be taught by a teacher who has never taught students how to code. There are instructions explaining each coding task and the content can be edited by the teacher as well.
Resources include teaching PowerPoint, student worksheets, homework sheets, answer sheets, videos and example STL files to print as part of the lesson.
