Lesson Plan Four: The Design Process and Principles of Design

Setup

• Prepared Slide Presentation
• Bring in 3D printed objects that broke during printing for student experimentation. See Introduction -Recommended Course Materials for further information.
• 3D Printed Objects for the Breaking Game (details and link located in Supplementary Materials). Prepare bundles of 4, ensuring there are 2 of each colored object per bundle.
• For Grades 1-2 write the following on the board for later use:

I think the 3D Printed object strip broke because: ________________________________

• For Grades 3-5 write the following on the board for later use:

The 3D Printed object strip made with ________________ broke. I think it broke because: ________________.

The object strips with Good Design were: ________________. The object strips with Bad Design were ________________, because I observed ________________.

Materials:

• Computer
• Prepared Slide Presentation
• Projector
• 3D Printed Objects for Breaking Game
• Chart Paper
• Student Notebooks
• Writing materials (pencils, pencil crayons, crayons, markers etc.)

Vocabulary:

• Good Design
• Bad Design

Sentence Stems for Reflection at the End of Class

Write the following sentence stems on the board prior to the lesson, for student reflection at the end of class

• An example of Good Design is: ____________________ , because: ____________________.
• An example of Bad Design is: ____________________ , because: ____________________.

Introduction/Attention Getter:

Timing: 5 Minutes

Materials

• Computer
• Slides 1-6
• Projector
• 3D Printed strips for the breaking game

Process

1. State: "Today we will be continuing our lessons on 3D Printing. We will be learning about the principles of Good and Bad Design, and how these principles can effect creating 3D objects."
2. Work through slides 1-6. State "These are some examples of 3D printed objects that are Good Design. They are functional, and work correctly for their intended purpose. Now let's investigate if our 3D Printed object strips are Good or Bad Design."
3. Hold up the bundle of 3D Printed object strips and state: "We are trying to create a model for an indestructible bracelet! I need you to help me see if these are truly unbreakable...who wants to try and break them!!?"

Activity 1: The Breaking Game

Timing: 15 Minutes

Materials

• 3D Printed Object strips for the breaking game. See here for the example in CAD.
• 1 ziplock bag per object strip
• Student notebooks
• Writing materials (pencils, pencil crayons, crayons, markers etc.)

Process

1. Break students into small groups of 4. Each group should have a teacher/TA/volunteer to supervise.
2. Before testing, ENSURE each 3D Printed object strip is placed and sealed in a ziplock bag for safety considerations.
3. Pass 1 object to each student in the group.
4. State: "Here are 3D printed object strips for you to investigate and test. We have printed these out as a prototype for an indestructible bracelet. Pay attention to which color of object you have. Play around with them, twist and turn them, and if they break when you do so. If they break, pay attention to where they broke, and think about why they may have broken in that area. Some of these objects have been created with PLA filament, and others with NinjaFlex filament. Do you remember how we discussed the properties of these filaments in Lesson 1? Which object do you think will break first?"
5. Instruct students to trace each object in their notebook and create a dotted line where they think the object will break.
6. Allow students to test out the object strip one at a time, so all students can see the properties of each.
7. For Grades 1-2 State: "Open your notebooks and draw the objects you just experimented with in your groups. Place a red line on your drawing where the object broke. Write a short sentence about why you think the object broke."
8. For Grades 3-5: State: "Draw a red line where the bracelet prototypes broke (if they did). Complete the sentences from the board that I wrote earlier. Think about which object strip broke, and why. Do you think the object strips that broke, or broke easily were Good Designs or Bad Designs?"
9. Collect all object strips and ziplock bags for disposal.

Activity 2: 3D Printing Gone Wrong

Timing: 10 minutes

Materials

• Box of 3D Printed objects gone wrong

Process

1. Talk about the objects from 3D Printing gone wrong
2. Emphasize to students the importance of failure, and of learning from your mistakes, and how these concepts apply to 3D Printing and for student success. See the Lesson Four Introduction for further information.
3. After talking, pass around broken 3D Prints for student exploration.

Activity 3: The Principles of Design

Timing: 25 Minutes

Materials

• Computer
• Projector
• Slides 7-15
• Student notebooks
• Writing materials (pencils, pencil crayons, crayons, markers etc.)

Process

1. Work through slides 7-14 to show students examples of 'Badly Designed Everyday Objects'
2. Lead a short class discussion/brainstorming session on the following: "Why are these images examples of Bad Design? What makes them likely to break easily or not work as they should?"
3. Draw Chart 1 on the board
4. Break students into small groups of 4-5
5. Put up slide 15
6. Instruct Students: "Using your chart paper, draw the chart I have laid out on the board. In your groups, you will be drawing each of the following: a teapot, car, house, shoe and one object of your choosing as a Good Design, that works as intended, and as a Bad Design, as we saw in the presentation earlier.
7. Tape up finished charts for students to do a gallery walk.

Recap and Wrap Up

Timing: 5 minutes

Materials

• Student notebooks
• Writing instruments (pens, pencils etc)

Process

1. Instruct students to reflect on the principles of Good and Bad Design learned through the lesson.
2. Instruct students to work through the Sentence Stems written on the board and write their answers in their notebooks.
3. Younger grades can draw their answers if needed.

Chart 1

Image 1