Teaching With TinkerCAD - 3D Printed Keyrings

I teach at a Youth Zone to childeren who have never seen or used 3D printing before, and using TinkerCAD to make custom keyrings is one of the first begginer friendly projects, and helps develop an understanding of how 3D Printing works, and what it can do.

3D Printer & filament

Laptop with internet capabilities

Explain what 3D printing is, and how it works. It's useful to have one running in the background, so you can show them the parts in real life. Explain how the spool if filament is melted, and the 3D Printer is like a robotic hot glue gun - building plastic on top of each other layer by layer. A timelaps also helps clarify this (as shown in the powerpoint)

Powerpoint Link : https://3dlaboratories.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/3D-Laboratories-TinkerCAD-3D-Printing-Copy.pptx

TinkerCAD classes allow's students to create tinkerCAD accounts without the need of an email. Simply register as a teacher (if you don't to this, the create class button won't appear), create a class, and add their names into the students list, and then they can join with their class code and nickname. It is useful to have the laptops ready on the login page, so they can simply enter their nickname and log in instantly. Futhermore teachers have access to all designs, so when they're finished, they can easily be downloaded for 3D Printing.

Explain how they can use the basic shapes and join them together to create their own designs. Explain grouping & holes, as well as the alignment tools. Then show some previous keyrings designed by previous students to give inspiration for their own. Creating a house helps them become familiar with the interface.

Now they have a basic understanding, let them design their own keyrings, and help around where needed. Showing examples for inspiration helps them make more complex designs. Then they can be 3D Printed easily by simply downloading them from the classroom designs section.