Field Activity

Digital Fabrication FOR kids

Description

For this Field Activity, you will design a lesson plan for a subject that you teach. Your lesson plan must include a physical teaching aid: object, model, or manipulative that you design and fabricate for use in the classroom. The subject and learning outcomes of the lesson should be non-technical. NOTE: For this lesson plan, students will not use the design or fabrication technologies of the lab, instead they will interact with the physical teaching aid that you designed and created.

*You will create and build a physical teaching aid for a subject that you teach.

*You will create a detailed lesson plan for using the object with your students in the classroom.

*You will post your lesson in SCOPESdf.org (opens new window) including photos and design files.

*You need to include a final reflection on your experience answering at least the following reflection questions:

• Could you have done this activity without the teaching aid you have fabricated?How do you think digital fabrication improves the activity vs utilizing traditional methods? What is the extra value?
• What are some challenges you expect when you do the activity with your class?
• What did you learn during the fabrication process?

Here are some inspirational sites to look at for digital fabrication for kids:

• CAD Library.org (opens new window): digital files for K-12 teaching with build instructions and education packets
  
  
• Math Happens Foundation (opens new window): ideas for digitally fabricated math manipulatives that you can make in a makerspace.
  
  
• GOSH: Gathering of Open Source Hardware (opens new window): These projects are quite a bit more detailed but great inspiration for science-based mechanisms that you can build for your classroom (or for your lab!)
  
  
• Instructables (opens new window): This is a listing of laser cut projects for use in K-12 classrooms.
  
  

Instructions and Assessment

In-Class recording of the Field Activity Introduction and Assignment is Here. (opens new window)

Step by Step Instructions for the Field Activity (with the assessment rubric) are Here (opens new window)

Instructions on How to setup a SCOPESdf account are here. (opens new window)

SCOPES template to pre-edit your lesson plan before transfering it to SCOPES is here. (opens new window)

Your Field Activity will be assessed by a Global Evaluator. Please check Nueval (opens new window) for comments from your evaluator and address within 2 weeks.