Making a Mardi Gras-Inspired Patch Using Algorithmic Design
What is an algorithm? How can algorithms be used to create cultural designs and 3D models? This lesson explores these questions by using visual programming to help students explore computational…
Ring Ceremony: Custom 3D Print Rings
Rings are customizable, simple objects to 3D print. Over the course of five classes (hours), students will design and print rings to wear and share with classmates. This lesson uses…
Biomedical Engineer – Middle School Remix
This lesson reflects on “Everyday in the life of a Biomedical Engineer” What does a Biomedical Engineer do? Biomedical Engineer Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists,…
Coding 3D Models Using Tinkercad Codeblocks
Inspired by contemporary South African baskets and hats, this activity explores craft through computation, 3D modeling and 3D printing. Students will use object-oriented computer programming, meaning they will place a…
Lesson Landing Pad: 3D Printing
This is a new type of lesson page! Instead of serving as a place to find a singular lesson about 3D printing, this is a page that will serve as…
tarukantohku: Digital Design Rooted in Storytelling Tradition
The purpose of this lesson is to promote collaboration between educational and cultural programming, specifically for the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana. The Tunica-Biloxi are a federally recognized tribe with population…
Music & 3D Modeling: From James Brown to Architecture
Black History Month recognizes the heritage, accomplishments, and culture of African Americans in the United States. In honor of this month, this project combines black music, 3D modeling and laser…
Tinkercad & Chibi Chip Electronic Cards
This “Hour of Code” project is part of Computer Science Education Week from December 3 – 7 but the lesson can be done any time of the year. Students explore…
Finding Fibonacci in the Helicone
Leonardo of Pisa (c.1170–c.1250), also known as Fibonacci, is often considered the most talented mathematician of the Middle Ages. In this lesson students discover the mystical nature of the famous…
Wind Turbine STEM/Digital Fabrication Challenge
Enhance your subject area content and career connections by using digital fabrication to design and make blades for a wind turbine.
From Digital to Physical: Geometric Translations
In this guide you will learn to develop a general workflow between 3D modeling softwares and planar assembly techniques for laser cutting using geometric translation tools. This guide will focus…
Fab Sneakers Workshop
Fabricating shoes presents fun opportunities for student to learn principles from design and mathematics while they explore digital fabrication process such as 3D modeling for 3D printing, laser cutting for…
Wearable Tech in Afrofuturism
Afrofuturism encompasses a wide variety of creative explorations across numerous fields – music, art, film, and literature – over nearly a half-century in black culture. This lesson plan explores the…
Child Designed Furniture
Creating classroom furniture with children is one example of a successful scaffolded fabrication activity that can be an empowering experience for young children. This experience includes adults working alongside children…
Dora Milaje Tabi Boot
This lesson originates from Ruth Carter’s approach to costume design for the Black Panther film. Students will create a pattern using software to be laser etched into soft material that…
Wakandan Bling
This lesson is inspired by different designers’ approaches for the Black Panther film. For example, LA-based designer Douriean Fletcher curated a special set of jewelry such as beaded bracelets, necklaces…
Desk Calender
This series of lessons will take you thhrough how to make a Desk Calender using the Brother ScanNcut.
January 13, 2025
Lantern
This series of lessons will take you through step by step how to make a Tea Light Lantern using the Brother ScanNCut.
January 13, 2025
Shadow Theatre
Lessons with 5 graders about shadow theatre. Learners listen short Fairy-tale “The Foolish Man” by famous Armenian writter Hovhannes Tumanyan, Draw an illustrative picture of the Fairy-tale, they can draw…
January 11, 2025
Spin Your Way to Reading Adventure
This lesson is designed to help students review the various genres they’ve learned about and to create some excitement about reading outside their comfort zone. Prior to this lesson students…
January 3, 2025
Social Emotional Learning + Stencils
Students develop a list of things they for which they are grateful. Once created, students chose one or more designs to visually illustrate their gratitude using a graphic design program.…
January 3, 2025
Project Planning with Physical Computing
Students plan and create their own whole-class whole-term project using Circuit Playgrounds and the Digital Fabrication tools available to them.
December 30, 2024
Magnetic Code Poetry
Create poetry from magnetic pieces that have scraps of code on them, such as ++ *= for ( and { as well as more usual poetry words that are code…
December 28, 2024
Make a statement
In this lesson, students will use the engineering design process to make an item that promotes an environmental or social justice message. The students will research an area of interest…
December 13, 2024
understanding plant life cycle
During this lesson, I showed students the life cycle of a plant, using the example of an apple, and since the students had no experience with digital production, I showed…
December 11, 2024
Christmas Cards
This series of lessons will take you through how to make a Christmas card using the Brother ScanNCut and the circuit playground express. These lessons can be adapted to be…
December 8, 2024
CO2 Dragsters
In this series of lessons, you will take students through the design and production processes in order to create their own CO2 Dragster. As a class, you will design a…
December 7, 2024
Fab-in-a-Box Balsa Glider
Students will design and fabricate a glider. Test its flight, then optimize their design by adjusting the shape of its wings, tail, or body. This activity will introduce two…
December 3, 2024
Fab-in-a-Box Dice
Design your own 3D-printable dice! Use CAD (computer-aided design) software to build out an idea in three dimensions. Choose your dice geometry and decide what to put on each face.…
December 3, 2024
Fab-in-a-Box Spinning Tops
Give engineering a spin: experiment with physics while designing and fabricating a custom spinning top! Get hands-on with energy, force, and momentum as you experiment with different 3D-printed designs. How…
December 3, 2024
Fab-in-a-Box Botanical Press
Combine art and science: customize and fabricate a botanical press that can be used over and over again to preserve leaves and flowers for crafts or dissection.
December 3, 2024STANDARDS-ALIGNED
Community contributed lessons aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer formal educators innovative pathways to teaching content knowledge. The Fab I Can Statements are a resource to develop technology-literate learning progressions to align with content standards.
FAB TESTED
Periodically lessons are adapted and tested by the Fab Foundation team based on a call for submissions from fabbers, educators, and makers. Our inaugural set of lessons for the SCOPES-DF project were Fab Tested in 2016 and are tagged Fab Tested on the website.
OPEN-SOURCE VALUES
Lessons are distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC license, that permits free use and re-purposing by others.