Environmental Engineering: 3D Printing STEM Solutions
My students need a LulzBot Mini 3D printer so they can create tangible models of their ideas including designing and printing modifications to their PEM Fuel Cell model cars during our alternative energy engineering project.
This project is a part of the Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month celebration because
it supports a Latino teacher or a school where the majority of students are Latino.
My Students
It's often said that as we grow older we begin to get less curious. My seventh grade students defy this. As the school year goes on, they get more curious as they make connections between concepts and start looking at the world in new ways.
My students are curious and creative problem solvers who make insightful observations as they engage with and learn from each other.
I teach at a Title I school with a diverse population of students who show me every day that, if given the chance, they will rise to the occasion.
My Project
Our world today faces many environmental challenges. From global warming to sea level rise, it is my students’ generation who will be tasked with finding solutions to these global problems. In order to do so, my students need to be creative thinkers and innovative problem solvers who can use technology to realize their ideas. To help develop these skills, I am bringing 3D printing to my science classroom so it can be integrated into engineering projects throughout the year. Because I teach all groups of students in our school's population, integrating 3D printing into my class provides a unique opportunity to give all students access to this empowering technology.
Throughout the year, we have been focusing on environmental issues in my seventh grade science class and will soon be completing an alternative energy project where students engineer PEM fuel cell model cars as we explore important concepts in chemistry and green design.
Aside from learning about science concepts and environmental issues, one of the goals of this project is to encourage students to innovate and creatively work through challenges. Having a 3D printer will allow students to share their ideas in the form of prototypes as they design, print, and test custom modifications to their model vehicles. Through this process students will also begin developing fluency in using technology as a tool to help them communicate and actualize their ideas. We will also integrate the 3D printer into other projects we complete throughout the year- from aquaponics to building earthquake resistant structures- making it an essential piece of equipment in our hands-on inquiry-based science classroom.
As Walt Disney said, "Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children." 3D printing is an investment in this resource, one that will expand mindsets and continue to impact students for many years.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Holland and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
