STEAM Lab Needs 3D Filament to Bring Designs to Reality
Help me give my students a variety of colors of PLA filament for our 3D printers. This non-toxic plastic can be molded into new shapes and designs.
FULLY FUNDED! Mr. Tejada's classroom raised $838
This project is fully funded
Celebrating Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month
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
My 5th-grade students are filled with awe and wonder as they learn science and engineering. My students have built ultra-strong bridges out of Popsicle sticks and have learned how to measure and account for static forces. They are hyper-inquisitive and constantly ask me "How does a fridge work?" or "How are video games made?." Thus, they have built extra insulated coolers out of Styrofoam and learned the 3 Laws of Thermodynamics, they have programmed a Dinosaur running game in Scratch, and learned to use For Loops. They have remodeled our very lab to be dimension accurate in 3D and thus applied area and volume.
Their natural creativity and desire to learn hands-on STEAM fundamentals is strong despite being born in a low-income community.
Due to the inequality in their homes, not every household has a computer to continue working on coding or 3D modeling. Most of my students come from homes where no one has a college degree or any higher education. Almost none have family who works in professional fields like medicine, law, or science and technology, but it is my goal to demystify science and engineering as tools that we use in everyday life.
My Project
Our new STEAM lab has graciously received new 3D printers, but only has test rolls of PLA filament. We need several kilograms of PLA filament so that my students can take what they learned from 3D modeling last trimester and bring it into reality. PLA is a safe and easy to work with material for 3D printers that allows our lab to create and prototype real models. All of my students measured and remodeled our very lab using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software called Tinkercad. They learned the fundamentals of 3D design, including position, volume, area, the different 3D shapes, and the principles of subtractive design. Using these tools, my students created custom models of chairs, desks, and computers for the lab.
With these kilograms of filament, all 135 of my 5th-grade students will be able to design and print their own custom tablet stand and small key-chain for them to use, from their imagination to a real object.
Our lab ensures every design goes through the engineering design process, starting with a problem to solve (tablet keeps falling, backpacks need unique names), going through the research, then imagining and planning a solution. We then work in teams of four students to revise and refine individual solutions until the creation phase where we will be more certain that the final prints will be strong enough to hold up a tablet but also be beautiful and functional.
Nearly all 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
OVERTURE PLA Filament 1.75mm 3D Printer Consumables, 1kg Spool (2.2lbs), Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.05 mm, Fit Most FDM Printer(6 Color)
• Amazon Business
$135.99
1
$135.99
AMOLEN 3D Printer Filament Bundle,PLA Filament 1.75mm Bundle,Glow in The Dark PLA Filament，Glow Green and Blue 3D Printing Filament Bundle,1kg X 2 Spools
• Amazon Business
$49.99
2
$99.98
3D Solutech - PLAPINK Real Pink 3D Printer PLA Filament 1.75MM Filament, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.03 mm, 2.2 LBS (1.0KG)
• Amazon Business
$21.22
4
$84.88
Amazon Basics PLA 3D Printer Filament, 1.75mm, 5 Assorted Colors, 1 kg per Spool, 5 Spools
• Amazon Business
$79.51
1
$79.51
AMOLEN Dark Wood Walnut PLA Filament 1.75mm,Walnut 3D Printer Filament with 30% Real Wood Fiber,Wood Filament,1KG
• Amazon Business
$30.68
2
$61.36
PLA 3D Printer Filament, SUNLU PLA Filament 1.75mm, Dimensional Accuracy +/- 0.02 mm, 1 kg Spool, 1.75mm, PLA Black
• Amazon Business
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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 Mr. Tejada and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
