[3D Printing News] 3D Printing School Course Examples
Summer is over, and school is back! Here's a collection of resources to encourage your students to do 3D printing in the classroom.
In this special back-to-school course:
● Gain tips on how to introduce digital production techniques in your courses.
● Learn how to easily implement 3D design and 3D printing in your classroom with our teacher-tested curriculum.
● Get the best selection of useful tools that you can print in your own classroom to make classes more efficient.
● Watch the helpful video that will show you how to use a 3D printer.
● You have the chance to win an Ultimaker 3D printer for your school.
Tips for the teacher
At Ultimaker, we are committed to bringing 3D technology into the classroom as much as possible, and our classroom resources are designed to make 3D printing in the classroom as easy as possible for educators.
Classroom setup . Tips on how to organize 3D printing tools in a classroom.
Print for your classroom . The ideal item for printing for your classroom.
Course initiator . A great way to import 3D printing courses.
Introducing 3D Printing
Suitable for primary and secondary school students, this course easily introduces 3D printing to your students, leaving a lasting impression and inspiring them. Small, simple objects require minimal printing time, ensuring everyone in the class can take turns creating 3D objects. If necessary, you can divide the course into several smaller projects.
Spend one lesson design on another slice and another print.
Design and print your own keychain
• Time: 1 hour
• Suitable for: Beginners (Grade 3 and above)
Course Outcomes:
• Basic 2D and 3D design skills • Learn to create layered design functions • Practice and be introduced to digital production of student-designed and 3D-printed school mascot keychains. This course uses Rhino with preset vector graphics, but it is easily adaptable to online CAD tools such as Tinkercad. This course is provided by our pioneer, Marilyn Proctor-Givens. The course schedule can be viewed here .
3D printed bag labels 
• Time: 1 hour
• Suitable for: Beginners (Grade 3 and above)
Course Outcomes:
• Basic 2D and 3D design skills • Learn to create layered design features • Practice and introduction to digital production • Use 3D printing to create practical objects
In this course, students design and print their own luggage tags. They can create different shapes and add their names to the designs so everyone knows whose luggage belongs to whom.
This course showcases the potential of 3D printing using real objects, while also educating students. It is offered by our pioneers, Sarah Rolle and Rurik Nackerud. The course schedule can be viewed here .
3D printing for STEAM education
STEM education (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) is more important than ever, and 3D printing opportunities are a powerful tool that can help STEAM foundation courses.
LEGO's reverse engineering
• Duration: 2 to 3 weeks
• Suitable for: Engineering students
Course Outcomes:
• Introduce the value of reverse engineering. • Learn design techniques, such as measuring key features and designing suitable parts. 
In this course, you will create LEGO-compatible shapes and introduce the concept of reverse engineering to create custom objects.
This course is offered by our pioneer, Brian Yarborough. You can view the course schedule here .
Design Collaboration
• Duration: 1 to 2 weeks
• Suitable for: Engineering students
Course Outcomes:
• Learn fundamental engineering design principles. Through this course, students can learn appropriate design principles, tolerances, and other engineering and physical concepts.
This course was contributed by our pioneer, Adam Schaeffer. The course schedule can be viewed here .
Make your own spinning top
• Duration: 1 to 2 hours
• Suitable for: Industrial Technology students (8th year and above)
Course Outcomes:
• CAD design skills • Basic mechanical principles and parts such as bearings • Physics principles such as center of gravity and momentum. Become the coolest teacher on the playground by teaching students how to design and build their own spinning tops. This course is provided by our pioneer, Tim Cooper. You can view the course schedule here .
3D Printed Pattern Stamps
• Duration: 1 to 2 hours
• Suitable for: Middle school to 8th grade
Course Outcomes:
• Understand historical printing methods • Understand repeating patterns
Design and print patterned stamps that can be used to decorate clay boxes. This course was contributed by our pioneer, Young Kim. The course schedule can be viewed here .
Woodblock printing and mold making
• Duration: 3 hours
• Suitable for: Students with academic achievements in Grade 3 and above:
• 2D and 3D design skills
• Learn the methods of early woodblock printing
Starting with a 2D drawing, turning it into a mold, and then replicating it—it's a fun and interesting craft project! This course is provided by our pioneer, Lizabeth Arum. You can view the course schedule here .
Create an interactive night light
• Duration: 1 week
• Suitable for: Middle school students
Course Outcomes:
• 3D design skills
• Electronic Design: Students design, create, and plan 3D-printed computer-controlled nightlights. This course was contributed by our pioneer, David Held. The course schedule can be viewed here .
3D Printed Puzzle
Provide students with design challenges to improve their logic and design skills.
3D print a jigsaw puzzle
• Duration: 3 hours
• Suitable for: Intermediate designers and high school students
Course Outcomes:
• CAD design skills - accuracy, tolerances, etc.
• Logical thinking ability 
Once all the puzzle pieces are complete, you can have your students exchange them and see if they can finish them together.
The plan to adapt this course involves creating simple jigsaw puzzles for young students. This course is provided by Brian Wetzel. You can view the course plan here .
Design a one-cent trap
Duration: 3 to 4 hours Suitable for: High school students Course Outcomes:
• Learn basic design skills. • Develop logical thinking skills. • Learn programming principles to create geometric shapes. Design a puzzle that will only cost you a small amount of money. This course can be expanded to use several CAD tools, making it suitable for secondary and higher education.
The project can utilize OpenSCAD, a free and open-source design tool.
Using this software is a great way to teach programming principles to express geometric shapes. These courses were contributed by our pioneering mathematicians.
Design with Tinkercad
Design with OpenSCAD
Creating quadric surfaces with Maple
• Duration: 1 week
• Suitable for: High school students
Course Outcomes:
• Mathematical Principles • Algorithms • Design • Geometry
This project introduces students to 3D printing model parts using the mathematical software Maple, drawing several quadratic surfaces in both implicit and parametric forms. Students will learn how to export Maple code as an STL file, which can then be uploaded to Cura for 3D printing. This course is provided by our pioneer, Kristen Schreck. The course schedule can be viewed here .
3D printing tools for teachers
Print as many practical 3D printing tools as possible in the classroom using your 3D printer.
DIY eraser and marker holder. Keep your erasers tidy with this handy 3D-printed little box.
Balance scale. Printable scale, suitable for science and math lessons.
Stationery. Students forget their stationery? No more excuses—you can print out new ones!
A scientific demonstration model. A conceptual model for creating differentiated instruction for engineering students. Clearly define the concept of achieving optimal educational potential.
Biological demonstration models. To achieve the best educational potential, clearly demonstrate the biological concepts through engaging models.
Engineering demonstration model. Introduces engineering principles such as gear ratio.
Construction tool kit. A construction tool kit to demonstrate concepts to children.
Bookmarks. 3D printed bookmarks for libraries.
Single-pulse motor. Create a working pulse motor to clearly demonstrate the concept. Suitable for physics courses.
Trapezoid drawing tool. Suitable for music lessons - This handy tool makes it easy to draw a musical staff on a whiteboard.
3D printed video resources
Use these videos to demonstrate the 3D printing workflow or to prove that your school or college has purchased a 3D printer.
How to use 3D printing . This video shows the 3D printing workflow from idea to object.
Cura 2.7 Quick Start Guide. Cura is the most powerful slicing software. Best of all, it's free! Learn how to slice 3D models using our quick start guide.
Pioneer Announcement
Ultimaker Educational Challenge
Attention all educators! You still have time to participate in our competition and have the chance to win a 3D printer for your school!
The new Ultimaker Education Challenge is your opportunity to develop curriculum plans that incorporate 3D printing to enhance learning and win 3D printers for your school.
In addition, winners will be invited to join Ultimaker’s Pioneer Program, and their winning projects will be uploaded to our educational platform to inspire and support other teachers around the world.
Read more about this challenge here.
Deadline - October 30, 2017!
Please note: This competition is limited to the following countries: Australia, India, New Zealand, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan.
Original source: https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/50988-back-to-school-round-up