Script: Thank you for your great furniture redesign ideas! We can’t wait to get started in creating our new Ingenia Middle School. I think the teachers and kids will really love how well the furniture you’ve designed will look (it’s form) and function. In Ingenia we are also striving to be eco-friendly. Do you know what it means to be eco-friendly? (wait for student response) Just like on Earth, we have limited natural resources here on Ingenia. The more we can save on energy and resources the better. Eco-friendly designs allow you to minimize waste and consider ways to combine or reuse materials and resources. Our Design Team here on Ingenia has been learning about eco-friendly designs, and we could use your creative brains again. Can you help us brainstorm and design some eco-friendly objects and technologies? Thanks!
5 min Display the slideshow of eco-friendly designs students may be familiar with. For each example, engage students in discussion using the following prompts:
5 min Script: Making something eco-friendly does not have to be complicated. Simple solutions can have big impacts like switching from disposable cups and straws to reusable ones made out of recycled plastic, compostable material, or glass. Another way to make something eco-friendly is to make it dual-function. Let’s break that term up: dual. What does dual mean? Two. And function is a term we’ve been learning about throughout this unit—how something works. Can you think of something you use that is dual or multi function? (wait for student response)
5 min: Have students go on a hunt in the classroom to identify items that are dual or multi function. Some examples include: stylus pens that can write on paper and screens, clock radio, voice remotes for a TV or smartboard, Alexa or Google Nest, reusable bags, multi-function lab equipment, etc.
5 min: Lead a discussion to help students brainstorm items they could redesign for dual-function. Use the following prompts and questions:
Distribute the Thumbnail Sketches worksheet and graph paper. Have students sketch as many ideas as they can for a dual or multi-purpose design and select one to draw on the graph paper.
Thumbnail Sketches Planning Document (www.tinkercad.com)
Circulate to support their work and encourage them to include sketches of different perspectives of the item like the top, sides, back, and bottom.
Students will use Tinkercad to create a prototype of an eco-friendly redesign of a familiar object.
5 min Script: Using your 2D sketches, now you will use Tinkercad to create 3D prototypes of your eco-friendly, dual-purpose designs..
Display the main dashboard for Tinkercad. Navigate to the Create New Design button and open a new workspace. Explain that for this activity they will be starting from scratch with an empty workspace. Ask:
60 min Dismiss students to work on their eco-friendly, dual purpose designs..
If students get stuck, you can give the following tips:
If students complete their designs quickly:
5 min Lead a class discussion. Ask:
Have students consider redesigns of objects and items at home. Challenge students to come up with another dual or multi-function idea that would help make their home more eco friendly. Students can create a prototype of the design using drawing or Tinkercad.
