Pencil Top

Where’s My Pencil?

How many times have you heard, “I lost my pencil?” In this lesson, students work in teams to design, manufacture, and market a product using a 3-D printer to customize a student’s pencil. This will enable and motivate students to more easily keep track of their pencils.

Grade Level
Secondary
Estimated Time
Twelve 45-minute class periods
Author
David Hales
Updated
March 10, 2020

Driving Question
(Teacher Guided, Student Constructed)

How can we design, manufacture, and market a product that will help students keep track of their pencils?

Public Products

Develop and manufacture a product that anyone can use to customize their pencil.

Connections

Foundations

Milestones

Milestone 1 (Days 1–2): Entry Event

Situation

Explain to the students that every day, teachers hear from students, “Do you have a pencil I can borrow? I lost mine.” Lost pencils are a real problem in elementary classrooms and can distract from valuable instructional time. Teachers from the local elementary school would like their students to be able to more easily identify and take responsibility for their pencils.

Key Student Questions

  • What is 3-D printing?
  • What can be done with 3-D printing technology?
  • How could 3-D printing technology benefit individuals?

Formative Assessments

  • Pair and Share
  • Class Discussion

Instructional Procedures

  1. Show the No-Roll Pencil Trick Video.
  2. Discuss with the students that everyday, teachers hear from students, “Do you have a pencil I can borrow? I lost mine.” Lost pencils are a real problem in elementary classrooms and can distract from valuable instructional time. Teachers are constantly trying to come up with solutions like the one in the video. Teachers from the local elementary school would like their students to be able to more easily identify and take responsibility for their pencils.
  3. Guide the students to construct a question similar to, “How can we design, manufacture, and market a product that will help students keep track of their pencils?”
  4. Set up a table or display of various 3-D printed objects for students to view and handle. Optional: run a 3-D printer so students can observe it in operation.
  5. Ask the students, “What is 3-D printing?” Share and discuss slides 1–4 of the Pencil Toppers Slides.
  6. Ask the students, “How have you seen 3-D printing technology put to use?” Watch the video embedded on slide 5.
  7. Provide access to the 10 Surprising Ways 3-D Printing Is Being Used Now Article. As students read, have them consider the following questions (slide 6):
    • What are other ways 3-D printers are being used in the world?
    • What potential benefits from 3-D printing technology could you see in your life?
  8. Have students do a Peanut Butter and Jelly Pair and Share (slide 7):
    1. Students pair up. One partner is Peanut Butter, the other is Jelly.
    2. Peanut Butter shares what they learned and how it could be beneficial in their life.
    3. Jelly shares what they learned and how it could be beneficial in their life.
  9. Have students share with the class what they learned about 3-D printing and how it could benefit their lives (slide 8).

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