Tinkercad

A wise person once told me, “You learn science by doing science!”  This mantra is true at every level. This makes the tools that you use with your class a critical component of the activity.  A utility that can be used across all grade levels to illustrate the physical composition of shapes and objects is Tinkercad. This application is excellent and was created by the company behind AutoCAD, one of the most used 3D modeling software in manufacturing.  The tool is completely FREE to use and has a large warehouse of basic shapes to get a designer started. However, it goes beyond just designing objects. Tinkercad allows designers to build objects in 3D space, with LEGO bricks, Minecraft-like blocks, and electric circuits.  The amount of options available on this tool are amazing, and did I mention that it’s completely FREE? If you think all of that is great, there’s still more! Tinkercad has a library of lessons for educators and students to learn how to use all of the tools and integrate them into a classroom environment.  They also have a repository of resources for teachers to use and effectively use Tinkercad. But wait, there’s still more! Tinkercad works with 3D printers to allow for the printing of the objects designed! Taking the learning off the screen and into the hands of students. This tool has so much to offer STEM classes that I would highly recommend checking it out.  Let’s build!