Introduction to CAD – Ivaldi Lesson Plan
By Mary Celestin, Intern Ivaldi.
Lesson Overview
Lesson Duration: 2-4 hours
Lesson Level: Introductory, Late Middle School/Early High School
Lesson Topics: On-Demand Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, CAD Design
Lesson Overview: You will go through an opening activity that will teach you the basics of on-demand manufacturing, a brainstorming activity to help you with your design thinking process, and a shoutout to amazing trailblazers in the field. Then you will use TinkerCAD, a free website that lets you learn the basics of CAD. After signing up and going through some introductory lessons, you will choose a project to build a design. Once you’ve completed your project you will download FreeCAD, learn how to use the software, and recreate your project from TinkerCAD in FreeCAD–software that matches professional CAD software more closely than TinkerCAD. By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a good sense of all things Computer Assisted Design!
Lesson Plan
Opening Activity (30-40 minutes)
Learn about On-Demand Manufacturing (20 minutes)
- See Mary’s first blog on “Introduction to On-Demand Manufacturing” – LINK HERE
- Complete the brainstorming activity (10-20 minutes)
- On a piece of paper sketch how you’d design one of the following
- A Wind Farm Blade
- A Boat
- Penny Whistle
- Balloon Powered Car
- Space Station
- Clawbot Scoop
- Sea Craft
- Submarine for Deep Sea Exploration
- Consider dimensions, structural integrity, and the physics involved!! Be creative!!
- On a piece of paper sketch how you’d design one of the following
- Learn about trailblazers in 3D Printing
- 10 Most Influential Women in 3D Printing: LINK HERE
TinkerCAD (40-60 minutes)
- Sign up – LINK HERE
Go through the introductory lessons to learn the TinkerCAD software — work your way through all the tasks by clicking next and continue until you reach the end of the introductory lessons.
Go to “Projects” to select a project to work on. You’ll see that the designs you worked on during the brainstorming session are available projects to design with CAD! Pick a project to work on and have fun with the software until you’re done with the project!
