Education of the future: My first science project on a 3D printer

A decade ago no one could imagine that 3D printing would enter the school settings. Even though it isn’t widely known, there are schoolers who have already made their first science 3D models. The use of this tech in science classes makes students interested in gaining new knowledge better and thus increase their academic progress. The tech serves as a good visualization tool with unlimited potential in STEM classes.

It is crucial for children to get a deeper insight into the functional capabilities of the technology so that they can create something from scratch. This is mainly because 3D printing has all chances to become an inherent component of numerous STEM jobs in next to no time.

Application of 3D Printers in Science Classrooms




In science classes, teachers have always used physical models to teach various abstract notions and phenomena. Such visualization helps students to digest educational materials better.

Nowadays, educators turn to the use of 3D printed elements to teach schoolers something that is very often hard to witness in our daily life. These models give children the chance to observe and interact with the phenomenon or event to understand them better. They provide a deeper insight into their structure peculiarities, make it possible to see how their separate elements interact with each other and allow predicting how they will behave in a real-life environment.

Cost of 3D modeling

3D printing allows creating incredible models at a relatively small cost. While earlier there were only professional engineers who could afford to buy 3D printers coming with a hefty price-tags, nowadays, every school can purchase a small printer for several hundred dollars. This allows teachers to give up on their textbook illustrations, which are not always clear, and expensive physical models and turn to 3D modeling.

There are models used during long-term courses, such as model cells, body organs, atoms, molecules, and so forth. In this case, projecting them is of a great importance. In supply catalogs, their one can find numerous models coming at a relatively high price and thus aren’t considered as worthwhile buys. Their cost may reach a few hundred dollars, while they are useful only for representing a single concept. While some models are widely-used and thus are easy to get, others cost much and thus are not worthwhile to be purchased for a short-term use.

Students’ First Projects on 3D Printers

Even though there are supply catalogs providing ready-to-use projects, everybody can create their own ones. In fact, students involved in creating science 3D models gain invaluable experience. With the specific software, they can design objects, slice them in layers, and then print them layer-by-layer. In school labs, 3D printers are very similar to a toolkit for carpenters. They inspire students’ imagination and creativity, allowing them to construct their own objects for learning about the most diverse concepts.

While earlier students could almost always benefit from the Pro-Papers services when they need someone to do their homework for them, they have no choice but to paddle their own canoe when it comes to 3D modeling. By creating their own models, schoolers train their various mental abilities and skills, including mental aptitude, decision-making, diligence, etc. Children learn how to think outside the box through countless science projects. As they get an assignment from their instructor, they have to decide on how they will design their object. And after days of designing they end up with a complete model.

This way of gaining knowledge motivates young naturalists to study better as they can observe actual results of the made efforts. The printers along with the specific software allow schoolers to design and then print various projects that will encourage them to acquire physics, chemistry, and biology better.

In the nearest future, it will be hard to find a school which doesn’t engage pupils in 3D printing. As their first science projects, children can create protective cases for their phones that will protect their devices from damage in case of accidental drops. Models of atoms, molecules, and crystalline structures will also come to good use for understanding the nature of numerous physical phenomenon and chemical reactions. On courses in biology, schoolers can represent the biomechanics of different insects, create models of human body organs to see how they interact with each other and recreate the structure of plants to observe the process of photosynthesis in details.

Very soon it will be hard to find a school lab without a single 3D printer. With the growing popularity of this technology, an increasing amount of schools across the country want to equip their labs with printers. They encourage students to actively get engaged in education. No matter the discipline, printers find their worth in literally any topic. With their many educational benefits, printers are slowly but steadily becoming an inherent classroom facility.

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