Students from Mr. Woger’s fourth grade class presented their findings from their engineering unit, Motion and Design, to the Germantown Board of Education. Here is their presentation:
Stella: Hello…we are some of the students from Mr. Woger’s fourth grade class. We are here to tell you about an exciting learning activity we just finished in science.
Samantha: In December, we started our engineering unit called Motion and Design. We had many design challenges that allowed us to plan, design, create, test, and improve different vehicle models.
Wyatt: As engineering teams, we built our vehicles using K’Nex. We made lunar rovers, different trucks that carried a load, and we even used propellers to move our vehicles.
Michael: However, this year we also explored how to create Computer Aided Designs using TinkerCAD. With TinkerCAD, we combined 3D shapes like cubes and cylinders to create new models.
Casey: This was tricky at first because we had to line up all the shapes on the 3D workplane. We discovered that engineers design most of their prototypes and projects using similar CAD programs.
Addi: We started off by making nametags. This got us used to the program. We then created models that interested us like aerodynamic vehicles, strong buildings, and fun robots.
Avery: We even created objects from books we read and projects that represent The Comet Code like kindness and empathy. Then, Mr. Woger explained that our CAD projects could be made with a 3D Printer. We could actually see and hold our creations.
Ali: However, we did not have a 3D printer to use. Okay…So here comes the exciting part. With the help of our parents, family and community members, our project was funded.
Hannah J: When it arrived, we were all eager to see our first nametag being made. It was amazing to see all the moving parts working together and to see our final print.
Tenley: We discovered how the printer worked and learned all the parts involved like filament, print bed, extruder, and the nozzle. We also explored how to use supports, brims, rims, and rafts.
Aiden: Then, we were introduced to the final step, taking our TinkerCAD files and slicing them. Slicing is the coding language that the printer uses to create our final product. My dad said this is the same process used to design prototypes at Milwaukee Tool where he works.
Izzy: Most of us would go home daily and tell our family how interesting and fun our science was. This even inspired some of our parents to purchase a family 3D Printer, so we could continue to practice our designing at home.
Kinsleigh: As you can see, we loved our engineering unit. We would like to thank our parents, families, and community members like you for your support. This brings us to the end of our presentation. But before we go, we would also like to share some of our amazing designs with you. We all brought in some samples of our work.