The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Creating an Avatar Using TinkerCAD

Creating An Avatar Using TinkerCAD

Grades 6-8th

Author Derek Thomas

Date 10 Apr 2023

Notes for teachers

This lesson is designed to get students familiar with using tinkercad and how combining different shapes make a new object.

List of Materials

• Computers with internet access
• Tinkercad accounts for each student (if your school does not have Tinkercad accounts for students, you can create a free teacher account and create student accounts within it)

Standards

Arizona Educational Technology Standards

Standard 3. Knowledge Constructor -

Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts, and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.

6-8.3.d. Students explore real world problems and issues and actively pursue solutions for them.

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Standards

Arizona Educational Technology Standards

Standard 4. Innovative Designer - Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.

6-8.4.a. Students engage in a design process for generating and testing ideas and developing innovative products to solve problems.

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Objectives:

• Students will learn how to create a 3D avatar using Tinkercad.
• Students will develop their digital design skills.

Students will explore the concept of avatars and the role they play in digital media.

Agenda (120 minutes)

Day 1:

1. Introduction: Start by asking students what they know about avatars. What are they? Where do we see them? How do we use them? Record their responses on the board.
2. Demonstration: Explain to students that they will be creating their own 3D avatar using Tinkercad. Demonstrate how to use Tinkercad by showing them a pre-made avatar and pointing out the different shapes used to create it.
3. Practice: Give students time to practice using Tinkercad by having them create a simple 3D object such as a cube or cylinder. Encourage them to experiment with different shapes and colors.
4. Assignment: Assign students to create a sketch of their own avatar, including the colors and shapes they will use to create it.

Day 2:

1. Review: Begin by reviewing the concepts and skills learned in the previous class.
2. Creation: Give students time to create their avatars using Tinkercad. Circulate around the room to provide guidance and answer questions.

Day 3

1. Reflection: After students have finished creating their avatars, have them reflect on the process. What was easy or difficult about creating their avatar? Did their avatar turn out the way they imagined it would? What changes would they make if they had more time?
2. Have students share their avatars with the class. Encourage them to explain the design choices they made and why they chose them.

Intro

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Have you ever designed an avatar either based on yourself or a fictional person. Draw a 2D sketch of their avatar design and then create that design in 3D using Tinkercad.

Driving question: Can you make something that is 2D and convert it into a 3D version, What would it look like and how can you use it in a real world setting?

Hands-on Activity Instructions

I Do:

1. Introduce the lesson by displaying a completed car model.
2. Ask students to identify the different parts of the car, such as the wheels, body, windows, and doors.
3. Open Tinkercad on your computer and create a new design.
4. Begin creating a car by starting with a box shape for the body.
5. Demonstrate how to add wheels to the car by creating cylinders and positioning them underneath the body.
6. Show how to add details to the car, such as windows and doors, by using shapes like rectangles and cylinders.
7. Once the car is complete, show how to group all the shapes together to make the car a single object.

You Do:

1. Have students open Tinkercad and create a new design.
2. Instruct them to create a car following the steps you demonstrated in the "I do" portion of the lesson.
3. Allow students to work on their own for a set amount of time, checking in periodically to answer questions and offer guidance.

We Do:

1. After students have had time to work on their own, bring the class back together and have students share their car designs with the class.
2. Encourage students to identify similarities and differences between their designs, and offer feedback to one another.
3. Ask students to reflect on the design process and share what they learned about using Tinkercad to create 3D models.

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Assessment

Assess students' understanding and application of Tinkercad and the concept of avatars by having them complete a short quiz or worksheet. You can also assess their avatar designs based on creativity, use of different shapes, and overall design.

Overall, this lesson plan will introduce students to the concept of avatars and provide them with hands-on experience creating their own avatar using Tinkercad. It will also help them develop their digital design skills and encourage them to think about the role of avatars in digital media.

Differentiation

Decide whether you’d like to base your avatar on yourself or a fictional character. You’ll work individually to describe your character’s physical traits, using a dictionary or thesaurus to find creative adjectives or new vocabulary words that describe your avatar’s appearance. Then you’ll share the traits you described with your teacher or classmates. Check in with students as they work to see if any are struggling.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

1. Extension: For students who finish early, provide an activity such as creating a scene for their avatar to be in or adding accessories to their avatar.