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Stage 01 of 04 · Explorer

Make It Real: Tinkercad + Print

From browser to a thing in your hand.

3D / CAD

Ages
9 – 13
Duration
6 weeks
Prereq
Parent-managed Tinkercad account if under 13.

What students learn

How to model a 3D object in a browser, export it, and print it (or send it to a library/maker-space to print). The whole pipeline: idea → CAD → STL → slicer → printer → tangible thing.

Comfort with 3D space and the digital-to-physical workflow. Students will know what a slicer does, why supports exist, and what “tolerance” means — the difference between a print that fits and one that doesn’t.

Module-by-module

  1. Tinkercad orientation

    Shapes, workplanes, drag and align. Keychain with your name.

  2. Holes, groups, combine

    Subtract and combine. A pencil holder.

  3. Measure twice

    Units, sizing, tolerances. Phone stand sized to a real phone.

  4. Codeblocks intro

    Block-coded parametric shapes. A customizable name tag.

  5. Print prep

    Slicer, supports, infill, layer height. First STL ready.

  6. Showcase print

    Pick a useful object. Printed and held.

What they make

Three printed objects, at least one useful to a family member.

Walk away with

Comfort with 3D space. The CAD → STL → slice → print pipeline. The difference between digital design and physical reality.

Free resources we recommend

  1. Tinkercad

    The de-facto K-8 CAD; runs on a Chromebook.

    Built and maintained by Autodesk.

    Browser CAD + interactive Starters

  2. Bambu Lab Academy

    Best “what actually happens when you press print” curriculum.

    Engineer-produced courses from a top 3D printer manufacturer.

    Short video lessons + text

  3. Thingiverse Education

    Ready-to-teach lesson plans tied to printable objects.

    MakerBot/UltiMaker; community-contributed.

    Downloadable lesson plans

Honorable mentions

Next step

C11 Engineering with CAD — real parametric CAD with Fusion or Onshape.

Back to the course catalog