This collection features lessons that embed digital fabrication technologies into hands-on design activities that center STEM careers. Students can combine real-world problem-solving scenarios and the engineering design process while learning through this transformative toolset about different STEM careers.
Airplane Mechanic
This lesson highlights an example of “Everyday in the life of an Airplane Mechanic”. What kind of work might an Airplane Mechanic do? Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines…
Wearable Device Designer
The teacher will guide students through the design and engineering process by supporting an environment that allows for trial and error, and celebrates iteration. The series is designed for 6th…
Biomedical Engineer
This lesson reflects on “Everyday in the life of a Biomedical Engineer” What does a Biomedical Engineer do? Biomedical Engineer Conduct research, along with life scientists, chemists, and medical scientists,…
STEM Career Pathways
There are many different pathways to STEM careers, and students who explore these possibilities through hands-on digital fabrication lessons can more easily imagine themselves as career professionals. Along with exposure to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics careers, students participating in these lessons will develop STEM skills essential to all careers including creativity, problem-solving, artistic expression, design thinking, collaboration, and resource management.
If you have a career-focused lesson integrating digital fabrication tools, please share it with the community.
LATEST COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTED LESSONS
3D Food Molds
In this workshop, participants are going to learn about the basics of Food Molds creation, how to use the vacuum former and how to create personalized/custom food molds that can…
April 18, 2024
DIY Algae Reactor – مفاعل الطحالب
Celebrate Earth Day with our DIY Algae Reactor Workshop! Designed for teens aged 18-24, this hands-on session explores the science of algae cultivation to boost oxygen production. Participants will build…
April 18, 2024
Plantpedia App
In this workshop, participants are going to learn about the basics of programming and mobile app development. They will be using their knowledge of plants and the environment in addition…
April 2, 2024
Phenology Calendar
Students will learn what phenology is and create an object to record the changes in seasons in their local ecosystem.
March 31, 2024
EmpowerHer: Designing Solutions for Hair Challenges with Tinkercad
In this project, we’ll be exploring the basics of 3D printing using a fantastic tool called Tinkercad. But this is not just any project; it’s a chance for you to…
February 29, 2024
Maker Venn Diagram
Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a leader in science and policy about the Climate Crisis and the health of our oceans. One of her most well known projects is the…
February 28, 2024
143 Binary Beads – Valentine’s Day
In this lesson students will learn a very basic form of computer coding. We will discuss binary code and the basics of how computers communicate. They will create their own…
February 26, 2024
Blossom electronics
Celebrate Women’s Day with an activity inspired by one of the brightest women in science, Katharine Burr Blodgett! This engaging and hands-on electronics activity emphasizes the significance of women and…
February 26, 2024
Understanding Surface Tension, Surfactants, and Polarity
The session aims to understand the work of Agnes Pockels, whose research contributed to our understanding of surface science. It will involve experiments designed to elucidate surface tension, polarity, and…
February 23, 2024
Tactile Assisted Design: Four Forces of Flight
Students who are blind and visually impaired oftentimes can’t participate in computer aided design (CAD) and digital fabrication activities because high detail screen work is a challenge. For those students…
January 31, 2024
CPX Circuit Holder: A Digital Fabrication Project
During this project students will gain knowledge and skills using. 3D printing vinyl cutting block coding playground express circuit They will then apply those skills to design and digitally manufacture…
January 27, 2024
Bee Hotels with 3D Printing and Woodworking
This five-lesson plan aims to engage 9th and 10th-grade students in creating bee-friendly spaces on the school campus by designing and building functional bee hotels. The project combines 3D printing…
January 8, 2024
Decorative Box Lantern
This lesson takes the creative and cultural tradition of lantern making and combines it with a tech-based lesson in digital design and fabrication. Students will use 2D design software to…
December 5, 2023
Theatrical Mask Making
This lesson takes the creative mask making style of a Broadway theater show (think the Lion King) and combines it with a tech-based lesson in digital design and fabrication. Students…
December 5, 2023
Virtual Hispanic Art Gallery
The “Exploring Hispanic Artists from the US” project is designed for middle school students to delve into the world of Hispanic art and culture by researching and creating virtual art…
October 15, 2023
Exploring Innovation and Invention
In this lesson, the students will learn the history of innovations through fun and play. The files for stickers or laser cutting will the attached to this lesson which the…
September 26, 2023STANDARDS-ALIGNED
Community contributed lessons aligned with Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) offer formal educators innovative pathways to teaching content knowledge. The Fab I Can Statements are a resource to develop technology-literate learning progressions to align with content standards.
FAB TESTED
Periodically lessons are adapted and tested by the Fab Foundation team based on a call for submissions from fabbers, educators, and makers. Our inaugural set of lessons for the SCOPES-DF project were Fab Tested in 2016 and are tagged Fab Tested on the website.
OPEN-SOURCE VALUES
Lessons are distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC license, that permits free use and re-purposing by others.