The Fab-in-a-Box Lesson Collection serves as an excellent starting point for introducing the Fab-in-a-Box cart to both learners and educators. This collection of engaging lessons is designed to get everyone started with digital fabrication, using the cart’s 3D printer, laser cutter, and vinyl cutter. For xDesign How-To Videos Click Here!
Fab-in-a-Box Automata: Deep Dive
This lesson introduces learners to the fascinating world of automata; kinetic sculptures powered by simple mechanical systems. Through hands-on fabrication using laser cutters, vinyl cutters, and 3D printers, learners will…
Fab-in-a-Box Casting & Molding: Deep Dive
Learners will design a two-part, two-step mold from scratch using a blank xDesign template.
Fab-in-a-Box 3D Printed Trick Dice: Deep Dive
Learners will be designing dice that roll unfairly, on purpose! They’ll be using xDesign to engineer internal features that shift the weight of a die, affecting how it rolls.
Fab-in-a-Box Spinning Tops: Deep Dive
Learners will experiment with physics while designing and fabricating a custom modular spinning top with interchangeable parts.
about Fab-in-a-box
Fab-in-a-Box provides an affordable, turnkey solution that includes all necessary tools, materials, and comprehensive teacher guides. Optimized for various settings—classrooms, after school programs, clubs, scouting groups, summer camps, museums, libraries, and community centers—this curriculum empowers users to dive into the world of digital fabrication with confidence and ease.
IN THIS COLLECTION
The Fab-in-a-Box Lesson Collection offers three distinct engagement levels, making it adaptable across various formal and informal contexts, regardless of the audience’s age. Each level is designed to cater to different time constraints and ability levels, with handouts generally provided for all. The Exposure level requires the lightest effort and shortest time, with many pre-supplied files and materials. The Engagement level involves a medium effort, longer duration, or more advanced concepts, with adjustable files for parametric design. The Deep Dive level demands the most effort and longest duration, often spanning multiple sessions with minimal or no pre-supplied files, and may include multiple parts. Activities include vinyl cutting for stickers and paper pop-ups, laser cutting for invention kits, stamps, and botanical presses, and 3D printing for spinning tops, dice, and casting & molding projects. Some activities, like automata and gliders, utilize a combination of tools, ensuring a comprehensive hands-on learning experience.
xDesign how-to videos
Explore our collection of concise how-to videos on designing in SOLIDWORKS xDesign for the Fab-in-a-Box cart. These videos, which can be paired with the Fab-in-a-Box lessons, provide practical guidance for both learners and instructors. Watch the videos here.
Geometric Light Art
In this 3-hour lesson, students design and create layered geometric paper artwork enhanced with a simple LED circuit. Using Inkscape, students construct simple geometric compositions such as circles, polygons,…
November 27, 2025
Verb Tenses
This lesson has been designed for students to work in learning centers. Four centers where kids are going to improve writing skills through different activities and work independent with the…
November 9, 2025
Kinetic Stories: Bringing Art to Life with Simple Machines
This lesson invites students to merge creativity, storytelling, and engineering through the design of a moving automata. Students explore how art and motion can work together to express ideas, emotions,…
November 7, 2025
RulCompass = Ruler + Compass
This is a prototype of a mathematical tool designed using Digital Fabrication for Students. When teaching Geometrical Construction to 13-year-olds, students typically need to purchase a compass, which can…
November 5, 2025
Decimals (Rounding off)
In this lesson, students explore rounding off decimals using number lines. In the past, number lines was drawn on the whiteboard to help students visualise rounding positions. To enhance…
November 3, 2025
The Art of Tessellations
In this art lesson, students are introduced to the concept of tessellations through the works of M.C. Escher. They learn how repeating shapes can fit together without gaps or overlaps,…
November 3, 2025
Armenian History: Easy with FabLab
During the lesson, students consolidate their previously acquired knowledge. For this purpose, a puzzle map is used, marking the regions of Great Hayq, an ancient Armenian province. This activity emphasizes…
November 2, 2025
Vector Addition with Laser Cutting
[PRE-CLASS] Cut pieces with laser cutter; vectors should be cut from 3.15mm Trotec MDF, while board can be assembled with either 3.15mm or 6.25mm Trotec MDF. Review 2D vectors with…
November 1, 2025
The Workings of Mechanisms
Students will be able to experiment with different kinds of mechanisms and observe how their different pieces interact and work together.
October 31, 2025
Mapping Canadian History Through Borders
In this lesson, students will explore the evolution of Canadian borders from 1837 to the present day through an interactive mapping game. Using a stencil of Canada, they will visualize…
October 31, 2025
Protect our teeth
Understand the structure of your teeth and develop good habits to take care of them.Caring for your teeth should start with daily habits, developing good practices for using and protecting…
October 29, 2025
Drawing techniques: Orthographic projection
Students learn to draw orthographic projections using the three principal views of an object (front, top and right side view). We use the glass-box concept to show how views are…
October 26, 2025
Eco Spectroscope – See Quantum Fingerprints of Light
Participants will learn about spectroscopy and the significance of spectra in understanding light and matter. They will observe how different light sources such as natural light, LEDs, and oil lamp…
September 22, 2025
Recycling Paper into Art & Decoration
In this lesson, students explore sustainability by recycling paper into art and decoration. They begin by discussing the importance of recycling and selecting paper as their focus, then practice sorting,…
September 22, 2025
Bag Tags with Inkscape and xTool
Students will create a bag tag. Students will use Inkscape to create a design to engrave on a 3×3 shape of their choice. Students will make provision for a hole…
September 19, 2025
FCH – Clayprinting
The “Clayprinting” activity is part of the FabConnectHer project, which supports young women to build skills, get inspired, and find opportunities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and maths). In…
September 17, 2025STANDARDS-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.