This collection of lessons from Intermediate Unit One combines elements of digital fabrication with mental health wellness supports for all students.
Mini LED Flashlight
Students will design and fabricate their very own mini LED flashlights! Students will create a case that fits all of the internal components of the flashlight. This can be done using…
REMIX: MP3 SPEAKER + MENTAL HEALTH
Students will be given an amplifier/speaker kit to assemble and solder. Students will also create a casing for this circuit system. This can be achieved by using the step-by-step tutorial…
Personalized Rally Towels
Students will create a personalized rally towel that contains at least one image and a name. This can be done using the step-by-step tutorial design that follows, or by creating their…
IN THIS COLLECTION
Intermediate Unit One is committed to improving the educational outcomes of children and adolescents who experience mental health needs by providing both targeted and general mental health wellness activities in classrooms, including FabLab classrooms.
General mental health supports are provided in each lesson so that any digital fabrication instructor can incorporate mental wellness strategies.
about intermediate unit one
Intermediate Unit One (IU1) is a regional education service agency that strives to provide educational support to students, parents, educators, administrators, and communities throughout southwestern Pennsylvania. IU1 operates two campus schools which house digital fabrication labs designed to serve students with severe mental health needs. IU1 is committed to providing the highest level of emotional health care through unique social work opportunities within their fabrication labs.
Mental health wellness and DIGITAL FABRICATION
Good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. The World Health Organization states that worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders. Neuropsychiatric conditions are the leading cause of disability in young people in all regions. If untreated, these conditions severely influence children’s development, their educational attainments and their potential to live fulfilling and productive lives. Visit the World Health Organization for more: https://www.who.int/mental_
A Sustainable Living – Autobiography of a recycled object
This Primary 3 English lesson is aligned with the Ministry of Education (Singapore) STELLAR (Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading) approach and integrates Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) through the theme sustainable living.…
February 24, 2026
Eco-Fair Project
Lesson Summary: Eco Fair Design Project The Eco Fair Design Project is a five-week sustainability-focused design challenge in which students work collaboratively to research, design, and build a physical prototype…
February 17, 2026
Fabricating Musical Instrument
Students will design and construct a working musical instrument, either digital or analog. by combining fabrication technologies (3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking) with sustainable or upcycled materials. They will do…
February 16, 2026
Emotion box – An Inclusive SEL System
Overview Designed by Grades 7–9 students Created for Grades 1–4 students Supports Emotional Regulation through guided breathing Aligned with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) How It Works Box includes emotion buttons:…
February 15, 2026
Accessible Museums: Tactile and Object Based Exhibit Exploration
This lesson is written for High School aged learners interested in museum studies, accessibility, and/or education. It is written for use in a multi-day museum classroom context, but can be…
February 10, 2026
Digital Storytelling – Sequencing of Events Using Scratch Platform
In this lesson, the students use Scratch to create and sequence digital story scenes in pair. Through this hands-on activities, students practice using time connectives (First, Next, Then, Finally) and…
February 7, 2026
Four Tiered Code & Stitch Making Activity
This is an activity that can be conducted in makerspace for interested students. Students with different level of coding experiences will be able to find suitable levels of task to…
January 21, 2026
Bright Ideas: Lighting Up Art Through the Design Process
Students design and build a functional paper-based electrical circuit using copper tape, LEDs, and coin cell batteries. The circuit is integrated into an original artwork (symbol, illustration, or abstract design).…
January 19, 2026
Traffic Light Centers
As education assistants in the elementary school setting, we frequently observe students’ need to confirm that their work aligns with the parameters and expectations established by the teacher. However, these…
January 10, 2026
Creatures from the Island of Corso 3.0
This creative STEM and maker-based lesson is inspired by the book Criaturas da Ilha de Corso, written by Angela Lago, José Roberto Torero, and Pedro Hamdan das Pedras. In the…
January 4, 2026
Transport for Lucia the Snail
This hands-on STEM workshop is inspired by the children’s book Lúcia Já Vou Indo, written and illustrated by Maria Heloísa Penteado. In the story, Lucia is a snail who is…
January 4, 2026
Lights, camera… action!
This is a lesson where students explore circuits, storytelling principles and build a scenario to present their story. The idea is that a group of students imagine and create a…
January 2, 2026
New Year Greetings with electronics
The main goal of this lesson is to create a simple electrical Christmas toy that lights up when pressed. During this lesson, we’ll explore simple electrical circuits, how they…
December 28, 2025
Emotions in Motion – مشاعر في حركة
This session explores the role of emotions and how they can be expressed through colors, shapes, and sounds. Children engage in an interactive activity using the Makey Makey electronic kit…
December 17, 2025
Awarness Card – بطاقــة توعويـــــة
During this workshop, participants will assemble a simple circuit using conductive tape and chibitronics LED. Participants will learn about sustainability and awareness about energy conservation. خلال هذه الورشة، سيقوم…
December 17, 2025
AI Storytelling – سرد القصص بالذكاء الاصطناعي
In this workshop participants are going to be introduced to AI & Storytelling, they will use Yarn platform that utilizes AI features to make a story about empowering women in…
December 16, 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.