This collection of lessons from Intermediate Unit One combines elements of digital fabrication with mental health wellness supports for all students.

INTERMEDIATE UNIT ONE COLLECTION

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_health/en/

RECENT COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTED LESSONS

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
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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
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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
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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
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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, 2023

MakeyMakey Inventor Biography Bottle

Students will choose a scientist or inventor from the past or present to research in order to write an informational report.  While the students are progressing through the writing…

September 7, 2023

Introduction to 3D Designing with a 3D Pen and Sketchbook

Students will learn the basics of 3D designing and geometry through hands-on activities using a 3D pen and a 3D sketchbook (or folded square papers). They will create simple 3D…

August 14, 2023

A- Frame level for contour Farming

This lesson introduces students to agriculture practices and its benefits. Students will learn about contour farming and vegetable cultivation. When studying contour farming for vegetables, students will gain specific insights…

July 21, 2023

STANDARDS-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.