Young Minds, Big Designs: Equity and Innovation with 3D Printing

Outline

Detailed Session Outline: “Young Minds, Big Designs: Equity and Innovation with 3D Printing”
Total Time: 60 minutes
1. Welcome & Hook (5 minutes)
Content: Open with a student story/example (e.g., Ouchy Stick Design with Tinkercad) connected to an NGSS performance expectation.

Engagement: Quick show of hands — “Who teaches science daily? Who blends science into literacy/math?”

Process: Invite the audience to imagine how design + science could shift their students’ engagement.

2. Why 3D Printing + NGSS? (10 minutes)
Content: Show how 3D printing supports NGSS three dimensions:

Science & Engineering Practices – planning, prototyping, testing, revising

Crosscutting Concepts – structure & function, cause & effect

Disciplinary Core Ideas – connections to life, earth, and physical science phenomena

Engagement: “Turn & talk” — How could 3D design help your students make sense of a science concept instead of just memorizing it?

Process: Facilitator charts responses to connect back later.

3. NGSS in Action: Sample Lesson Walkthrough (15 minutes)
Content: Walk through one NGSS-aligned lesson (e.g., Animal Adaptations: Design a Beak or Earth & Space: Design a Rover Wheel for Mars).

Identify phenomenon (Why do hummingbirds need a special beak? How do wheels handle terrain?)

Map to NGSS Performance Expectations (K-2-ETS1, 3-PS2, etc.)

Highlight SEL links (collaboration, perseverance)

Engagement: Participants sketch a simple design idea responding to the phenomenon.

Process: Table share-out to build a bank of lesson connections.

4. Designing Your Own NGSS + 3D Lesson (20 minutes)
Content: Guide participants through a lesson planning framework:

Step 1: Identify an NGSS Performance Expectation

Step 2: Choose a related phenomenon or problem

Step 3: Outline the design challenge (students create a solution with 3D printing)

Step 4: Embed SEL/Equity practices

Engagement: Small groups select a PE and brainstorm a 3D printing lesson idea.

Process: Use provided Lesson Planning Guide handout. Facilitator circulates and coaches groups.

5. Share & Reflect (5 minutes)
Content: Invite groups to share one lesson idea (rapid-fire).

Engagement: Whole-group reflection on common themes and equity considerations.

Process: Capture ideas on collaborative Padlet or Jamboard.

6. Wrap-Up & Resources (5 minutes)
Content: Revisit key points: NGSS alignment, equity, student agency, SEL integration.

Engagement: Exit ticket — One NGSS concept I’ll now teach differently with 3D printing…

Process: Distribute digital Lesson Plan Guide with examples, rubrics, and resource links.

Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to…

Identify ways to align 3D printing projects with ISTE Standards, SEL competencies, and core content learning goals.

Design a simple 3D printing challenge that fosters creativity, collaboration, and student voice in elementary classrooms.

Apply strategies to ensure equitable access and authentic engagement for diverse learners through hands-on design.

Model how to integrate a cyclical design process (plan, prototype, refine) into instruction with young students.

Access and adapt ready-to-use classroom resources, including lesson examples, rubrics, and student-friendly design templates.

Supporting research

Scholarly & Practitioner Articles
Martin, L., & Dixon, C. (2016). Youth conceptions of making and the maker movement. Harvard Educational Review, 86(2), 504–525.
Explores how making (including 3D printing) promotes creativity, equity, and student agency.

Peppler, K., Halverson, E., & Kafai, Y. (2016). Makeology: Makerspaces as Learning Environments. Routledge.
Foundational work on how maker-centered learning fosters problem-solving, creativity, and SEL.

Bevan, B. (2017). The promise and the promises of making in science education. Studies in Science Education, 53(1), 75–103.
Connects making/3D design directly to NGSS practices and meaningful engagement.

Cohen, J., & Morrison, L. (2019). Using 3D printing in the classroom to promote equity and engagement. Journal of STEM Education, 20(2), 34–42.
Case study showing how 3D printing fosters equitable access to innovation.

Websites & Standards
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). https://www.nextgenscience.org
Anchor standards that align 3D printing with engineering design and crosscutting concepts.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards. https://www.iste.org/standards
Framework supporting innovation, creativity, and equity with digital tools.

3D Printing Industry – Education Section. https://3dprintingindustry.com/education
Ongoing reporting on how 3D printing is transforming K–12 learning worldwide.

Books for Practice
Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2019). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.
A practical guide for teachers bringing 3D printing and making into elementary classrooms.

Clapp, E., Ross, J., Ryan, J., & Tishman, S. (2017). Maker-Centered Learning: Empowering Young People to Shape Their Worlds. Jossey-Bass.
Connects making with equity, student voice, and meaningful problem-solving.

Recognized Expert / Thought Leader
Dr. Kylie Peppler (UC Irvine, expert on equity and creativity in STEM + maker education). https://education.uci.edu/peppler_kylie.php
Widely recognized scholar on how 3D design and making support SEL, creativity, and equity.