Racing Makers: 3D-Printed Cars Powered by Arduino

Outline

Session Outline (150 words max):

This session introduces the Racing Makers project, where 4th-grade students design, 3D print, and program functional race cars using Tinkercad and Arduino.

Content and Engagement:

Demonstration of completed 3D-printed cars and explanation of design, programming, and sensor integration.

Hands-on activity with a small 3D printer, allowing attendees to print their own vehicles.

Interactive quiz to reinforce STEAM and programming concepts.

Live races of printed and programmed cars to practice problem-solving and collaboration.

Reflection on classroom implementation, sharing resources and strategies.

Process:
Participants engage directly with technology, collaborate peer-to-peer, and apply design thinking. Quizzes and races provide interactive, hands-on learning experiences, encouraging creativity and critical thinking. Attendees leave with practical strategies, ready-to-use activities, and a tangible product they created during the session.

Outcomes

After this session, participants will be able to:

Design and model a functional race car using 3D design software (Tinkercad) considering shape, weight, and aerodynamics.

Program basic movements and sensors on an Arduino microcontroller to control their vehicle.

Apply a hands-on, project-based approach to teaching STEAM concepts such as motion, energy, and problem-solving.

Facilitate collaborative student teams, guiding them to explore creative solutions while considering design constraints and calculated risks.

Develop a classroom framework to implement similar STEAM projects that integrate technology, design thinking, and active learning for elementary students.

Supporting research

Supporting Research / Referencias:

Resnick, M., Maloney, J., Monroy-Hernández, A., et al. (2009). Scratch: Programming for all. Communications of the ACM, 52(11), 60–67. https://cacm.acm.org

Papert, S. (1980). Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. Basic Books.

Honey, M., & Hilton, M. (2011). Learning Science Through Computer Games and Simulations. National Academies Press. https://www.nap.edu

Bequette, J. W., & Bequette, M. B. (2012). A place for art and design education in the STEM conversation. Art Education, 65(2), 40–47.

ISTE Standards for Students. (2022). International Society for Technology in Education. https://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

Martinez, S. L., & Stager, G. (2013). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.

Bers, M. U. (2018). Coding as a playground: Programming and computational thinking in the early childhood classroom. Routledge.

Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating Creativity through Projects, Passion, Peers, and Play. MIT Press.

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., & Freeman, A. (2014). NMC Horizon Report: 2014 K-12 Edition. New Media Consortium. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2014/3/nmc-horizon-report-2014-k12-edition

Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. Innovations: Technology, Governance, Globalization, 7(3), 11–14.