3-D Printer Products | PreK-12 Books & Hands-on Learning | Free Resources & PDF Tool

3-D printers play an integral role in the hands-on learning process and are a key resource for students in Makerspaces, media centers, and science labs. Students can create models, prototypes, and designs for projects in various subjects, like science, math, language arts, and geography. These printers help students turn the theoretical into the tangible, creating designs from conception to printing into actual objects. This process engages critical skills necessary for young learners to flourish, such as creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking. 3-D printers can be used in projects for a variety of different subjects, including: 

Design and Engineering: Students can concept, design, and print prototypes of inventions and mechanical devices, enabling them to test and refine their ideas through the process of creation. They can also build practical models of bridges, towers, and buildings to test principles such as stability and load distribution. 

Science: Students can bring to life subjects like anatomy with models of organs, bones, and the body systems. They can also create models and devices to test and demonstrate scientific concepts like gravity and friction. 

Mathematics and Geometry: 3-D printers greatly enhance education in mathematics and geometry. Students can print models of geometric shapes, such as hexagons and polyhedras, to study concepts like surface area, symmetry, and volume. They can also create 3-D models of mathematical functions and equations.

Arts and Literature: Student artists use 3-D printers to create art projects that would be difficult or impossible to make by hand, including intricate sculptures and intertwining forms, removing restrictions on their imagination.