Watch a Video: Dream It, Print It!
Discuss: What uses of 3-D printing do you think are most exciting? Explain.
Students will identify applications of 3-D printing and understand how this technology compares with traditional manufacturing.
Lesson Plan - 3-D Printers Are Changing the World
Learning Objective
Text Structure
Description, Comparison
Content-Area Connections
Technology; Social Studies
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.3, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.6, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.10, L.3.4, SL.3.1
NCSS: Science, Technology, and Society
TEKS: Social Studies 3.16
1. Preparing to Read
Dream It, Print It
Watch a video to learn more about 3-D printers.
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
- prosthetic
- manufacturing
- complex
Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the “As You Read” question. Have students be on the lookout for some ways 3-D printers are different from older printers.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. Why does the article talk about a new school in Malawi? The article talks about the school in Malawi because it is the first school created using 3-D printing. It is an example of one amazing way this technology is being used.
(RI.3.1 DEMONSTRATE UNDERSTANDING)
2. What does Easton LaChappelle mean when he says that 3-D printing has “come a long way”? LaChappelle means that 3-D printing has changed a lot since it was first introduced in the 1980s. For example, it is faster than it used to be.
(RI.3.4 DETERMINE MEANING)
3. According to the article, how are 3-D printers better than old types of manufacturing? The article says that 3-D printing lets people make things as they need them, saving time and money. It also reduces waste and can create complex shapes.
(RI.3.8 COMPARISON)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Vocabulary
Use the skill builder “Use Your Words” to have students explore challenging words from the article.
(RI.3.4 VOCABULARY)
Text-to-Speech