Fifth grade students at Mt. Vernon used the 3D printer and Google Earth to investigate the size of the solar system. First, the students used Google Sheets to collect data about the actual size of the sun and planets and distance of each from the sun. They then decided on a scale for their model, which had to be small enough to fit in the 3D printer. Once they chose the scale, they learned to write formulas in Google Sheets to fill in the rest of the data. Next, the students designed scale models of each planet in Tinkercad and printed them. Finally, the students used Google Earth to plot the scaled distance between the model sun (located in their classroom) and each planet. They presented their findings and models to the other 5th graders and the 1st grade class. (The presentation looked great on the new Promethean touch screens!)
Submitted by Caroline Karnes, GT Teacher Mt Vernon Elementary School
