Titoki goes 3D

So it all started with a simple Dogo News article that I gave my top reading group for their weekly text.  We were in the middle of a healthy eating unit and this article about 3D printed food seemed to tick more than one box.

Dogo News Article

My reading group then started getting really into the idea of printing food and this began our long journey.  First we analysed the article! We were shocked to learn about the rapidly increasing population and seemingly decreasing food supply.  This led to a discussion which took many tangents from 'supply and demand' to 'unusual food sources' to 'Global Warming' and then to 'Our Future'.  Suddenly this article had unlocked the many questions and really put my top reading group into the pit - how were they going to get out?

After an in depth discussion about how my Nana would not have made the prediction 80 years ago, that computers would be an everyday technology, the class decided to think about what life would possibly be like in 80 years time.  Looking at the group this would make the average age 87 years old which was the moment it dawned on many of them that they would be living this predicted lifestyle in their old age.

One of my students dads came up with the ideas that we could replicate a 3D food printer by using everyday ingredients.  He discussed this with his daughter and through learning about her learning at school, they came up with a way to demonstrated how a 3D printer would run, to make pizza.  Andrew came into school and with the children he made dough and used a very liquified version of each ingredient to fill a squirty bottle.  The class then took turns at moving their arms in a similar pattern to the printer nozzle of a 3D printer.  The children were so excited that this was essentially how a 3D printer would make food although the ingredients would be derived from protein, carbohydrate and mineral powders.

@rsehji @mrbenbritton @vanschaijik Rm10 @newmarketschool mimicking a #3dprinter making pizza #cantwaitfortherealthing pic.twitter.com/9zmj7SCqcd

— Waveney Bryant (@wavesbryant) April 13, 2015

The Slytherin group then wrote letters to the BOT to outline the pros and cons of 3D printers and we started looking as a class at way we could potentially use a 3D printer at Newmarket School.

We are very excited because our wish has been granted and a 3D printer has kindly been donated to NPS. We are so looking forward to hopefully house this unit in our classroom and explore programmes like sketch up to design and create various items for 3D printing.  Tomorrow at school the group are presenting their learning at the ceremony of the 3D printer presentation and I am so proud of them for all the hard work that they have put into inquiring into 3D printers and making this dream a reality.

Room 10 3D Printing Presentation