📋 Day 1 — Introduction to 3D Printing
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GCI 3D Printing Lab · 90-Minute Block

Day 1

Introduction to 3D Printing

Foundations · Printer Demo · MakerWorld Exploration

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⏱ 2 min

Today's Agenda

First Half (~40 min)

  • What is 3D printing?
  • How FDM works
  • Design → Slice → Print workflow
  • Watch the printer overview video
  • Printer parts overview

After Break (~40 min)

  • 🎓 Teacher demo (printer parts hands-on)
  • Parts matching activity
  • Filament types: PLA vs PETG
  • Explore MakerWorld
  • Exit ticket
🧠 Brain break at approximately the 40-minute mark
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⏱ 2 min

I Can…

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⏱ 4 min
🤔 Warm-Up

Think About This…

"Have you ever seen something that was 3D printed? What was it?
How do you think it was made — layer by layer?"

💬 Turn and talk with the person next to you for 60 seconds, then share out.

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⏱ 5 min

What is 3D Printing?

  • Additive manufacturing — material is added, not cut away
  • Builds objects layer by layer from the bottom up
  • Uses a digital 3D model as the blueprint
  • Most common type for beginners: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
  • The printer melts plastic and deposits it in precise paths
🏗️

Think of building a skyscraper one floor at a time — except the "floors" are 0.2 mm thin layers of plastic.

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⏱ 5 min

How FDM Works

1

Filament Loaded

Plastic spool feeds into extruder

→
2

Nozzle Heats

Plastic melts (200–280°C)

→
3

Layer Deposited

Melted plastic laid on build plate

→
4

Layer Cools

Plastic hardens and bonds

→
5

Repeat

Hundreds of layers = finished object

⚠️ Most prints use hundreds to thousands of layers — each one only 0.1–0.3 mm thick
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⏱ 3 min

Design → Slice → Print

1

Design

Create model in
Tinkercad / download from MakerWorld

→
2

Slice

Open in Bambu Studio — set settings, generate G-code

→
3

Print

Send to Bambu printer — monitor first layer

📌 You will repeat this workflow every single day for the rest of the lab. It is THE pipeline.
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⏱ 10 min
▶ Play Video

Printer Overview Video

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⏱ 3 min
📚 Vocabulary

Key Terms — Printer Parts

Extruder Grips and pushes filament into the hot nozzle. If it slips or jams, the filament stops feeding.
Nozzle The metal tip that melts filament and deposits it. Temperature matters — too cold = clog, too hot = stringing.
Build Plate / Print Bed The flat surface where your print is built. Must be clean and level for the first layer to stick.
Bed Leveling Ensuring the nozzle is the right distance from the plate across its whole surface. Bambu printers do this automatically.
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⏱ 3 min

Key Printer Parts

  • Nozzle — Melts & places filament (most common failure point)
  • Extruder — Pushes filament toward the nozzle
  • Build plate — Print surface; must be clean for adhesion
  • Filament spool — Holds the plastic; must feed smoothly
  • X/Y/Z axes — Control movement in three directions
🖨️

During the demo you'll see all of these parts in action on a real Bambu printer.

⏩ Coming up: Brain Break, then Teacher Demo
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🧠
Brain Break!
Stand up, move around, reset your focus
10:00
🚶 Walk a lap around the room
🤸 10 jumping jacks
💬 Chat with a neighbor about something non-class related
🧘 Deep breaths + shoulder rolls
↺ Restart timer
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⏱ 1 min
🎓 Teacher Demo

Gather Around the Printer

🖨️

Close your laptops — watch the real thing

Pull your chairs forward or gather near the demo printer

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⏱ 2 min
🎓 Teacher Demo

Demo Punch List

What we're covering today:

  • Introduce the printer and point out all major parts
  • Explain the extruder — how it grips and feeds filament
  • Explain bed leveling — why the first layer must be at the right distance
  • Show how to properly align the bed plates — correct placement vs. common mistakes
  • Demonstrate safe startup and basic operating procedures
  • Point out what students should watch for during a print
  • Emphasize correct handling — never touch the hot nozzle, hold plate by edges
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⏱ 5 min
🎓 Teacher Demo

The Extruder

What it does

  • Grips the filament with a drive gear
  • Pushes filament into the heated nozzle at a controlled rate
  • Controls how much material is deposited per movement

What to show students

  • Point to the extruder housing on the printer
  • Show where filament enters and exits
  • Demonstrate what a clog looks like (extruder moves, nothing comes out)
  • Show proper vs. improper filament loading angle
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⏱ 5 min
🎓 Teacher Demo

Bed Leveling

Why it matters

  • Nozzle must be the same distance from the plate everywhere
  • Too close → nozzle drags through plastic, clogs
  • Too far → filament falls instead of sticking
  • A bad first layer = a failed print

On a Bambu printer

  • Automatic bed leveling happens before every print
  • The printer probes multiple points on the plate
  • Creates a mesh map of the surface
  • Adjusts Z height dynamically during the first layer
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⏱ 3 min
🎓 Teacher Demo

Bed Plate Alignment

✅ Correct placement

  • Plate sits flat and is fully seated on the magnetic base
  • No gaps between plate and frame
  • Plate does not rock or shift when touched
  • Handle plate by the edges only — fingerprints = poor adhesion

❌ Common mistakes

  • Plate is tilted or partially lifted at one edge
  • Plate has residue or oils from fingers
  • Plate removed and reinserted upside-down
  • Wrong type of plate used for the filament
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⏱ 8 min
🎯 Student Work

Parts Matching Activity

On your student page (day1.html) → Part 3:

  • Match each printer part to its function using the dropdowns
  • You need at least 3/4 correct to unlock the next section
  • Use what you saw in the demo — not Google
💡 Hint if stuck: Think about what each part physically touches — filament? the plate? the air?
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⏱ 2 min
📚 Vocabulary

Key Terms — Filament

Filament The plastic wire that a 3D printer melts and deposits. Comes on spools, usually 1.75 mm diameter.
PLA Most common beginner filament. Made from plant-based materials. Easy to print; lower heat resistance.
PETG Tougher, more heat-resistant than PLA. Harder to print with but better for parts that need durability.
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⏱ 4 min

PLA vs PETG

✅ PLA — Use for most projects
  • 🟢 Easy to print — fewer settings to worry about
  • 🟢 Low warping — great first layer adhesion
  • 🟢 Many colors available
  • 🟡 Lower heat resistance (softens ~60°C)
  • 🟡 Less flexible — can be brittle
🔵 PETG — Use when you need toughness
  • 🟢 Stronger and more flexible than PLA
  • 🟢 Higher heat resistance (~80°C)
  • 🟢 Good for functional parts
  • 🔴 More challenging to print — stringier
  • 🔴 Needs higher temperatures & slower speeds
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⏱ 8 min
🎯 Student Work

Explore MakerWorld

Part 6 on the student page:

  • Go to makerworld.com — browse freely
  • Find a model you'd actually want to print
  • Paste the URL in the text box on the student page
  • Write a short note about why you chose it
💡 Categories to explore: tools, toys, school items, art, practical prints, keychains
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⏱ 3 min
✅ Check for Understanding

Quick Check

  1. What does the extruder do? (Don't say "it extrudes.")
  2. What happens to a print if the bed isn't level?
  3. What's the difference between PLA and PETG? When would you choose each?
  4. Put the three steps in order: Print → Design → Slice
  5. Where does the model file come from before you slice it?
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⏱ 2 min

Exit Ticket & Submit

Before you leave:

  • Part 7 on student page — click Generate My Responses
  • Paste output into your Digital Notebook in Google Classroom
  • Click Mark Complete on Part 7

Tomorrow: Day 2

  • Bambu Studio — the slicing software
  • You'll take your model from today and prepare it for printing
  • Remember your MakerWorld model URL!
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📋 Speaker Notes — Day 1