Using A 3D Pen To Learn Science
I was given an Atmosflare 3D pen for review purposes and was compensated for writing this post. However, all opinions are mine.
I feel I am successful as a home educator when my children/students can explain what they have learned to me in their own words. This shows that they have understood the lesson. I feel even better when they can show me what they have learned and how it applies to the real world.
In the past, the kids have used clay models of hearts and neurons to show structure and how each works. They have, also, designed experiments to show they understand a concept and to test their ideas further. Our latest tool to help the kids demonstrate what they have learned is the 3D pen.
3D Pens
Recently, we were sent an Atmosflare 3D pen to try out. I’ve been drooling over 3D pens for a while and, until now, I never thought I’d be able to afford one. (The predecessors to the Atmosflare were a bit pricey.) Nevertheless, I was dying to try one out. The ability to take drawings and lift them off the paper and make them have 3 dimensions seemed incredible to me.
My first thoughts about 3D pens were “Wow! That’s cool!” But when my initial geeky fangirl response wore off, I started thinking about how we could use one in our homeschool – science modeling, experiments, and art.
Science Models With 3D Pens
There are so many options when it comes to creating with the Atmosflare 3D pen. You can start by choosing from 12 different colors of ink. Then, the only limit is your imagination.
We have been studying ecosystems with Nancy Larson Science with my son. He’s been learning about the different organisms that live in difference ecosystems and why. He demonstrated that he was learning by creating a giraffe and a small tree with a 3D pen.
We’ve, also, been learning about design and function. The Atmosflare 3D pens allowed us to create some objects, such as this chair, so that we could study it better. By doing this, we were able to get a more accurate idea of how this chair design would work in the real world. A much better option that building a full sized chair.
More About Atmosflare
The Atmosflare 3D pen has been lots of fun to use and I can see us using it a lot more in the future. It does have a learning curve and the kids were frustrated at first, but we eventually got the hang of it. Just like any tool, it does take some finesse and practice. The trick is to go slow and controlled.
It comes with 2 containers of ink. I would recommend buying a couple more ink refils. You will use a lot of ink at first just learning to use the pen.
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