Are you a multiple-subjects teacher, a math or computer science teacher, a STEAM specialist, or a librarian with a makerspace? These free ready-to-download design-and-making units are for you! 

Illustration of laptop with MPACT curriculum page

About the Project

Four projects for each grade, 4th–7th with research-based activities

  • Digital or paper booklets for students
  • Detailed teacher guides
  • Digital tools and traditional craft materials for most projects:
    • Free, kid-friendly 3D modeling tool—Tinkercad
    • Low-cost, high-quality 3D printers
    • Quick-dry clay, upcycled cardboard and plastic, etc.
  • Low-tech units do not require digital tools.

 

Infographic of the design process for MPACT

Example from grade 5

Students make a toy with wheels for a younger child. They

1. Learn about the needs of their user

2. Prototype designs with scrap paper and tape

3. Design wheels in Tinkercad and 3D print them

4. Make the rest of the toy with inexpensive or upcycled materials

Give the toy to the child and see if it’s a fun toy to play with!

 

Toy made out of a water bottle and card board.Providing opportunities to: 

  • Learn about volume (math), devising and debugging algorithms (CS), and mental rotation (spatial reasoning) 
  • Develop empathy, through making for another person 
  • Gain workplace-related practices in design and making

 

Key Concepts

MPACT addresses key topics in most state standards for math and national standards for computer science. Students learn concepts and solve problems with real objects they can hold in their hands, not just with words and diagrams on paper. 

 

Ruler

Measuring 3D Shapes

Dimensions

Surface Area

Volume

Math icon symbols
Other Grade-level Math

Ratio and Proportion

Scale

Probability

Numeric and Unit Conversions

Illustration of a brain

Computational Thinking

Debugging Algorithms

Decomposing Problems

Illustration of a cube

Spatial Reasoning

Mental Rotation

Predicting New Shapes

Illustration of people connected in circles

Social & Emotional Learning

Empathy

Perseverance

Light-bulb-Pencil-icon

Workplace Skills

Design Thinking

Additive Manufacturing

MPACT has been a really positive engaging activity to do with the kids in a crazy, crazy time.” 

– Teacher