3D Printed Animal Tracks

What To Do

Set Up: Animal Tracking Activity 

You want to set up some signs of selected animals in the tracking area as follows:

1. Lay out the fake pond in a flat area. This is a blue piece of tarp with painted shadows of fish and turtles. Use snow or rocks to anchor the pond in place.

Around the pond, put out signs for:

• Beavers: Place the beaver tracks near to the edge of the pond and put out the gnawed branch.
• Canada Goose: Put the goose tracks and some feathers near the pond.

1. Hang up the “forest” on a fence or piece of playground equipment using clothespins.

Near the forest put out signs for:

• Deer: Place the deer tracks and clay scat.
• Coyote: Place the coyote tracks.

1. Try to find a tree in the area you have selected. If there is not a tree, you could place these items near the forest instead.

Around the tree put out signs for:

• Squirrels: At the base of the tree put out the pinecones.

1. If possible, place the raccoon tracks near a trash can. You could also put some garbage (cans or wrappers) on the ground - Remember to pick up and throw out any garbage before you leave.
2. Place the cat tracks near the school.

Depending on the school area and how many people are using the tracking area, you may want to hold off setting up the animal signs until just before you are ready to do this activity with students. This will ensure that items aren’t moved, taken, or thrown out prior to the activity being completed. If you have multiple volunteers, one could head out shortly before the students to set out the items.

 

Activity 1: Animal Signs 

• Discuss the different types of animals that participants see on a daily basis or have seen in their neighbourhoods, schools and parks 
  • If students name an animal that you have a plastic toy or picture for attach the picture to the wall/whiteboard 
• Work through the sign cards one at a time and match them to the animals you displayed earlier. You can also use the physical items from Activity #2. 
• Go through the answers to see if they're correct. 

Activity 2: Animal Tracking 

• Discuss the tracks participants might find in the area you will be doing the hunt in and discuss what observation is in science and how it might be useful to them. 
• Take participants outside to make observations and record their findings with the worksheet. 
  There are 2 versions of how to conduct this activity based on age and grade range. Check the manual for the version that applies to the grade range you are working with. 

Activity 3: Photogrammetry and Track Scanning 

• Discuss the animal tracks, 3D printing and photogrammetry. 
• Give participants blocks to rebuild original structure to replicate what the photogrammetry software does. 
• Use completed block models in the kit to show groups if they were correct. 
• As participants are working on rebuilding the structure, open this link https://3dtracks.weebly.com/explore-tracks.html (or you can Google “The 3d animal tracks project” and select the “Explore Tracks” tab)
• Show the track database to participants 
• Pass around different animal tracks for participants to look at 
• Click “Visualize track in 3D” (under the animal name) to look at a digital 3D model of a track. The second “Coyote (on mud)” track at the following link is very clear and a good one to show: https://myhub.autodesk360.com/ue280a418/g/shares/SHabee1QT1a327cf2b7a0e71c7b891140711?viewState=NoIgbgDAdAjCA0IIQOwE4CmAjGBjAtFmgMwAc%2BALKQGbH4CGF91%2BpKpArByhr7jFhABdIA

Activity 4: 3D Printing 

• Discuss how 3D printers work and pass around some 3D printed tracks for participants to observe. 
• If 3D printer is available, show how it works by laying down the image layer by layer 
• If 3D printer isn't available, show the following YouTube videos 
  • This is a slow-motion video of the printer laying down the plastic. You don’t have to show the whole thing but you can point out the nozzle where the plastic comes out of, and show how the nozzle moves to create the shape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=illOPAdryf0 (You can also Google “Youtube Slow-Motion 3D Printing” and select the video with a red gear shaped object in the thumbnail).
  • This is a good video to show how the printer prints layer by layer to build an object. This video is sped-up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePtUAf1iKfw (You can also Google "YouTube Fast Forward 3D Printing An Owl" and select the video with a bright green object shaped like an owl's stomach). 
• Give out a syringe, small ball of playdough and task card to each group and let participants try to be a 3D printer.
•  Explain to participants to pull out middle part of syringe (called plunger), make a sausage shape with their playdough and put it inside the hollow part of the syringe (barrel). Then put the plunger back into the barrel of the syringe. 
• Discuss other uses for 3D printer