Fifth grade art students have created virtual 3D models of hot-air balloons with Sketch Up for Schools computer-aided design (CAD) software on Chromebooks. Students drew flat shapes on a vertical rectangular plane to make a half-profile of a balloon. To create the 3D form of the balloon and basket, they spun the half-profile with the “follow me” tool around the path of a circle which was drawn on the ground (perpendicular to the half-profile). Students made copies of their balloons and colored them. The groups of balloons were positioned as though they were floating in the sky. Steps in the construction of the balloons are shown below in a CAD design by Nicolas Ford, whose final work also appears here.
Sixth grader Jac Dupree has made a Tinkercad model that is similar to Aztec pyramids with two temples on top. The computer-aided design model and the 3D print of the pyramid are shown here.
