Okay, this is a quick update. After initial design drawings and cardboard prototypes, the marble run pieces have reached the 3D design phase with my 7th graders. Most students used Tinkercad to complete their work, while a couple of them chose Autodesk 123D Design. The actual printing process is going to take some time, but thought I would share a quick gallery of the models.

As these print out, we will send over to the lower school to use on the big wall in the Launch Pad!

Very nice work done by these creative, artistic and diligent 7th graders.

The Magnetic Marble Run wall project is now underway. The official wall, for use by our lower school students (k thru 4) is now mounted just outside the Launch Pad, our lower school makerspace (see first three photos below). 

My 7th grade technology students are in the process of designing new pieces for their lower school friends, building out cardboard and card stock prototypes, and testing out their designs. We have five prototyping walls ready in PIRL for use by the 7th grade. In some of the photos below, 7th graders can be seen testing out their initial pieces, making revisions  based on those tests, and documenting their work along the way. 

Our next and final stage will be to use TinkerCAD to design these same components in 3D space, print them out, and mount on the official wall. 

In preparation for our new lower school innovation space, the Launch Pad, I have constructed a magnetic marble run wall that will serve as one of a several interchangeable walls used by students to explore, write, design, build and play.

I used sheet metal and some lightweight 2'x4's  to construct the wall, and have embedded small magnets into each marble run component so that it can be easily placed and moved around the wall.  While these components would work fine with PVC, cardboard or other material, since we have access to 3D printers and design software, this seemed the more enjoyable option. I have experimented with a few models using 123D design and our Taz 6 printers, and in the fall will work with my 7th grade technology students to fabricate 3D components of their own design. 

My challenge for next year's students will be to design their parts in such a way that as a team they must build a run that will last at least 10 seconds on the wall from top to bottom. Components will be assessed on the basis of creativity, marble run duration, and a minimal use of material.

Below is a short clip showing a test of the initial components. I realized in working with these prototypes that two magnets side by side don't provide enough stability for the parts to stay in place on the wall. As you will notice in subsequent models, I've created a tab located in the top-center of the piece to allow a third magnet to serve as the last point in a more stable triangular shape.

Here is a recent run, including some of the latest printed components. As mentioned above, the newer parts have a small tab at top-center to accommodate a third magnet.