Shape Decomposition Planning

Before opening a new Tinkercad design, plan how your idea can be built from simple shapes.

1. Choose and observe

Choose a simple real object, symbol, or keychain idea. Hold it, turn it around, or study it closely away from the computer.

Ask yourself: What smaller shapes could combine to make this?

Look for:

• boxes and rectangular prisms;
• cylinders and tubes;
• spheres and rounded forms;
• cones, wedges, and roofs;
• text or symbols;
• solid shapes that add material;
• holes that remove material.

2. Sketch three views

On paper, draw your idea from the:

• top;
• front;
• side.

Your drawings do not need to be artistic. They need to communicate how the object is constructed.

3. Label the plan

Add labels showing:

• the basic shapes you will use;
• which parts will be solids and which will be holes;
• important measurements in millimetres;
• where parts connect;
• any thin, floating, or unsupported areas that may need improvement.

4. Explain it to a partner

Show your plan to a partner. Without pointing at Tinkercad, explain how the shapes will combine. If your partner cannot picture part of the design, add another label, measurement, or sketch.

What to keep

• Three labelled views
• Basic shapes identified
• Important measurements
• Solids, holes, and connections marked
• One adjustment made after partner feedback
• A clear photograph uploaded to Notion

Curriculum connections

A1.2: Apply technological and STEM concepts while developing a project.
A1.4: Communicate design ideas using appropriate terminology and formats.
A2.7: Select units and tools to make accurate measurements.