“Vinyl Cutting for Your Own Souvenir Shop" course is designed for learners in Grades 6-8. This program guides students through the exciting world of digital fabrication, focusing on vinyl cutting. They begin by understanding the basics of vinyl cutting and digital art, then delve into 2D modeling and graphic design software to create custom designs. The lessons progress from experimenting with different types of vinyl and layering techniques to applying their knowledge to design and produce a complete product line for a hypothetical souvenir shop. The course culminates in students presenting their souvenir shop ideas to "investors," integrating design, manufacturing, and marketing concepts.

Course Features:

• 15 Lesson Hours: The course includes 15 comprehensive lessons covering digital fabrication, design, and product creation.

• Curriculum and Supporting Materials: Detailed lesson plans, activity guides, and additional resources are provided to support the learning process.

• Ongoing Product and Curriculum Support: Continuous support is available to ensure the curriculum remains effective and up-to-date.

• Professional Development: Training sessions are offered for educators to effectively deliver the course content and facilitate student learning.

• Facilitation by a Trained STEM Instructor (Optional): The option to have a professional STEM instructor lead the course is available.

These features are listed under "Equipment, Curriculum, and Training Available" in the NWS One Pager Vinyl Cutting (6-8) document.

Learning Target Examples (Lessons): The 15 lessons outlined in the NWS One Pager Vinyl Cutting (6-8) document serve as examples of learning targets:

1. Vinyl Cutting - The Basics: Observe various uses of vinyl cutting in your daily lives.

2. Digital Fabrication: Compare traditional and digital art as you navigate 2D modeling software.

3. Vector Graphics: Model vector and raster images and determine their uses in digital design.

4. 2D Graphic Design: Implement graphic design software skills to re-create popular images and icons.

5. The Impact of Marketing: Observe impactful logos to make inferences about audience and product.

6. The Cricut Machine: Create personal logos using the Cricut digital fabrication machine.

7. Permanent and Heat Transfer Vinyl: Experiment with different types of vinyl application.

8. Layered Vinyl: Explore layering vinyl and the added opportunities to advance your design.

9. Designing Stencil Art: Implement digital design and vinyl cutting techniques to design stencil art.

10. Stencil Art Application: Apply stencil design to canvas to produce a themed art piece.

11. Manufacturing: Model the manufacturing process and experiment with increasing efficiency.

12. Souvenir Shop Design: Collaboratively design a souvenir shop for a specific audience, theme, and location.

13. Creating a Product Line: Implement digital design and vinyl cutting skills to create a full product line.

14. Marketing your Shop: Apply vinyl designs to your product line to sell your souvenir shop idea.

15. Souvenir Shop Showcase: Present your souvenir shop ideas to investors.

Equipment Included: The course involves the use of a Cricut digital fabrication machine, which is central to the hands-on activities. Students will also work with various types of vinyl, including permanent and heat transfer vinyl, and materials for stencil art application, allowing for diverse creative projects.

Professional Development: The NWS One Pager Vinyl Cutting (6-8) document explicitly states that "Professional development" is available. This includes comprehensive training sessions designed to equip educators with the skills and knowledge to effectively teach the course content. Furthermore, "Ongoing product and curriculum support" is provided, ensuring continuous professional development opportunities and successful, sustained delivery of the curriculum.

Additional Information:

• Designed for Learners in Grades 6-8: The course is specifically tailored to the developmental and educational needs of middle school students, providing age-appropriate challenges and engagement.

• Hands-On Digital Fabrication: Emphasizes practical, hands-on activities where students actively transform digital designs into tangible products, fostering a deeper understanding of the design and manufacturing process.

• Creative Product Development: Encourages students to use their imagination and apply digital design and vinyl cutting skills to create a unique product line, promoting entrepreneurial thinking and creativity.

• Real-World Applications: Connects digital design and manufacturing concepts to real-world applications, including marketing strategies and presenting product ideas, preparing students for future endeavors.