Hello, my name is Alim Tilvaldiev and this year I will be an upcoming senior attending Claudia Taylor "Lady Bird" Johnson High School located in San Antonio Texas. I love using cad, primarily Fusion 360, and wish to become a mechanical engineer or a roboticist and work on the future of AI.

I decided to make an outdoor classroom traditional learning is prominently done inside artificially lit rooms with little windows or exposure to the outside, natural world which gives a sense of weariness and isolation. Many would be able to benefit from the "fresh" new way of learning, pun intended.

This project is an outdoor classroom meant to facilitate learning in a natural environment. Outdoor classrooms would make students overall happy as the sun boosts serotonin and the fresh air would be welcoming to students. As the project is made out of shipping containers wood, and general metal such as steel, the classroom would be more affordable than a standard multimillion-dollar school, while still having some of the same, if not more perks.

Supplies

2x - 20' by 8' by 9'6" Shipping Containers of any Color

2x - Large Wood Planks for the Floor

2x - Student Table

1x - Large Fan

5x - Fluorescent Lights

13x - Plastic Chairs

1x - Dresser-like Table

1x - L-Shaped Desk

1x - PET Converter Station A

1x - PET Converter Station B

1x - Chalkboard

1x - Cubbies

1x - 3D Printer

1x - Water Dispenser

4x - Solar Panel

4x - Solar Panel Skeleton

12x - Large Battery Banks

1x - Shelf for Battery Banks

2x - Table with Drawers

Multiple - Wires

21x - Horizontal Wood Planks

4x - Verticle Wood Beams

8x - Wood Supports

1x - Wood Tile

2x - Wooden Shelves

Step 1: Outdoor Portion

The outdoor area features a pergola that allows light to pass through allowing for the students to get ample clarity in what they can see, and get Vitamin D and a boost in serotonin from the sun's rays. The pergola uses castle joints in order to create a strong connection that will withstand the outdoors and will provide for longer use. The classroom can accommodate 12 students and has plenty of space for the teacher to demonstrate various lessons either with props, lectures, or the built-in blackboard. There is a light on the blue container that will allow for learning during darker days, and a tarp can be put on the pergola during rainy days. During hot days there is a large central fan that will aid with the hotter climates present in most southern and western states, which are all connected to the 12 battery banks. On the side there is a water dispenser so the students are able to get a drink in close proximity while they are in earshot of the teacher, allowing them not to miss any important details of their current topic.

Step 2: Teachers Container

The teacher's container has a desk and chair for the teacher to do his/her work in order to grade papers, create lesson plans, talk to students, and much more. There is also a table at the back and a couple of shelves for storage. On top of the table is a 3D printer which is supplied by the battery banks and will allow students to create projects and designs more effectively for art classes, core classes, or even engineering for prototyping. The teacher's container has 2 lights for darker days and a window to watch the students work and make sure they stay on task. There are also cubbies for students to put their belongings, school supplies, or even work or projects for the following day. Both containers have 2 solar panels each at a 16-degree angle in order to supply power for the classroom.

Step 3: Storage Container

The Storage container features 2 shelves for storage and 2 lights. and houses the 12 battery banks that are connected in parallel in order to have a high capacity. The room also has 2 stations on top of 2 tables that allow for recyclable water bottles to be turned into PET filament so that students are able to create projects at no cost to them.

Step 4: PET Station

It is possible to recycle PET from used water bottles. Seeming as how the challenge is all about reusing and recycling I thought this would fit perfectly with the theme. The water bottles would be expanded by a heat source like a lighter with some water in them. after they will be cut to size using the present bearings and Exacto blade. After the roll of cut plastic will be fed through a modified 3D printer extruder that will heat up the filament to 1.75 mm allowing for the creation of PET filament which is stronger than PLA. The rollers use a 4:1 gear ratio that will increase torque, in conjunction with herringbone gears that will allow for the teeth to have more contact on more surface area. They will utilize NEMA 17 stepper motors and a stepper motor driver as they are cheaper than their larger counterparts and more accessible to hobbyists, allowing for better use in temporary applications. Many students are limited in what they can afford and having materials such as 3D printers can facilitate success for poorer students who may not have as much as others.

Step 5: Physical Model

This physical model was made with cardboard and cardstock. The containers are hollow and taped together. The pergola is made of cardboard and the side parts have notches that line up together in order to keep the structure secure and strong for transportation of the model. there are also cutouts for windows and doors and even a blackboard that has a very difficult equation on it.

Step 6: Citation

While almost everything was built by myself, there are 2 designs I used from the Fusion360 Library that are given credit here

Ultimaker 3D printer made by Alexander Laktionov - https://gallery.autodesk.com/projects/31002/ultimaker-2?searched=
Solar Panel design made by Pranav Nair - https://gallery.autodesk.com/projects/161358/solar-panel?searched=

Please give them support as they make amazing creations.

Introduction: Outdoor Classroom