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SketchUp CAD Tasks and Tutorials

Note: These resources may refer to an older version of SketchUp than you are currently using.

This detailed scheme of work is ready to pick up and teach, with clearly structured lesson plans and stimulating activities for Component 1 Section A and Section B of the 2017 GCSE Eduqas specification.

Tried-and-tested exercises for use with the SketchUp modelling software.

Step-by-step instructions and clear colour screenshots enable all students to work independently at their own speed. For each exercise, the difficulty level, approximate timings and objectives/ skills summaries are given to aid your planning.

All exercises are provided as PowerPoints and PDF so that they can be followed on-screen, accessible by an intuitive HTML front end. The completed SketchUp (skp) files for each exercise are also provided on CD.

❶ SketchUp Tasks

Ten standalone tasks, providing a solid grounding in SketchUp. As students progress through the tasks, they develop the essential skills they need for their own future CAD projects.

  • Includes a range of themes which appeal to boys and girls: chocolate bar, perfume bottle, personalised mug, toy boat, iPod, toy tank, hairdryer, art deco clock, calculator, building
  • Extension tasks challenge more able students

The most comprehensive guide of its kind that I have seen...

...the extension tasks are interesting and challenging and give students the chance to be more creative

S Wray, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

❷ SketchUp Tutorials for GCSE Design Work

Two comprehensive tutorials develop the skills that students need for their GCSE coursework. With a particular focus on Resistant Materials, Product Design and Graphic Products.

  • Tutorial 1: Storage unit – covers: carcass design; shelves and dividers; opening doors, lids and drawers; legs and basic ironmongery; rendering and assembly.
  • Tutorial 2: Model buildings – covers: pitched roof and flat roof designs; round and polygonal towers; doors and windows; components; rendering.
  • Plus: worked example of how to produce accurate orthographic drawings from CAD designs

Clearly presented and will promote independent learning requiring minimal teacher input and allowing students to progress at their own pace

J Jordan, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (5559)

An excellent resource that has been well thought and concisely constructed. I really liked the logical order that the resource worked through. I also found that there was a good balance between written content and visual communication, this made the resource easy to understand and follow... Nice presentation and well structured layout. Images used really did tie in with the content and created a learning journey... I tested this resource with my GCSE Product Design. They found it very easy to follow and rapidly developed capability in Sketchup. They also required very little support making this a very valuable resource as it empowered my learners to be very independent... This resource really does enable my students to successfully and rapidly learn the basic skills to be able to progress at a great pace.

S Bright, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

I found the instructions clear and easy to follow... The resource quickly enables students to explore the possibilities of the Sketchup program... It takes them through step by step in a steady manner setting tasks of appropriate detail. I think it applies an appropriate level of sophistication, and would provide pupils with a useful skill set for their own design work... The finished drawings look good, can be used for all manner of product and architectural design challenges, and really enhance students visual communication at this level.

L Ciotti, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

The resource was easy to follow, very clear and precise in its process of showing students how to produce products and buildings. This resource will be able to support GCSE and A level students in producing design ideas and final designs... This resource will enhance the teacher and students development in using CAD. It will provide an excellent guide in how to produce storage units, orthographic drawings and buildings. The orthographic drawings are quick and detailed and would save time during coursework.

C Johnson, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A very good introductory resource. A simple step by step format provides the user with guidance to a specific outcome. The skills acquired during these exercises can be quickly adapted to help produce a set of good quality CAD drawings to meet the requirements of a GCSE course... a valuable tool in creating confidence.

I C Facey, HoD & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (5149)

The most comprehensive guide of its kind that I have seen.... It will be extremely useful in teaching the CAD element of GCSE Product Design. The instructions are clear and the tasks graduated from easy to difficult which will suit all abilities. I am particularly pleased with the clear success criteria and the fact that timings are given... Students can work fully independently as everything they need is in the tutorial. This will give them ownership of the learning and a greater sense of achievement upon completion. The extension tasks are interesting and challenging and give students the chance to be more creative.

S Wray, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

A good clear introduction to the software that is being increasingly used as the preferred CAD tool by students as part of their GCSE. Identifying each task with levels of difficulty and time approximations is very useful as a guide to assist teachers to plan an activity for a class and the learning objectives provided also reduce some of the teacher planning workload... It is structured in such a way as to allow the resource to be used as stand alone exercises or as a whole teaching programme to develop CAD skills. It is clearly presented and will promote independent learning requiring minimal teacher input allowing students to progress at their own pace... Very clear with excellent use of screenshots and accessible language.

J Jordan, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Easy to use with the ability to select tasks suitable for age and interests of group... Very well presented. Good clear instructions and extension tasks to help enhance drawings. The extension tasks give the ability to challenge higher learners... Allows students to gain new skills through progressive tasks.

J Dover, HoD & Peer Reviewer

Excellent resources... [Students] are in control of their learning and I can pick up problems.

A Hallet, Teacher & Customer

A very clearly presented resource which shows a good set of features for designing using Sketchup. I can now create a good selection of shapes including more complex shapes... This can be used as a standalone course, but also as a method of getting students to visualise shapes quickly as part of their design work.

I Roulson, Teacher & Peer Reviewer