This week in class we learned about the Harlem Renaissance. We learned about it as an extension of our lessons regarding the Renaissance in Europe, and it was nice to see how the two movements are related. Both involve a change in society and a significant shift in the arts. Our assignment for the Harlem Renaissance was to design and create a monument for one of the people who were part of the Harlem Renaissance.

To make my monument, I am using an online 3-D modeling tool called Tinkercad. This week was the first time that I used Tinkercad, and I really enjoyed exploring it. The cover page of the Tinkercad website is inviting and colorful. The Tinkercad logo is a square three by three square with the letters that make up the word “Tinkercad,” and each letter is a different color. One of the first things I read on the website was, “From mind to design in minutes. Tinkercad is a free, easy-to-use web app that equips the next generation of designers and engineers with the foundational skills for innovation: 3D design, electronics, and coding!” I felt a surge of excitement as I thought about the creative power that Tinkercad could unleash. In particular, the diagrams of the gear set and the model race car fondly reminded me of building projects that I completed in the past.

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have been very interesting to me starting from a young age. With regards to design and building, I enjoy building things out of K’nex and other materials. The process of seeing and figuring out how the different parts work together is engaging and fun. When building my monument in 3-D, I noticed that the controls are very compatible. The 3-D modeling section allows for view of projects from all angles, full control of dimensions and positions, a built-in ruler, and many more features. In particular, there is an orthographic view where everything on the work plane appears relatively flat. There is also a perspective view in which designs on the work plane appear more 3-dimensional. This reminded me of the Renaissance and how perspective helps with making realistic visual representations of the world. There is also a vast selection of shapes to choose from to construct a project, and there is an option to create custom shapes as well. I also thought about how people may use this kind of software for designing in STEM-based careers. Career profiles sometimes show specialists working with computer-based design programs. It is always neat to see what they are in the process of making as they rotate, resize, and refine their designs.

I also remember thinking about how fortunate I am to have access to tools like Tinkercad. All that I needed to do to access Tinkercad was click on the link and sign in with Google. Many places and people in the world do not have such abundant resources to partake in these activities. I am thankful that I am surrounded by opportunities and new things to try. Tinkercad is one of the many examples of these opportunities, and I am glad that I have the chance to utilize Tinkercad for my Harlem Renaissance monument.