In this STEAM engineering and maker project, students continue the “magic brush” design journey by turning a hand-drawn building into a laser-cut Canton Tower model using LaserMaker. The lesson reviews image scanning, cropping, outlining, engraving, and cutting, then extends the activity with a cross-connected 3D tower structure and a simple LED lighting upgrade.

1. Lesson Overview

1.1 Project Goal

Students will sketch a building, scan the drawing into LaserMaker, create a clean outer cutting contour, engrave the original drawing, laser cut the building silhouette, build a crossed Canton Tower structure, and add a small LED light feature to complete the model.

1.2 Recommended Classroom Use

2. Learning Objectives

2.1 What Students Will Learn

2.2 STEAM Skills Developed

2.3 Responsible Making

Students should operate the laser cutter only under teacher or lab supervisor guidance. Before cutting, check focus, material placement, layer output, and processing parameters. When using an LED and button battery, check polarity carefully and keep small electronic parts organized.

3. Project Inspiration: From Drawing to Building Model

This lesson introduces students to building engineering through a simple architecture model. Teachers can begin by asking students what a building is, whether a home is a type of building, what buildings they see around them, and which famous buildings they know.

The source lesson uses Canton Tower as the model theme. Students first create a flat silhouette, then make two matching pieces that cross together to form a standing tower.

4. Pre-Class Thinking Questions

Teachers can use the following questions to help students connect the project with architecture, daily life, and creative design.

5. Lesson Procedure

5.1 Make a Single Silhouette Building

Ask students to sketch the building they want to make. The drawing can be inspired by Canton Tower or another familiar landmark. The outer edge should be clear enough for LaserMaker to recognize and turn into a cutting contour.

Use a scanning app or another classroom-approved method to scan the drawing and import it into LaserMaker. First, use Picture > Crop to remove blank space around the image.

Next, use Picture > Outline to generate the building outline. Temporarily turn off bitmap output, select and delete the inner outline, and keep only the outer contour for cutting. Then turn bitmap output back on so the student’s original drawing can be engraved on the finished model.

Double-click the layer parameter area in LaserMaker and set the engraving and cutting parameters for the plywood project. After checking the layer settings, send the file to the laser cutter for processing.

5.2 Make a Complete Cross-Connected Building Model

To make the building stand more securely, duplicate the Canton Tower silhouette. Then draw two 3 mm by 140 mm rectangles and place them at the top and bottom positions of the tower design to create matching cross slots.

After laser processing, cross-connect the two Canton Tower pieces. Glue can be used if the fit needs additional support. This creates a simple three-dimensional tower that can stand more firmly than a single flat silhouette.

6. Laser Processing

Import the saved design files into the laser cutting machine for processing. Before processing, check material placement, engraving and cutting layers, and focal length. The source lesson reminds students to adjust the focus before cutting to reduce the risk of incomplete cutting.

7. Works Upgrade: Add Lighting

7.1 Design an LED Holder

To make the tower more visually engaging, students can add a small LED light feature at the top. First, draw a 21 mm circle. Then draw a 2 mm by 10 mm rectangle and use the Weld function to connect the rectangle to the circle.

Next, draw a 6 mm by 2 mm rectangle and weld it to the shape. Then use the Bessel curve and line drawing tool to roughly draw the shape needed for holding the LED, and weld it to the previous figure.

Draw another 12.03 mm circle, then place the two lighting-related parts at the top of the Canton Tower design. After checking the layout, prepare the final file for laser processing.

7.2 Install the LED and Button Battery

After laser processing, take out the lighting parts. Clip the long leg of the white LED to the smooth side of the button battery, and clip the short leg to the rough side. Place the LED and battery assembly at the top of the Canton Tower model. If the part does not sit securely, use glue carefully to fix it in place.

8. Classroom Practice and Teaching Tips

8.1 Student Workflow

8.2 Teacher Suggestions

9. Reflection and Evaluation

9.1 Reflection Questions

9.2 Student and Peer Evaluation

Students can evaluate their own work and give peer feedback based on creativity, structural firmness, appearance, and learning attitude.

10. Finished Project and Sharing

At the end of the lesson, students can display their Canton Tower models, explain how they created the drawing, prepared the laser file, assembled the crossed structure, and added lighting. Teachers can encourage students to discuss what they would improve in the next version.

11. Extension Challenge

After finishing the Canton Tower model, students can choose another landmark or a building from their local community and create a new laser-cut structure. They can test different slot positions, model heights, base supports, lighting locations, or decorative engraved details.

For a broader engineering challenge, students can compare which structure stands more firmly: a single flat silhouette, a crossed two-piece model, or a model with an added base. This helps connect the maker activity with real building stability and structural design.

12. Equipment Note for Teachers

This project is suitable for classroom laser cutters that support engraving and cutting of thin plywood for student maker activities. For schools and beginner STEAM labs, projects like hand-drawn building models, tower structures, LED display models, and beginner LaserMaker activities can be completed with a classroom laser cutter such as the Thunder Laser Bolt Series.

Teachers can choose the machine and material setup based on classroom space, student supervision needs, material thickness, project size, and ventilation setup. Students should always test settings, check focus, and follow the school’s laser safety rules before final cutting.