Class Feedback

Overview:
     Overall, I actually really enjoyed this class and had a fun time in it. Although there were some stressful moments, I was able to overcome them all. The most stressful project we had to do was the mousetrap powered vehicle. My partner and I had such a great design, but just one tiny flaw; it was too heavy. We tried absolutely everything we could to keep our design but just make it lighter, and nothing seemed to work. We ended up just having to scratch everything and come up with a standard, easy, light design which was not what we wanted.
     I would have to say that my favorite project was the Popsicle stick bridge. I really liked that project because it was very unique and unlike anything I have ever done before. My partner and I got to be really creative with the bridge design and it looked so cool and perfect when we finished it. Not only was the building part fun, but breaking it and seeing how much weight it could hold was also very amusing. I was the one who pumped the machine and with every pump, I started to get more and more anxious for the bridge to break. Our bridge made a huge explosion and Popsicle sticks flew everywhere, which was very entertaining.
     One more aspect that I couldn't stand were the super slow computers in the lab that only half of them  worked. Whenever I needed a computer, I either had to race to one to get it before other people or sit two at a computer and the person not on the computer could never get any work done. This class depended heavily on the computers because we had to do these blog posts for our final exam and we couldn't do them unless we had a computer.

What I Learned:
     This class was based heavily on the design process and problem solving, and I became very familiar with the both of these. After using them in every project, I am confident to use them on my own in new situations and I will be prepared if I am required to use them in the future. During this class, I also became familiar with all the tools in the labs. I mainly used the tools in the mousetrap powered vehicle and I used them a lot, so I am now very comfortable using them at anytime.

Bridge

Intro:

For this project, we had to build a bride out of popsicle sticks and see how much weigh it withstood. We got to make any type of bridge we wanted, but we has some restrictions such as only being able to use 120 sticks, sticks could only overlap 2 1/4 inches, and the bridge had to be between sixteen and twenty inches.

Technical Concepts: 

During this project, we had to know a lot about physics such as dealing with different types of forces. These concepts helped us come up with a bridge design that was strong and could hold a lot of weight.

Learning Goals:

I wanted to learn more about different types of bridges and how they work. Also, I wanted to learn more about different types of forces and how they apply to bridges.

Design Brief: 

For our bridge, we ended up using 100 Popsicle sticks exactly. The form of the bridge was straight on the bottom and arched on the top. To connect these two frames, we made a V pattern with the sticks and had one stick between each V. We also used and X pattern for the bottom of the bridge to connect both side frames. My partner and I decided to add the bottom X pattern to the top of the bottom of the bridge so we would be testing the strength of the bridge and not how well the glue holds. For the top of the bridge, we just laid a few sticks across for a little bit of stability.

Positive Feedback: 

Our bridge was very successful. It withstood 100kg and held the most weight in the class. This success was made possible by the X's on the bottom of the bridge which provided tremendous support.

Redesign:

If I was to build our bridge again, I wouldn't change anything about it. It was a very good design and we executed it perfectly so I don't see how it could be improved any more. What I would change though is the testing device. It didn't really test how much weight the bridge could hold and mainly just tested how well the glue held.

Technological Resources:

Resources provided for this project were materials, people, and time. We were given a limited about of materials we could use, had a partner to help us, and a deadline to meet.

Biggest Challenge:

The biggest challenge we encountered was trying to attach the bottom of our bridge to the side frames. The Popsicle sticks would keep falling off because the side frames would get bumped. This part of the bridge was very stressful and we had to be very careful while doing it as to not bump anything.

What I Learned:

In this project, I learned a lot about bridges and forces. I can now recognize different types of bridges and how they work. Also, I have extended my knowledge on forces.

                       

                       

Alka-Seltzer Rocket

Group of Jordan Page and Maddy Ross

Intro:

For this project, we had to design a rocket and launch it by mixing water and an alka-seltzer tablet. We got to use any materials we wanted but had to build everything around a film canister

Technical Concepts: 

This project was based mainly on Newtons Three Laws of Physics: objects keep on doing what they are doing until acted upon by an unequal force, f=ma, and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. These concepts will help understand how the rocket launches

Learning Goals:

I wanted to figure out how Newton's Laws applied to the rocket and in everyday life. Also, I wanted to really understand the three laws and become familiar with them.

Design Brief Details:

For our rocket, we constructed the shape and everything around the film canister using strong construction paper. The length of it was equal to that of the canister, plus a nose cone. We originally had three fins but had to reconstruct the rocket and a fin broke in the process, so we ended up only having two fins. The fins were long and skinny and had a small triangle on the top because we saw that an actual rocket had fins like that.

Positive Feedback: 

Our rocket was surprisingly very successful. It went 24 feet which was very high for the class. This was made possible because of the right mixture of alka seltzer to water, half tablet to a quarter water, and our short, light design.

Redesign:

If I was to rebuild our rocket, I would probably keep the third fin on and not use a ton of tape, just enough to make it sturdy. Attaching a third fin would make the rocket fly straight and less tape would create a lighter rocket.

Technological Resources:

For this project, resources that we used were materials, people, time, and information. These resources made our project successful and allowed us to do the project.

Biggest Challenge: 

Our biggest challenge was trying to put the cap on the film canister. Since we were having a hard time with this, we made the rocket much shorter and also made the film canister able to be completely taken out of the paper.

What I Learned: In this project, I learned a lot about Newton's Laws and how they apply to rockets and other objects. These physics concepts will help me understand other situations in the future.

                                                  
                                 

Mousetrap Powered Vehicle

Group of Jordan Page and Noah Duncan

Intro:
For this project, we had to design a vehicle that was powered only by a mouse mousetrap. We could use any materials we wanted and tried to make it go the furthest distance in the class.

Technical Concepts:
This project dealt a lot with the aspects of mass, force, and friction. These concepts were necessary to try to make the vehicle move and go far. For example, the vehicle needed to have enough force to overcome friction. Also, if the vehicle was too heavy, it wasn't able to move.

Learning Goals:
To make this project a success, we had to build a vehicle out of wood. To do this, we had to use almost all of the tools in the lab, which I have never used before. This included using the drill press, band saw, scroll saw, and belt sander. I wanted to become comfortable with them and able to use them correctly.

Design Brief:
We tried many designs for this project, but the one that was the most successful was the simplest of them all. This design consisted of two pieces of the lattice wood side by side, separated by about three inches. This support was our main chassis. Length wise, our vehicle was only about nine inches. For the front axle, we decided to use a screw because it would spin for a long time, and easily. On that axle, we had two wheels that were CDs. The back axle was just plastic from a hanger, since a screw was too heavy, and had just one wheel on it which was again, a CD. To make the chassis sturdy and level, we had a square of wood that connected to both sides, which also acted as the support that the mousetrap was mounted on. Finally, to keep the wheels from sliding on the axles, we used nuts on the screw and cut rubber squares for the plastic axle.

Positive Feedback:
Although or vehicle wasn't in the top third of the class, it was placed average which is what we were aiming for. This was made possible because of our light design and also our front axle that was a screw. The screw rolled so easily which made the wheels continue to roll for awhile and our light design also contributed to that.

Redesign:
If we were to rebuild this vehicle, my partner and I would probably think of a way to incorporate a record since it travels further than a CD. We might try to go with two records as back wheels and one CD as the front wheel which would make the vehicle more stable.  It may be way too heavy and not move, but if it got going, then it would be a very good design.

Technological Resources:
We got to use many resources for this project. These resources consisted of people- our partners, tools- all the machines and equipment in the lab, and time- the deadline we had to meet so we could test our vehicle.

Biggest Challenge:
 Overall, the most common problem we came across was the our vehicle wouldn't move. We tried so many different approaches to try to overcome that, but none of them really worked out. Since the vehicle wasn't moving at all, we figured it was because it was too heavy. We tried everything we could from changing the back axle, drilling a lot of holes, and finally ended up scratching everything and rebuilding.

What I Learned:
This project really got me familiar with all the tools and machines in the lab. I am now able to use them comfortably and safely. Not only did I become familiar with the tools, but I also really got to learn the problem solving process and design process. Because of all the setbacks with our vehicle, my partner and I had to constantly think of new designs and ways to make our vehicle better

Egg Drop Project

Group of Jordan Page and Maddy Ross

Intro:

Mini- For this project, we had to design a vehicle to withstand drops from several heights that protected an egg using a limited amount of materials.

Big- For this project, we had to design a vehicle to withstand only two drops, but from much higher heights than the mini drop that still protected the egg, but we got to use any resource, just with a few restrictions.

Technical Concepts:

In these two projects, a lot of concepts dealt with physics such as a crumple zone to protect the egg better, and force, momentum, and velocity which we calculated using the data retrieved from the drops.

Learning Goals:

Both projects helped to learn more about working together in groups and communicating with people, learn the design process, and problem solve. All these were executed very well which lead to a mostly successful group and project.

Design Brief:

Mini- We decided that a major feature we wanted to incorporate into our design was a crumple zone. We got this idea from watching the crash text video on cars. Our crumple zone consisted mainly of an index card whose ends were glued to the sides of a piece of foam which made it look like the letter U. We also incorporated a parachute into the design and thought that the bigger it was, the better it would work. Because of this, we decided to use both pieces of paper provided to make a parachute with a large surface area. All the other materials were used to attach the parachute, a little bit of cushion and add to the crumple zone, and also last minute additions to add protection around the egg if it fell sideways. 

Big- For our design, we wanted to be creative and find a way to suspend the egg so it could never touch anything and break. To do this, we decided to use a tissue box as the main structure because it was light, met the height requirements, and was also pretty durable and hard on the outside. We stuffed the egg inside a nylon and strung the nylon across the opening of the tissue pox to add the component of suspension. Just incase the nylon didn't hold very well, we stuffed a lot of cushion into the box such as bubble wrap, tissues, and cotton. We hoped that by using all light materials, the box wouldn't fall very quickly and therefore have a lesser impact force which would help the egg not break. Also, we planed on putting a washer to the bottom of the box so it would fall the way we wanted, but we couldn't find one so we added cardboard handles around the egg so that if it fell on its side, the egg wouldn't hit the ground, the handles would.

Positive Feedback:

Mini- The part of our design that we liked the best was our parachute. Our parachute was a combination of two, basic, white pieces of paper taped together on the short side which made it as long as possible. This design made it have a lot of surface area, which increased the air resistance and made it fall down slower.

Big- The part of the design that we liked the best and which seemed to work well was how we suspended the egg. By doing this, the egg could never hit anything, therefore it couldn't break as easily.

 

Redesign:

Mini- The actual support that the egg was in was not built very good. Next time, we need to add more protection around the egg because it always fell on it's side due to the crumple zone which didn't seem to help at all.

Big- Overall, our design was very good, except for the fact that on the last fall, it flipped sideways in the air. Since we planed on it falling straight down, we didn't have good protection incase it did fall sideways or upside down. We should've but a washer or something at the bottom of it to insure that it would fall upright or add a sturdier case around the egg.

 

Technological Resources:

Mini- For this project, resources available to us were people, a partner to work with, time, had to be completed and ready to drop on a specific day, and materials. However, the materials we could use were very limited. They consisted of a foam square, a piece of rope that was a certain length, tape that was a certain length, an index card, two straws, two pieces of paper, four paperclips, and four popsicle sticks.

Big- This project was almost the same as the mini drop with having a partner and having a deadline, but there was a big difference in materials. For the big drop, we could use any materials we wanted, but there were some restrictions. These restrictions included a weight restriction, height restriction, no parachutes could be used, and we could not use peanut butter.

 

Biggest Challenge:

Mini- Our biggest challenge we had to face was that when held in the air, our contraption was always crooked and was almost completely on its side. This was not good because it was not meant to fall on it's side. It had no protection on the side which was actually what made it crack.

Big- For this project, our biggest challenge was trying to add more cushion around the egg. We had a ton of cushion below the egg, but none on the top or side of it so we wanted to add some there. The way it was build though and with the deadline soon, it was very hard to add the cushion and we didn't know how to do it or what materials we needed for it.

 

What I Learned:

Although I have done this project before, I still learned a few things. First of all, I learned how to work with a partner and that we need to combine our ideas to be successful. Secondly, and probably the most important, I learned how to problem solve and use the design process. When I did this project before, we used completely different materials so for this project, I had the problem solve and think of the best way to complete the objective. Lastly, I learned a lot about crashes and safety, forces, acceleration, and velocity which I already knew because I had physics this year, but I got to see them all in action and apply them to the real world.

 

The following pictures is the design we used for the big egg drop:

 

 

Technology

Technology is human made products and processes that extend human potential and satisfy human needs. A technology that has impacted my daily life is my cell phone. Without it, I wouldn't be able to obtain information for homework, contact people who aren't with me, or even just listen to music to keep me entertained on the bus. My phone also help me be socially connected to people through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. My phone is just one of the many that I use a lot and that makes my life easier.

The following are examples of technology:

About Me

My name is Jordan Page and I am a freshman this year in high school. I will be graduating in 2016 and hope the day comes soon. I love to play sports, especially soccer and basketball. As a freshman, I have made JV for both sports and hope to be on varsity next year. I am taking this class because it is what I had on my schedule, even though I didn't sign up for it. I did in fact sign up for intro to drafting but got this class instead which is alright because this class satisfies my technology credit anyways.
 
  "Never before in history has innovation offered promise of so much to so many in so short a time." 
 --Bill Gates