Term4Projects is a two year tradition for the 710 Engineering class.
For this project, the students in the class form groups, come up with an idea and implement it within the time constraints of the last term of the year.
While this project is a lot of fun, it requires a lot of commitment on the part of the individuals in the groups. In exchange for doing something really unique for a high school project, students have to dedicate a lot of attention to the successful completion of the project. Grading/evaluation will be on both groups and the individuals, daily effort and periodic products. Assignments will need to be done and handed in on schedule in order to keep things flowing properly.
Student Name(s):
-Project Process
-Project Concepts
-Problems and Solutions
-Shows Physical Objects
-Explains Project Process
-Explains Concepts
-Display is thoughtfully and carefully crafted
6-10-06
Project Members:
5-17-06
Group members:
Each individual should copy these questions to his or her online documentation and answer them. Bring in a printed copy by the last class meeting of the week.
5-5-06
Group members:
All group members should participate in the writing of this sheet. Each individual should copy these questions to his or her online documentation and answer them. Bring in a printed copy on Monday May 8 2006.
5-2-06
Make sure you tie your work to the FrameworksStandards
5-1-06
Extra Credit for any group that enters the Instructables Project Contest:
http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/945686DE1EEF10299AD7001143E7E506/
Major Extra credit for winning!
4-28-06
email from The Sietch site manager
Hi my name is Shane I run The Sietch, I have noticed in my logs that you have been thinking about trying to redo some of the projects on my site, I am available for any help you might want on any of the projects, I would also like to know if any of the students doing the projects inspired by The Sietch could document there efforts and send me some pics and stories, I would love to post them on the site. Especially if they do a better job than we did :)
Let me know if you need any help, there should be a new easier to complete solar battery charger project up soon, I am putting the finishing touches on the files now.
Shane
Founder Of The Sietch
4-27-06
Work on projects
Read the instructions, follow them, create some product that you think will work.
Next week, the individuals and groups will need to have some documentation ready for review.
Outside of class, it may make more sense to use the online wiki or blog and in class use the written notebook. You should use the notebook to help you remember what to put in the online notes. Photos are a plus.
Here are some questions for you to address in your documentation.
What did you do?
Were the instructions you found sufficient?
What supplies have you secured, and what do you still need?
4-24-06
Plan it out.
Add to your wiki the following bits of information:
Who is in the group?
What is the project?
What engineering principles will you work with on the project?
What are the addresses to each member's wiki?
What materials will you need?
What are the possible problems you will encounter?
Hand this in by the end of the period.
Get to work on the project.
Keep your paper and web based documentation up to date.
Here are a few ideas that you will have to choose from. If you did not get the prevacation assignment done and submitted via email, you must choose from one of the items listed here. The links listed below are not intended to provide every bit of information you need, but rather to serve as inspiration and a starting point. You will have to do a bunch of your own research.
Geodesic Dome - There is also a lot of info online about domes. You will need to build a tabletop version and a larger one out of either metal or pvc. There have been several entries on the Make blog.
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/10/how_to_make_a_desert_domes.html
http://www.desertdomes.com/dome.html
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/02/how_to_build_a_geodesic_dome_o.html
http://www.yesmag.bc.ca/projects/geodesic.html
http://scoutmaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/2005/11/humane_cub_scou.html
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2005/11/how_to_geodesic_club_house.html
Windmill - Use the wind to make electricity
There was an article in issue 5 of Make Magazine Gotwind.org has a contest you can enter.
Here are the links:
http://www.makezine.com/05/windmill/
http://www.velacreations.com/chispito.html
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/04/diy_wind_genera_1.php
Generate electricity - make two or three models of electric generators, hand crank and kinetic energy powered.
Here are some links
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/04/make_a_generator_with_old_hard.html
Link to the project:
http://www.theworkshop.ca/energy/hdgen/hdgen.htm
Here is another resource for generator projects
Solar charger - make at least two solar chargers, a small phone charger/2AA battery model and one that can power a radio.
Here are a few links:
These folks made a solar hot water heater
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/04/diy_solar_thermal_panel_projec.html
Link to the project:
http://www.cleanpower.thesietch.org/projects/solarthermalpanel/index.htm
also on the site is a link to a solar battery charger
http://www.cleanpower.thesietch.org/projects/solarcharger/index.htm
The main person from the site above has Cape Cod contact info.
Hovercraft - make at least three models of hovercraft: tabletop floor and sit on
Here are a few links:
This guy used 500 lbs of potatoes to make a battery
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/04/500_lb_potato_battery.html
also on his site was this link to the hovercraft idea
Before vacation:
Identify group members
Narrow down the project to something realistic
Confirm project with instructor
Start wiki/blog for online notes on the project
Start physical notebook for notes on the project
Make a links page for finding information easily
Send an email to duxtech@gmail.com with
The names of the people in the group
the link to the makezine.com entry and
the link to the project you will be working with.
The engineering frameworks you will be focusing on.
First class after vacation
Each group must have an approved project
Materials, space and information needs have to be planned for.
Work on building the project begins
Ongoing
Build the project
write in physical notebook
write in online wiki/blog about progress of project
gather information that will help figure the project out
add links to the links page
Before the end of the term
Each group will present their idea and the engineering principles behind it.
This may be a meeting or series of meetings with younger students
It may be video taped
Some criteria
The whole project has to be done before the year ends.
There must be a focus on at least two engineering subject areas.
The product of the project must leave the school at the end of the project, or it must be planned into use in the building.
The group must create online documentation.
The group must create a written roadmap for the project.
The group will present their project and the concepts it embodies to an audience before the end of the project.
The project idea must come from the http://makezine.com website
Identify Possible Projects:
Before class monday april10
Review the makezine site online
Copy the address of entries that interest you and paste them onto another page like a wiki.
Go to the websites that are linked to from the make site and check them out
Pick the four or five projects that sound most interesting for group review. Print the addresses and bring the page in to class.
Some Process:
Identify possible projects
Narrow ideas down to a more realisitic set
Identify possible groups
Identify target audiences for the project: who will recieve presentation? who will use product created?
Choose Groups
Review documentation, identify tool, supply and work and storage space needs