For my groups 6th module, we decided to explore the realm of Mechanical Engineering. To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. Mechanical engineering sounds pretty boring at first, but after doing the first challenge, it became pretty clear there are endless possibilities and we had plenty of freedom to create something, our way. The formal definition of mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering dealing with the design, construction, and use of machines. It deals with structures, gears, and contraptions of all complexities.

We used a Vex toolkit to make all sorts of gear systems and mechanisms that performed a certain job. This kit has dozens of types screws, washers, gears, connectors, axles, trays, etc. It may sound complicated, but once you get the hang of it, it’s as simple as building with legos.

The company Vex, holds many conventions and competitions, specifically dealing with robotics and programming. We included pictures from a recent event in Campus Party EU, where Vex staff helped others to program a personally designed robot, to perform specific tasks. Even though for our class, we won’t have the opportunity to use computer software in our mechanisms, we are able to understanding the basics of designing, executing, and perfecting a tool to help solve another problem.

~McClain D (12/03/14)

Hello fellow people of the world,

Today I will discuss a major project. The reason the Ann Richards School is blessed with a Makerspace is because we got a grant. For the grant, we have to make something with a structure, like a robot, a toy, etc. The project needs to be thoughtful and more than just a one-step process. It shouldn’t just take a couple of weeks. We are going to come up with our ideas and start working on them when we come back from Winter break.

I usually overthink things, so I’m probably going to overthink this project. It’s not that I dislike easy, simple things, and I’m not blind to those ideas, I just have really high expectations for myself. Maybe my expectations are too high, I don’t know, but that is why I sometimes have trouble working in groups. I have really complicated ideas and everybody else has more simple, reachable, and reasonable ideas. Some of my ideas include small statues, like the statue of liberty, a statue of an alien, an alien head, and a really tall person. Some other ideas include 3D puzzles that make a shape when they are put together properly, like a cube, or an eagle. Of course, if I am to do this, I would have to research how to build 3D puzzles, and other stuff like that.

If I make a statue or a 3D puzzle, it will probably be made out of wood. There are some additional items that might need to be used on the final product, like metal, plastic, cardboard, etc. The truth is, I don’t know exactly how I  am going to make the statues or puzzles, but I am pretty confident that when I actually plan it out, it will make sense and be more realistic in my mind and I will be able to make my imagination into reality.

Another idea I had is to make something simple that doesn’t look simple to the human eye, like a rocking horse or a pogo stick. These things are simple when you break them down, but when you just look at a toy like this, it looks complicated. I might do something more complicated than a rocking horse. I might attempt to build a miniature merry-go-round because I loved playing on merry-go-rounds when I was younger and I’m sure that lots of people did, but all the playgrounds got rid of them for some reason, and I want to bring back memories for people. I am hoping that if I make a toy, it will bring happiness to people and they will temporarily be relieved of stress.

Some other ideas for toys I want to make include a rolling duck, a catapult, a toy car, and a scooter. I think that making these would be most simple using wood. To make the toys more unique or fun, I could add or take away things. Maybe, if I decide to make a merry-go-round, I could try to make it lighter and reduce friction to make it more fun, or I could make it automatic so nobody has to push it and more people can ride it at the same time. Also, if I make it automatic, it will go faster and stay at a constant speed.

Something else I looked into is a perpetual motion machine. A perpetual motion machine is basically a contraption that continues to move without using batteries. I looked at a few designs, and decided that if I wanted to do this, I would have to research perpetual motion machines and create prototypes.

The reason I would have to make prototypes is to test the idea and see if it would actually work or if it really is just a fantasy. If I were to do the perpetual motion machine, I would have to draw multiple designs, think of pros and cons for each one, and try to make each one the best that it can possibly be. When I am finished with getting multiple ideas, I would have to choose which idea would be most effective in what I am attempting to do. Then, I would have to build and test a prototype and  if it works, great, I can move on. If the prototype doesn’t work, I have to start on brainstorming again. For some of the ideas I have, I would need to do a great deal of research. This is a part of PLTW. In order to create something that you have never built before, you sometimes need to learn how to make it. Not only sometimes do you have to learn and research, but usually, you have to learn something.

I think that by doing this project, I will be proud because if I can use my talents to create something beautiful, I will see a physical reminder that I can do great things and help the world. This project might help me fulfill the Ann Richards School mission of solving problems creatively and ethically in support of our global community because it can give me ideas of what to create in the future or it could inspire other people to do amazing things for the world. You never know. Anything can be a form of inspiration.

Have fun and make something new,

Regina S.

Making Mistakes

By Effy Shapter

For this six weeks, I did the module Videography. In this module, my group and I created a video using our mission statement. Although, our video looked like it was easy to create, it took a lot of mistakes and errors until we reached our final product.

Making mistakes has become apart of my humanity. Without having mistakes, I would most likely laugh less. Laughing is one of my favorite things. It helps me let loose and just relax. Laughter naturally makes the world a better place.

At the end of the video, there is a blopper reel where it shows all of our mistakes during the filming process. My favorite blooper, is where my group and I are laughing very loud while filming Regina. Watching that part of the bloopers, makes me smile. Because I am reminded that happiness doesn’t just come from moments, but memories.

Behind The Scenes Ariel Marrero

Have you ever wondered what goes on when the cameras are rolling ? How a man can turn into a werewolf in under a second? What about the music in the background? Think its easy? Well, you’re probably right, then again try stepping into a director’s point of view.

The recent module I just finished was Videography. I had a really fun time learning about it and had an amazing experience doing it. While doing the module I learned how to use Imovie and Garageband.
Overall being a director for a day is amazing and also very fun. Its a good way to get in touch with life and to laugh a little, you know? Dont be so serious.

Recently I completed the screen printing module, and by completed i mean that every single thing that we did to try to fix our problems did not work so… it was a complete and utter failure, but I had fun while I did it so oh well.

The first thing that I had to do was create a design that related to all of the things that we had been doing in the makerspace. So because of that I made a biomedical prosthetic drawing to show the module that some of the biomedical students are working on:

This was the first drawing that I made for the screen printing. My group chose this one because it was the most realistic of all of ours (and we kind of didn’t want to redraw anything). But as I progressed through the module it quickly became clear that this design wasn’t going to work. We seemed to locate the source of the problem: there were too many details. All of the little things didn’t seem to be burning onto the screen and with this design the details were really important, because without them, it just didn’t look like a prosthetic leg. Instead it looked like a weird, creepy shape. That was not what I wanted it to look like, at all.

To combat this problem I created a new design with thick letters and doubled up the transparency sheets. The design on paper looked like this:

This was the design that I hoped against hope that would work. Using the last screen that we had I burned the image onto it and it… Failed. Kind of. The image was burned onto the screen so I got that far at the very least, but there were these weird bubbles from where the emulsion (liquid photo paper) dripped off and it ruined the image. So technically it did work.

So this module didn’t work, but I got to draw a lot of different things trying to find the thing that was best for the screen print, so I had fun.

Almina Orbach ヽ(*’(OO)’)ﾉ

A video is not just a series of moving pictures. It’s a personal opinion, a freedom of expression. A short video or film can documet so much. And even if you try to retake it or act a second time, you will never recapture what you had the first time. A video can convey emotion or things you could never imagine doing in real life. A video can also be seen by more than just a public speach. It can reach out to the community farther and faster. Which means the message reaches a broader perspective range. A video can unite observers and spread it’s message across the world. Making others aware that they are not alone. That is how a video can change things, for better or for worse.

The reason for this module is to teach us the different types of tools there are and how to use them.

 The way we started this module is by doing a pop quiz on all of tools,putting the names to the descriptions and matching numbers on the tools and seeing if they were the right ones for the name. This wasn’t that complicated but it took knowing all the names for the tools and knowing what they are used for.

 

The second part of the module was making a tool card to show us the tools that we were going to use and to make sure that we knew what each tools looked like and the name of each of them. For this part we had to watch a video that told us about the different tools how to use them and what not to do with them. This is what the card looks like

.

The next thing we did was we made a wood sandwich and we made the by cutting wood into 6” 2*4 pieces of wood. Then we gathered all of the materials which were

Sharpies for labeling,Sanding blocks,one nail, one countersink screw, one roundhead screw, one hex bolt, two washers, one hex nut, and one wingnut. After we go the materials we had to put everything together. So I put the nail on the board and i got the hammer  and hammered the nail in just enough to the point it was flat against the top of the wood but not cut in. Then I put a little hole in the wood with the drill that after we put the little hole in the wood we would take the screw and finish the hole by putting the screw in there. At the end we would use the drill to make a hole all the way down the piece of wood and put a washer under a hex bolt and drop it  hole and at the end I put a hex nut at the end so the hex bolt wouldn’t slip out. This is what the wood sandwich looks like.

 

The next part of the project was to build a right angle bird house. These are the materials. 6″ cedar fence board, cut into 6″, 9″, 12″, and 16″ lengths, 5/16″ wood dowels, cut to 2″ lengths, Twine, Spray paint, Wood glue, 1/4″ plywood, cut into 16″ squares. The first part of the birdhouse is that we had to make a technical drawing, then we had to gather all of the materials and the tools. These are all the tools we used,Brad nailer,brads, air compressor, Jigsaw, Drill with 5/16″ bit and 2″ forstner bit, Sanding sponges, Straight edges,Speed squares,Clamps,and an Air compressor. The first thing we did was cutting a couple pieces of wood and putting them together according to our technical drawing, then we clipped it all together with the clamps. After that we cut the rest of the wood and added it on and after that we finished the bird house off by spray painting it and using the air compressor we put some nails in the sides to make sure that it stayed together and we were finished. This is what the finished product looked like. 

By Calvinesha Harvey

A pinhole camera is a simple camera but without lens, it captures any object you want by you placing it in front of the sunlight for about 20 seconds, just make sure you place it in a the ground or somewhere where it won’t move.This camera was invented around the 1000 and it has been around since then but its not use in our generation because technology is advanced know.

To create this camera you will need some material which will be a box,black paper,aluminum,tape.You will have to cover the camera in black paper to make sure no light is going in, you will cut about a 2 inch square in front of the box and you will put aluminum and pin a tiny hole put black paper on top of that so light will not come in and ruin your picture.Then you will have to go into a black room and place the special paper(projector sheet) glossy side up inside the box,before you leave the room make sure no light is going into the box and then you can go outside and test your box.

While testing your box make sure not to let too much sun light enter the box just leave it for about 20 second, then bring your black flap down to cover your hole in the aluminum.Then you will return to your black room and open it and stick your picture is some special kind of liquid but make sure it does not make contact with the light.

Pinhole cameras are actually really interesting they can capture an object just like our phone cameras but pinhole cameras are unique because it’s a longer process but it’s interesting to see how cameras have changed so much,thanks to technology.

Karla Jaramillo

Here at Ann Richards we learn to work in groups and work with each other. not all the time does everyone in a group get along, many of the times we don’t. I say we because of personal experience. Now PLTW is a class where you’re expected to work with each and listen to each others ideas and work well together, etc. Teamwork is a skill everyone should have because it comes in extremely helpful, especially when you’re put in a group with people who you don’t normally work with.

What is teamwork? From what i learned it is a skill that you learn through experience. If you have the skill it means you’re able to work with people who don’t work like you but in the end you all are able to make the best end product possible. When working in a team there are a few rules you need to follow:

1. Listening to each others ideas

When you’re in a group I personally think this is the most important rule that you need to follow. Remember, this is your group and whether you like it or not your grade depends on how you work together and what the outcome is. 

2. Contributing to the group

When you’re in a group its also very important that you contribute, because it’s not fair to the other people and you might anger them. Plus its a GROUP project so making sure that everyone adds something is highly important

3. Sometimes taking the leadership role

In a group sometimes you might be the one who’s most qualified to lead the group. And by that I mean that you may understand what is excepted or maybe you are particularly good and have the certain skill that whatever task requires. For this ‘rule’ you cant be scared to do this and say that maybe you could help out and lead, which brings me to the next point.

4. Speaking up

Don’t be afraid to speak up. Now I’m not one who will always voice their opinion but if I look back i will see that it was probably something I should’ve done because it could’ve helped my group a lot.

In PLTW a big thing I’ve learned is that you cannot do good with our everyone using their teamwork skills. You may fight and argue a little bit but in the end you will be satisfied with your end product. I myself have not mastered this skill yet, I’m kinda far from it but with the guidance of this class I hope to finally grasp it.

Bryana Sanchez 01

 

Hello! So for this blog post I am going to talk about starting over and how honestly, it’s always better than to work off of whatever is your problem.

Recently, my group and I worked on a module under the Engineering pathway and our task was to complete a bridge out of toothpicks. Toothpicks. When we first heard of it, my group and I automatically assumed/said “Oh! Doesn’t seem that bad” but as we started, we soon realized  that we were only allowed to use Elmers glue, it couldn’t be longer than 18 inches and no more than 40 grams. Thats when it really hit us.

We started off with completing our design brief, design matrix and technical drawings. When we reached our final idea, we started building. We knew about the measurements, but we didn’t know about the glue. We started putting together some toothpicks for the barrel but we soon found out that we were only allowed to use Elmers glue. We had already glued parts of the barrel with hot glue and we kinda all just gave each other “the look.”

We started over using Elmers glue. It didn’t take much time for us to realize that it was going to take longer than what we thought. Once we completed the first part of the bridge, we decided to weigh it. It was over 40 grams. One of my partners and I thought it was whatever and we should just continue with it. After all, we did put a lot of effort into it. Our other partner disagreed. She thought it was not a good idea to continue with it because we would get points off. We all had a small argument, but eventually, we all decided that starting over would be the best choice.

As we started brainstorming other ideas for our bridge, we did face a lot of challenges. What ever design we agreed on, we had to make it under 40 grams, which is challenging especially if you want your bridge to support a lot of weight and for it to be sturdy and strong. We came up with a few ideas and we all agreed on just making a long stick. This time we were very precocious on the amount of toothpicks we used and the weight. Eventually, our final product was 39 grams. When we tested it, it holded all the weights plus a different box (5 g) (total of 3,260 g) and we were really amazed. We believed it would hold some weight, but not all or more.

 

As we looked back and reflected, we all agreed that starting over was the BEST option. Our first product did have some issues and we took those issues, learned from them and eventually developed a better idea than our first. It was a hard thing to do, but we have to do it a lot. We all get so attached to our first idea, or start something and find a problem, but don’t want to start over because we have put so much effort into it, but it’s part of life. Like everyone says, the first choice isn’t always the best.

We have all been put in this situation, in which we just don’t want to start over because of all the work we did, or simply because we are just lazy. But honestly, if a scientist who was developing a medicine some how put a wrong chemical in his medicine and he didn’t want to start over, so he thought about adding a different chemical that would overrule the other one, but then he thought about all the people it could affect, so he starts over. As he starts over, he realizes that he was using many dangerous chemicals, learns from them and tries something completely different, which ends up being a great success! He did have an option to start over and he took it and every time you are faced with a challenge and you have the option to start over, do it! Your second chance is almost always better than your first! Yeah, you will drop what you have been working on for blank number of days, but you learn from your mistakes and improve! Plus, what’s better, turning in something that you yourself know you could have done better, or turn in something that took you longer, but you put more effort? Exactly.