End of Semester 2
Generating Ideas
Ben and I made a rocking chair out of a wooden cable drum for our final project. To do so, we had to take apart the original design and put it back together in the style of a chair. We figured that we could take apart the chair, route another line for the boards to follow, and the put it back together. We did not anticipate the difficulty in these steps. After taking it apart, which was slightly difficult due to the rusted and stuck bolts, we started to think about how to recreate a path for the chair. There was a basic idea of the curve needed to provide comfort and stability as well as a little experiment to understand where the most weight should be placed to insure safety. Through this, we learned that the weight should be placed below the center for ease of rocking. Ben made a small cardboard model of what the chair was going to end up like which helped us draw out the new lines on the sides. However, it was difficult to copy the same curves on the second board. If we had created a better system, through graphing the curve or simply tracing in full to transfer to the other piece, the process would have gone a lot smoother.
Communicating, Thinking in a Clear, Accessible Way
As I mentioned before, we had a basic model to go off of. Through following that and pictures on the internet, asking questions to the teacher, and being assisted by peers, we were able to put our chair together. That being said, we had a very difficult time during one of our first attempts to put the two sides together. We had about four other people helping us by holding middle pieces upright while we tried to line up the two sides. No one, including us really, knew if this method was going to work or not (it didn't) and therefore I feel as if we did a bad job directing the helpful hands.
Recognizing and Resolving Errors
Since we did not use a very accurate method to trace the new paths, there were issues with fitting the middle boards in place. Because of that, we had to go back through and chisel away any parts that were blocking the path. After finally having a chair form, we realized that the pieces that would hold the most weight needed more support from underneath. To do this, we took small pieces of wood and screwed them into the board as well as the side from underneath. In addition, we added two more support beams in the back of the chair to stabilize it. We also added a board in the back to stop one from rolling farther than intended. Before, you could feel the boards sag when you sat and there wasn't anything to catch you in the back; but after it felt quite sturdy and trustworthy enough to rock in it.
Reflecting and Synthesizing
After finishing our chair and looking back on how we built it, I can see many flaws but also how we overcame them. During some parts, quitting seemed like the best option. However, seeing how much effort, time, and (honestly) guessing we put into it, it is definitely worth it. For instance, we ended up securing the middle pieces into the sides by guessing where to put the screw in since we couldn't see through the side piece. The process took a long time, and there probably was an easier way, but we made it work through and through. The idea of perseverance is the main thing that will stick with me from this project that can be helpful in many other labors. Just knowing what great end to an experiment may just make it worth the work and wait.
Ben and I made a rocking chair out of a wooden cable drum for our final project. To do so, we had to take apart the original design and put it back together in the style of a chair. We figured that we could take apart the chair, route another line for the boards to follow, and the put it back together. We did not anticipate the difficulty in these steps. After taking it apart, which was slightly difficult due to the rusted and stuck bolts, we started to think about how to recreate a path for the chair. There was a basic idea of the curve needed to provide comfort and stability as well as a little experiment to understand where the most weight should be placed to insure safety. Through this, we learned that the weight should be placed below the center for ease of rocking. Ben made a small cardboard model of what the chair was going to end up like which helped us draw out the new lines on the sides. However, it was difficult to copy the same curves on the second board. If we had created a better system, through graphing the curve or simply tracing in full to transfer to the other piece, the process would have gone a lot smoother.
Communicating, Thinking in a Clear, Accessible Way
As I mentioned before, we had a basic model to go off of. Through following that and pictures on the internet, asking questions to the teacher, and being assisted by peers, we were able to put our chair together. That being said, we had a very difficult time during one of our first attempts to put the two sides together. We had about four other people helping us by holding middle pieces upright while we tried to line up the two sides. No one, including us really, knew if this method was going to work or not (it didn't) and therefore I feel as if we did a bad job directing the helpful hands.
Recognizing and Resolving Errors
Since we did not use a very accurate method to trace the new paths, there were issues with fitting the middle boards in place. Because of that, we had to go back through and chisel away any parts that were blocking the path. After finally having a chair form, we realized that the pieces that would hold the most weight needed more support from underneath. To do this, we took small pieces of wood and screwed them into the board as well as the side from underneath. In addition, we added two more support beams in the back of the chair to stabilize it. We also added a board in the back to stop one from rolling farther than intended. Before, you could feel the boards sag when you sat and there wasn't anything to catch you in the back; but after it felt quite sturdy and trustworthy enough to rock in it.
Reflecting and Synthesizing
After finishing our chair and looking back on how we built it, I can see many flaws but also how we overcame them. During some parts, quitting seemed like the best option. However, seeing how much effort, time, and (honestly) guessing we put into it, it is definitely worth it. For instance, we ended up securing the middle pieces into the sides by guessing where to put the screw in since we couldn't see through the side piece. The process took a long time, and there probably was an easier way, but we made it work through and through. The idea of perseverance is the main thing that will stick with me from this project that can be helpful in many other labors. Just knowing what great end to an experiment may just make it worth the work and wait.
Final Project Reflection
At the beginning of the project work time, I personally did not have an idea of what to make. I ended up pairing up with ben and his cable drum rocking chair idea. He found an example of this online which inspired him to create it. I saw a picture and though it was a really interesting idea and so I joined him. Together, we went through about six basic steps in creating the final product. We could have applied math more by actually creating an equation to follow for the paths, but even without creating an equation, we learned that graphing needs to be done very precisely in order for everything to match up and work correctly. One of the steps included using a router which was a new technique taught to us by the teacher. Although we consulted with our teacher a fair amount of the time, the way that we finally put together our chair we came up with on our own. Our system used for stabilizing the boards we also came up with. I feel as if one of our biggest challenges was getting the newly routed paths to match up between the two sides. To fix this problem, we manually chiseled away excess parts of wood. Overall, this project seemed a bit daunting at times but in the end I think that it was a pretty good balance of difficulty and I am quite proud of our final piece.
End of Semester 1
Content Skill
This semester in math, I feel like I have learned a lot about logarithms and natural logarithms. This was shown in a POW (problem of the week) we did about earthquakes (below). In this POW, I had to convert numbers in the Richter scale to numbers symbolizing intensity and vice versa. Logarithms (log) are used to find a variable exponent. Natural logarithms (ln) are used if the equation has Euler's number in it (e).
This semester in math, I feel like I have learned a lot about logarithms and natural logarithms. This was shown in a POW (problem of the week) we did about earthquakes (below). In this POW, I had to convert numbers in the Richter scale to numbers symbolizing intensity and vice versa. Logarithms (log) are used to find a variable exponent. Natural logarithms (ln) are used if the equation has Euler's number in it (e).
Also, you can see on Explorations 16 and 17 (below), I had to complete logarithms. To explore logarithms further, I learned about expanding logarithms into multiple logarithms (17, 1), how to rearrange logarithms so be able to solve for a variable (17, 5), and use logarithms in a word problem (17, 7). Along with that, I learned how to solve a logarithm with a subscript number: ex-log(sub3)(17)=log(17)/log(3)=ln(17)/ln(3)=2.58 as well as the relations which are: log(x)=y and 10^y=x and the natural logarithm relation is ln(x)=y and e^y=x.
Problem Solving Skill
The main skill that I have worked on this semester in math has been brainstorming multiple answers. This especially came out during seminars of explorations. During one of these seminars, my entire table did not know how to do a question and I suggested that people just share out all of their first steps so that we could try to figure out the correct way to complete the problem. Another time was on my own while doing POW 5 (final product below). I had no idea where to start, I just knew that I was supposed to use a Pb^rt exponential equation.
The main skill that I have worked on this semester in math has been brainstorming multiple answers. This especially came out during seminars of explorations. During one of these seminars, my entire table did not know how to do a question and I suggested that people just share out all of their first steps so that we could try to figure out the correct way to complete the problem. Another time was on my own while doing POW 5 (final product below). I had no idea where to start, I just knew that I was supposed to use a Pb^rt exponential equation.