Year 7  Design Projects

DESIGN CHALLENGE 2001 - HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT 

- ROCK CONCERT STAGE    

SITUATION  A manager for one of the hottest musical acts of the decade has decided to present a benefit rock concert in the local park.  Since there is not a stage, your company has been hired to construct a temporary stage from sheet material which must safely hold the band and all of their equipment.

DESIGN BRIEF   Design and construct a scale cardboard model platform  210mm long X 210mm wide which will hold a minimum mass of 5 kilograms at least 50 millimetres from the surface.

Limitations: The platform must support the weight for at least 30 seconds.  No more material than the supplied amount of two sheets of A4 size light cardboard and 300mm of masking tape may be used.  Testing of the scale model will consist of placing weights that will be evenly distributed across the entire stage floor.  These weights will be steadily increased until the model begins to collapse.

RESEARCH / INVESTIGATION   Remember, there is no ONE correct answer to most design problems, just some solutions that are more suitable than others.  Before attempting to design the scale model stage, you need to investigate several issues in order to gain some background knowledge and get you thinking.  Find the answers to the following questions:

a) Compare the strength of a flat piece of paper to a piece that has been folded?

b) What is the difference in the strength of an empty aluminium soft drink can when you stand upon its sides compared to when you stand upon its ends?

c) What is meant by the terms tensile strength, torsion, compression, stability?

d)  What makes the walls of cardboard cartons so strong?

e)  How many times can you fold a piece of paper in half?

f)  What ideas can you obtain by looking at books on "Origami" and paper folding?

g)  Make a simple Origami paper model and look to see where its strength is obtained.

g)  See what information you can gain from investigating the following websites on the Internet?

    www.sgi.com/grafica/fold/page001.html

    www.paperfolding.com

    www.hopepaul.com/kids/solidgeo/solidgeo.htm

    www.origami.vancouver.bc.ca/

    www.learn2.com/08/0855/0855.asp

    www.tappi.org/paperu/classAction/balancingAct.htm#start

INITIAL IDEAS   Having hopefully learnt something about paper strength from the above research and investigation, now try to think up three or four possible solutions to the design brief.  

Neatly sketch these solutions and build a practice model of each of these initial ideas made out of plain paper.  

Carry out a PMI evaluation on each possible idea.

Remember that it is very rare if your first idea is the best idea and don't be disappointed if it is not very strong when you give the practice model a test with some weights.  Learn from your mistakes!  Remember that the Wright Brother's first attempts at powered flight didn't work...... they learnt from their experiments and mistakes.  Designing is hard work and designers require perseverance + perspiration.

DEVELOPMENT OF BEST SOLUTION   Having experimented, tested and evaluated your initial ideas, you may now be able to improve on the idea that appears to be your best solution to the design brief.  Make a neat drawing of your best solution so that the drawing communicates your design ideas clearly and simply to other persons.  Remember the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words".

MODEL MAKING   Using only the material supplied, construct a model of your best solution.

FINAL TEST & EVALUATION   Bring your cardboard model along to class on the date specified by your Design & Technology teacher.  Testing to destruction will take place as a class activity.

Record the weight that your model stage was able to withstand.

Write up a report on the steps carried out in testing the model in class and how your model finally collapsed 

Give detailed reasons for the success of your design and describe any modifications or alterations you would make to improve your design further?

 WHAT YOU MUST SUBMIT  The following items must be submitted to your Design & Technology teacher for assessment :

1)  The prototype cardboard model on the day of testing.

1)  A written report (ie a Design Folio) fully explaining all of the above steps of the design process that you have undertaken.  The Situation, the Design Brief, the Research/Investigation, Initial Ideas, Final Idea, Final model, Final test & evaluation.  Your Design & Technology teacher will inform you of the date that this Design Folio has to be submitted.

ASSESSMENT OF DESIGN CHALLENGE  The marking scale for assessment is as follows:

INVESTIGATION AND RESEARCH (15 points)

INITIAL SOLUTIONS (15 points)

DEVELOPMENTAL WORK (20 points)

PROJECT TESTING (15 points)

EVALUATION (15 points)

PROJECT MODEL CONSTRUCTION (20 points)

Click here to see some examples of student solutions & testing of the Rock Concert Stage design brief

INFORMATION & COMMUNICATION CONTEXT AREA
TERM 2  HOME RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

The Information & Communication technology (ICT) area has been one of the most rapidly developing areas of technology in the 20th century, the latter part of which is often referred to as the "Information Era".  Choose ONE of the following ICT products or systems:
1)  Television                                  2)  Radio                                             3)  Fibre Optics
4) Tape Recorder                           5)  Halography                                   6)  Telephone
7)  Integrated Circuit                      8)  Photography                                  9)  Printing
10) Photocopier                              11)  Cinematography                         12)  Microwave communication
13) Compact Disc                           14)  Modem                                       15)  Facsimile
16) Electronic Mail                         17) Bar Code                                     18) EFTPOS

EITHER:      
a) Trace the historical development of the selected technological product or system.
OR
b) Describe how the technological product or system operates.

* You will be required to submit for assessment:
(i) a 300 - 500 word written report plus diagrams and other graphics.
(ii) a 2 - 3 minute oral presentation to the class group.

* Marks for the written report will be awarded for evidence of depth of research, neatness of presentation and graphics.
* Marks for the oral presentation will be awarded for clarity and fluency of speech, eye contact, posture and general public speaking skills.

Refer to your Class Noticeboard at the bottom of this page to determine the dates the written submission and oral presentation are due.

DESIGN CHALLENGE 2000 - HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

-  EGG PROTECTOR

CLASS DESIGN PROJECT - BOARD GAME

SITUATION

Technological advancements have led to improved working conditions and fewer hours in the working week.  Most people now have more time for recreation and leisure to balance their lives.

DESIGN BRIEF

Design and construct a board game, including a set of instructions, that is suitable for an identified age group (eg 4-6 year old, 6-10 year old, etc).  The game must be educational, interesting and challenging and be able to be played by 2-6 players.

USEFUL LINKS TO ASSIST WITH GAME RESEARCH

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/BoardGameDesign1.html

www.discovergames.com

http://web.ukonline.co.uk/james.masters/TraditionalGames/index.htm

http://boardgames.about.com

www.meininger.com/ArtEdResPages/board_games.cfm

www.personal.psu.edu/users/w/x/wxk116/roma/rbgames.html

www.yahoo.com/Recreation/Games/

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec670/boardgamedesign/index.htm

Click here to see some examples of student solutions to the Board Game design brief

CLASS DESIGN PROJECT - 

CHILD'S TOY MANUFACTURE

SITUATION:  Toys provide an enjoyable opportunity for young children to learn many of the skills needed in life such as social skills, motor skills and spatial skills.

DESIGN BRIEF: The class is to act as a toy design & manufacturing company and establish a designer/client relationship with a child and his/her parent/s.  The class is to then design and manufacture 25 units of a toy, using the intermittent manufacturing method on an assembly line production basis to meet the needs and specifications of the client.

Click here to see examples of the design solutions developed by several of the Year 7 classes for their clients

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Year 7  Class Noticeboards for 2001

Murray High School students need to keep a watch out below for assignment work, assessment tasks, excursions and other class notices.  This work is issued in class but is published on this noticeboard as an additional record and also for the benefit of those students absent from school.  This information should be entered into your "Student Planner".

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