In class we’ve been learning about closed circuits. To keep the circuit closed or open you can use a switch. We were assigned to make three switches, each switch needs to have a metal conductor such as tin foil. I wanted to make my switches unique. My first switch had a straw stuck between two wooden blocks. I punched a hole in the stick and stuck it in the stick. It also put tin foil on a pice of card board that stays on the ground. Then I put tin foil on the popsicle stick. My second switch was really simple, but our class was planning to play a game with the switches so I thought it would be fast. I got two pieces of cardboard and then I glued the tin foil on top of then. Then you press them together. For my last switch I got two pieces of cardboard and put tin foil on them. I also got a straw and punched holes in the cardboard. It stuck the straw through the holes. That makes it so you can spin the cardboard on top of each other.
Author: ssaeed25
Color Blind Glasses.
It must be really hard to be color blind. One out of 20 men are color blind. Now because of advanced technology, companies are making glasses to help those people. The glasses are really cool. They’ve let some people see color for the first time. Imagine how good it would be to see in color for the first time in your life. If you are interested in learning more go to https://enchroma.com/https://enchroma.com/
My Favorite Tools!
In technology we use a lot of different tools. Some of them are fun and others are not. I like using the soldering irons. They are effective and nerve racking. They get really hot and can burn me. The piece of solder gets hot too, especially if you’ve been using them a lot. I also like the glue gun it actually feels good when the glue gets on your skin. The saw is fun, but it is really hard. The saw kept getting stuck in the PVC pipe. The drill press is not very exciting because it does all the work.
Technology!
Technology has been my favorite quarterly because I really like the project we do. My favorite project was the flashlight. My favorite tools were the soldering irons. I liked it when we got free seating because I can work on the projects with my close friends. I also liked it when we learned about atoms. Before technology I knew nothing about atoms. The circuits were fu. They sparked the idea for battery bomb which were fun to do at home.
Battery Bombs!
Yesterday in class we learned about circuits. If a circuit has a direct path from the negative to the positive side of a battery the electron rush through the circuit and create heat. This causes an explosion that makes the battery really hot or it can start leaking chemicals. You only should do this if you have a controlled area that won’t catch on fire. The battery is more likely to have a big reaction if the battery has a lot of power.
Making our Flashlights!
In July a soccer team from Thailand got stuck in a cave after their game. They were exploring in the cave, when a monsoon struck outside. Inside the cave it was pitch black. Our task was to design a flashlight that was waterproof. We had to use the materials that are local to the people in Thailand. All we could use were PVC pipes, wires, a switch, a battery, and an LED light. First we needed to map out our design on a diagram. It had to be drawn to scale. Once we got the diagram approved, we could saw our PVC pipes to fit our design. The sawing was hard because the saw kept getting stuck in the pipe. As we each finished, we could make holes in the pipe. The holes were for the switch and light. That was pretty easy because the drill press did all the work. Finally we soldered the wires to the battery, the switch, and the light. That was the final step.
Atoms!
In class we are learning about atoms. An atoms is broken up into protons, neutrons and electrons. Atoms have a nucleus made of the neutrons and protons. The nucleus is really hard to brake. Around the nucleus are the electrons, they orbit around the nucleus. An atom is tiny the amount of atoms in a grapefruit is equal to the amount of blueberries that fill the world. Then if you make one blueberry the size of a NFL football stadium only then will you see the nucleus. Atoms are everywhere so it is important to understand them. Press this link to see a diagram on atoms.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Atom_Diagram.svg
I Learned…
Yesterday I learned a lot about the safety rules in technology. In technology we use a lot of different tools that can be dangerous so we have to follow safety precautions. One of them is to slow down and think before we act. Another one is to tie back hair, but that does not apply to me. I think it is really important to protect your eyes. Anything can happen so you have to be prepared.
My Final Presentation #7
Yesterday I had my final Capstone presentation. After we had our moving up ceremony, we were ready to present to the parents. When I got to school in the morning, I saw that I was presenting first in the computer lab and that made me very nervous.
Once I got the room, I did not understand what was happening because all the parents were talking and I was just standing by the screen. Finally Senor Johnson got there attention and it was time for me to start. I felt nervous, but at the same time, I felt that I really knew my script and that I had prepared well for my presentation.
When I started everyone became quiet and was focused on my presentation. During the presentation, I felt confident and I remembered what I planned to say. I kept looking at Asher’s dad because he was smiling and right in front of me. Now reflecting on my presentation, I thought I did a really good job. I learned that practicing a speech a lot of times helps you because you know what to do if make a mistake. Practice also made me feel more comfortable in front of a group. I was really happy I went first because I could enjoy all the other presentations after I finished!
Capstone Post #6
After we wrote our main inquiry essays, we needed to make our presentations to share to our parents and the rest of the school. For our presentations we could either do an ignite or a TED Talk. At first I wanted to do an Ignite because I liked the idea of being done after three minutes. I changed my mind because the Ignite doesn’t give enough time to share all the things I learned about social media. The TED Talk is more flexible and if I were to fumble, it would be easier to get back on track. First, I had to write my script. I wrote out what I was going to say for each slide. I had to tweak my script a lot because I was not really sure about what I wanted to say before I got started. After I finished my script I started my presentation. The pictures in my slideshow related to the things in my script. My slideshow is about six minutes long. Now all I need to do is practice for my presentation. I’m glad I chose to do a TED Talk instead of an Ignite.