Category: 6th Grade Tech Class

For the past week, we have been diagraming and designing a real working flashlight. The diagram I designed that was in the shape of a gun. There is three wires, two red that connect to the switch and one black wire. The materials we had were PVC pipe, wires, solder,    battery, switch, and more.  We started with a first draft with the PVC pipes. After we started to measure everything like our wires and pipes. After all of this diagraming and approved from our teacher Mr. Calvert, we could finally start out real flashlight. Diagraming was a important part of the process and really made me start to think.

In class we are designing switches that can light a LED light. My first switch design, I got from the inspiration of someone else. This switch would be a push switch. You would push down the popsicle stick and the tin foil on the popsicle stick would touch the tin foil on the cardboard. There is also a rubber band that provides the popsicle stick to go back to the original place. This is the switch:

My second switch was a very simple clapper that when you fold down the cardboard, the two tin foils touch. The fold also gives a bounced back feature that lets the fold bounce back. Here is the switch:

These are my first two switches.

LIGHT BULB! How do these machines work?  To complete a circuit and to light a lightbulb you need a closed circuit. The electrons in a circuit need to complete in a full round. The electrons will travel through the light bulb and light the bulb up.  Circuits are very complicated machines. Some of these circuit make a bigger and brother lightbulb with more volts of power but some are conservative and more dim. Tech has been very interesting . I have learned so much tech stuff in this class. I now know about atoms, elements, etc. I am exited to see what we learn next. Different materials can conduct better electricity. Wood does not conduct but metal does. Circuits are innovating things.

TECH CLASS. MIDDLE SCHOOL. 4TH QUARTER. At first I thought tech class was about technology and the internet and you probably think it will be too. WRONG! Tech is a class about creativity and building. I just had my first three days of tech and I now realize that we will be using power tools to make creative useful projects.  In tech, you have to be especially safe in the room. 1st rule: Think before you act. Thinking is very important. Thinking allows you to realize what you are actually doing and if it is safe. Some of my friends have shown me projects that they have made like flashlights, wooden machines and many others. I am so exited for tech class and the many things we will explore. Welcome to Tech Class!