10/5 Design and fab 4

This class we continued working and cutting out our shapes on the lazer cutter. We faced many challenges such as not saving properly or not being able to get it on the flash drive. Personally I struggled with controlling the lazer cutter. The software was very difficult for me to understand and personally I am bad at technology so I left the computer stuff to Takuto but I was in charge of selecting the cardboard.

Takuto and Rhys with printed shape

Printed Shape

Shape on Computer

DF4 10/1/2015

We started off class by simply by creating our symmetrical shapes.

Making our symmetrical shapes

Working very hard with our best friends (well sort of)

After making our symmetrical shapes, we printed our model out by using this very cool printer.

This is how the printer works:

When the printer finished, this is what the product looked like:

Homework: . If you already printed your symmetrical shape, then you Have no homework If not, then Finish Designing your shape on the AutoCAD program and BE ready to Print it out next class.
***Week 6 blog post by Monday morning***

9/29 DF4

Some people were able to create their shapes.

Today in Class we mainly played around on AutoCad. The day started off slow with Ms. Sutter helping out those who did not have AutoCAD already on their computer. Once everyone had AutoCad up and running Ms. Sutter showed us some of the basic functions and tools in AutoCad. Then we were off on our own playing around with AutoCad and becoming familiar with the program. We learned some tools in the program like exploding and creating polar arrays. By the end of Class everyone had a pretty strong understanding and could of create their shape they designed on paper onto the program.

playing around with autocad

HOMEWORK: For Homework due next class please be finished or work on your design in AutoCAD.

9/25 DF4

Today we had to work on making ideas for our new unit, we started out thinking of about 20 designs that we could cut out using the laser cutter. The next step was to narrow those 20 down to 3. Finally, by the end of class we had to choose one design that we would use for the laser cutter and sketch it out like we did above. The homework due on MONDAY is to finish the week 5 blog post. 

9/23 DF4

Today in class, we reflected on our LED light circuit cards. We were divided in to groups of three or four, and worked on one Google doc with one person in charge of a certain question/explanation.

We explained what we learned before the whole crafting process, what we based our projects on/inspirations, the How-To steps on creating a working circuit card like ours, and things we would have improved or changed.

This is an example-snippet from my group's document: (Credits to Connor and Zen!)

How To: Making A Paper Circuit

Tools: Scissors, copper tape, battery, LED lights, Exacto knife, tape, cutting mat, material to construct card/object out of (e.g. cardboard, colored paper), etc.

Resources: Makezine Circuit Tutorial

Time needed: 30-45 Minutes

Experience level: Little knowledge of circuits

Overview of project: This project is both fun and interesting as it engages the maker in many ways. The feeling that comes when you finally make your circuit work is a real amazing moment. Although it takes a while to get into, it is really worth the effort. It is a great learning experience and teaches you a lot about circuits and how we can incorporate our learning about this in our real world.

Step By Step Guide:

Step 1: Brainstorm ideas for your circuit and gather necessary materials.

Step 2: Plan your card or object by sketching or outlining it on paper.

Step 3: Plan your circuit by considering where the battery, LED lights (and possibly switch) would go, as well as the design and how you will fit it into the card/ object.

Step 4: Start to create your card or object, with regard to where you will place the circuit and where everything will go. This will most commonly be made out of paper or cardboard, with other pieces such as tissue paper included in some parts. Material may vary.

Step 5: Start placing your copper wire, leaving gaps for the battery and LED lights, the way you planned out before.

Step 6: Insert your battery and lights, ensuring that the lights turn on.

Step 7: Finish your card or object by adding finishing touches, such as drawings, color, or additional parts, such as transparent tissue or cardboard pieces.

Step 8: Stare in awe as your circuit lights up right before your eyes.

9/16 Design&Fabrication 4: Toys out of Circuits

Today in class we continued with our LED circuit toys/creations, in hopes to complete it that day (many succeeded, many did not). This has been a good experience for us in terms of learning how the circuit lights work and leading us to inquire how we could make things out of scratch using these materials. 

Below are some examples of the completed creations and how they worked:

This person made a house lighting up, using a switch, circuit tape, a light, and a battery.

Similarly, this person made a house being "abducted by aliens".

Homework:
Make sure you are ready for your next class and can pick up from where we ended last class.

9/14 Design&Fabrication 4 Making Circuits

Today we thought of what we could built using circuits. First, most people sketched out an idea of what they wanted to do on a piece of paper, and then cut it out or traced it. Some people took the cardboard paper and decided to make a 3D house and put lights inside or some decided to make a pop up card with something in the middle that lit up. First we took construction paper and made our design and then we decided how to layout the circuit, making the lights turn on. Next class we will finish what we made but here are some images showing what people created,

To make the circuits work, we had to make sure that the lights were touching a negative and positive side because the battery needs to touch both sides. Sometimes it is difficult to make a circuit on something that is very small because you need space for the battery, the lights, and all the tape.

Homework: Think about how and what your going to do next class with your creation. 

9/10 Design and Fabrication lab 4

Today in class we all made our own circuits! We first started off by watching a video to learn how exactly battery and circuits work, to get a greater understanding of the work we would be doing today.  Next, we made drawings of schematics for simple, series, and parallel circuits, and were taught the difference between all three. 

Then, we where of to work on creating a real, working model of our own circuit. To do this we where given a piece of paper, two LED light bulbs, copper tape, and a battery.

Although it was challenging, everyone seemed to get their LED bulb to light up (with a little needed help for Ms. Sutter).

Homework: Week three blog post 

 Prompts: 

• What was the most challenging part of making the 3D Cardboard figures? 
• What was one key concept or big idea you learned about circuits / batteries?
• What was one challenge you faced when making your actual circuit?
• What was a lightbulb moment with circuits as you made them in class?
• I was wondering . .

9/8 Design and Fabrication Lab 4

Today for our Design and Fabrication lab we were given a partner to share ideas, then work independently, on a 3d model. We started by drawing out a rough draft on the back and then proceeded to move onto a hard graphing paper to draw out the outline. We then moved onto finding a way to make the shape come together without using glue or tape. Although a few of us finished our shape most of use are still cutting out the final bits of the shape.

9/4 Design and fabrication 4

 Activity 1:

        For the first activity we checked our homework on our shape sketches. We took our blue pens

and corrected mistakes that our peers made. After we checked and fixed mistakes we then received a

paper of harder shapes to sketch. Unlike the last shapes, these were more time-consuming and took

more effort to complete correctly. Most of us noticed this after we finished the first one.

Activity 2:

         As our last activity of the day we went to a website called IFTTT (if this then that).

We were all amazed by all of the cool things that this website had to offer. We could ask it to give us phone calls should ever and awkward situation come about. We could have it send us emails as

reminders to complete homework. We were all amazed at the amazing things that we could set up and

all of us signed up for at least two or three.

In conclusion, it was a great day of design and fabrication.

**HOMEWORK**   Drawings 1-4 on the new handout, 3 Recipes in IFTT, and Week 2 Blog post 

9/2 Design and Fabrication 4

     Today we first looked at the class blog and talked about how it works. Next, we watched videos on Little Bits and how to use them. After this, we experimented with Little Bits and made little creations of our own to understand what all the little pieces do. After we got the basic understanding of them, we moved into working on our drawings of figures and reviewed the ones we had to do for homework. We started drawing 8 new figures. (9, 10, 13, 14, 19, 21, 23, 24)

Homework
- Create an account on ifttt.com
- Complete drawings of all 8 figures: 9, 10, 13, 14, 19, 21, 23, 24

8/31 Design & Fabrication 4, 2

Today in class students set up their individual blogs and wrote the start of their first blog post.  The documentation sheet from the scribble bot activity last week was the basis for the Week 1 post, as there was only one class last week to work with.

**Note** All of the links to the individual student blogs can be found on the Fall Blogs page / tab on this class blog.

The last 30 minutes of class was spent introducing Orthogonal Projection from isometric figures.  Students completed at least figure 1 and 2 in class, and figure 3 and 4 are due Wednesday. 


HOMEWORK: 
Finish Week 1 Blog Post by Wednesday
Finish orthogonal projections for figures 1, 2, 3, 4 for Wednesday - proper format AND using highlighter lines

8/27 Design & Fabrication 2 & 4

Today class 2 and class 4 of Design and Fabrication made scribble bots. Everyone did a great job of rapid prototyping, diving in to making with materials and getting marks on paper quickly. Every 5-7 minutes everyone took photos of their bots, and any time they had a moving, mark making bot they shot a video. While the work was independent, in that everyone made their own, there was lots of support for table-mates and class mates as things worked, didn't work, and everyone trouble-shot their bot.  The end of class was spent reflecting on their design process and product(s) on the Documentation Sheet, which will serve as notes for their first blog post next class (Monday!).

HOMEWORK: Finish your documentation sheet and make any notes you need to remember what worked, what the challenges were, and how you addressed them during class. Bring your computer to class (always!), your phone (always!) and your documentation sheet and be ready to create your individual blogs. Oh - and a pencil, eraser, and a highlighter or two would be useful.