Spring has Sprung

8th Grade

We have been working with various mechanisms and how different gears can change speed, torque and direction of mechanical power. Most recently students have been learning how to program/code the VEX Robotics sensors and motors using RobotC. RobotC is a programming language that the VEX Robotics platform uses. It is really fun to see students learn to program and utilize the sensors to make motors turn on or off. The coding will get more challenging as the course moves on and as students have to design, build and program the VEX robotics parts to complete different tasks. If you would like to see what your son or daughter is programming and get an idea of how robotC works ask your student to show you the help videos that I posted to youtube.

VEX Robotics Programming Testbed

7th Grade

Students have been learning and using Autodesk Inventor to create assembly files and drawing files. Through the pegboard toy activity students learned how to maneuver around the Autodesk Inventor program. Now they are taking what they have learned and applying it to our furniture design challenge. Each student received a client and are designing a piece of furniture that meets the clients specific needs and wants. The purpose of this activity is that students get to experience what it is like to design for a client in mind and not just  for themselves. I always talk about the HGTV show Fixer Upper during this lesson and explain that the Chip and Joanna in that show always take the needs and wants of their client in mind when they design a house.  In the coming week we will be starting on shop safety and begin to work on our woodworking project. Also I just want to let all parents know that students will be coming home with a safety form and a document explaining the shop fee for class.

7th Grade Furniture Design. This student's client likes video games. 

More 7th grade furniture design. 

6th Grade

Students are designing their dragsters for the races. They are done using the computer software to designing the cars and are now ready to build.  That being said students will be coming home with a shop fee document if they have not already done so. I am really excited to see the various car designs that the students came up with.  I will post pictures of the completed cars on my blog once they are complete.