Today's Wednesday Challenge was very unusual. We did not use any sort of mathamatics, and the moral of the lesson was nothing realated to mathamatics or robotics. It was about teamwork. We had to align several PVC tubes and had a marble roll down. Unfortuntely for us, we did not have enough PVC tubes, so when the marble rolled over ours, we had better quickly give it to the next person. It was an intersting way to teach teamwork. We lost... but we learned a very valuable lesson.

Student Example

WC Form #4

We updated our websites with photo's from our Last Wenesday challenge. We also updated our WC form, which you can see above! You can see the photo's Dr.Neat took right below! Other than that, we talked about the JPL challenge, and we talked about how much the ball should bounce. Dr.Neat even asked one of my classmates, Lyron, to write a program about how much a ball could bounce (!).

Dr.Neat wanted to see our photo we took on our CD SketchUp. Was a pretty slow day, none of the JPL challengers came out, and everybody updated our sites. Nothing much to report.

For our final for this 1st Quarter, we need to create an arch bridge. I have an idea to use lighweight materials, and a little plan. The rules for the challenge are right below.

We decided what tools and materials we would use, which we're supposed to be foam. I stayed behind and looked at prices and a place to find foam. I picked Jo-Anns.

I decided from prior knowledge that a template could've been of use. We could build an arch template, and then push it our when all of the blocks we're in place. My whole team agreed.

I went to the workshop today and cut wood today. I learned about safety, and how to use a saw. While that, my team began cutting our Foam pieces.

It was the day of the compeitition!! I think we pancicked when the template didn't work, so we decided we would use the triangle block method instead. Our bridge became lopsided, and our final score was 2. The veterans then demonstrated how to use our materials correctly, and used the shape of quadrilaterals... instead of triangles.

We saw our grades today... it was very saddening. By grade dropped by a little bit, and we didn't win the challenge. But, with a happy heart, I updated my website and worked on our powerpoint. I look forward to getting a PERFECT score.

Arch Presentaion

Cole's Stuff

Today was a pretty cool day today. We had a new challenge in SketchUp... building a pencil. It took me a long while for me to find out how I was supposed to do it, and I needed to get the measurments. You can see it right below!

We wrote up 3 sentances regarding our Wednesday challenge. It was reguarding on how you could tell from what you can tell from what is a cat from a dog... without human interaction. And, as the title suggests, we needed to write only 3 sentances. I think we we're on the right track... but for safety's sake, I won't post up our sentances.

Wenesday Challenge #5

txt form

We went to the shop today. We tried makeing the number 8, so we spent most of the time drawing out the number 8 model. You can see ALL of the construction pieces for the JPL challenge right below.

JPL Rules

Mr. Wilton came today and commented on the JPL design. It was a pictching machine, and the team apperently wants to modify it to shoot instead of softballs, but to shoot Jelly balls. It was an interesting, despite how much varibles the team will now have to face. The wheel, how big the machine, how much power they will use, makes me dizzy just thinking about it. I hope them the best!

We updated our websites becuase Dr.Neat is going to grade us very soon. I'm glad becuase I have all of my links, and all I needed to do was help a fellow student, Max. It was a pretty chill day, helping out my classmates, helping them get live, I'm really just "hanging out". Nothing much to report.

Today was an awesome day! We did SketchUp, and for once in my life, I didn't need any help! We we're supposed to make a Lego Bricks, and even though we only needed one, I created much more. You can see my pieces of artwork right below. I am the Lego master!

We made the perfect design! Me and Max created 2 arches that resemled a heart. It has no centerpiece, and we made it really difficult. I guess the purpose of the entire challenge is to make it simple, but as you want it to be more complex, you have to do little tidbits here and there. I hope we win.

We sent off our design and recived another design made by period 5. It was surpriseing VERY easy. I kinda felt the kids didn't put alot thought into it, and I felt they we're in a rush to complete there project. We finised there build in a matter of minutes. Besides that, I completed my Wednesday Challege form. You can see it right below!

Wenesday Challenge #6

Resalts.

We listened to the JPL challengers on there design. They plan to repurpose one of the old robots used in the 2006 JPL challenge. Mr. Wilton wants them to work earlier, due to making parts he argued, would take a long time. He also stated that the robot, other than it being very damged, when it was used in 2006 challenge, it didn't do half of the things the engineers wanted to do. Lastly, Mr. Wilton brought up another interesting point... last week, the challegers brought out a pictching machine, and it seemed they we're ready. But now, the JPL challengers switched to somethig so quickly.

Mr.Neat made a little boo-boo on my grade. I got a zero on my link score, bringing down my grade to a 90%. I freaked out for a little bit, and he quickly changed my score, once he saw all my links. Phew. I really want a perfect score in this class, and I really don't want a low A. I must stay vigilant! Lastly, we got photo's from Mr.Miller. You can see them right below!

Well... today was an eventfull day. We as a class tackled one of our most tedious challenges up to this day in SketchUp... making a doorway (Cue dramatic music). But thanks to Justin and Cole's help, I was able to use the follow me tool to create such an abominable thing. Thank goodness for lines and components. You can see the impossible... right below.

For today's challenge we had to estimate how much candy corn it would take to cover a piece of paper. Long story short, we saw the base of the corn was 1/2 an inch, so we counted how many half inches on each side. We then multiplied both of the sides, revealing our answer. It was pretty simple.

Wenesday Challenge #7

Resalts.

It was the day before our Halloween weekend, and tension was building... well not really. For the first part of class, we listened to the JPL challegers and there "plan" to make there robot. They seem to have a good timeline planted out, and I'm not really worrying about there agenda. Speaking of timelines, I have created a new tool for my website! I have made a comment tool! WOO HOO! I can now listen to input from my other classmates. I am so happy that all of this planning has made me the best website EVER! I do hope Dr.Neat will consider my website. That's all for today!

We we're faced with newest challenge on SketchUp, createing a closet door and our name. It was pretty easy... for Cole. I kinda felt Dr.Neat went overkill on the warm-up. Personally, instead of us createing our name for the warm-up, we should've just done the plain door activity. But besides that, I was pretty prepared for the task. I even had enough time to post my model on the SketchUp website.

We learned of our newest project in robotics,(classic drumroll) BRIDGES!!! For the entire period, we learned about the Tacoama bridge, located in Seattle. It was an interesting story. It was built three times, and the 1st bridge broke down by strong winds. I hope I get a good grade for this project. I have been getting strait A's so far.

Bridge List!

Example

We did a Wendnesday challenge about how a scale worked. Our group memebers consisted of three people (Roy, Hunter, and me). We built a SketchUp model of the scale, and explaned about pengelums, counter-weights, and the center of gravity. I think we did pretty well, with our presentation and our explanation. I hope we win.

Hot diggity! We had to update our websites! And half of my WC entries.... were incomplete! But thanks to the saving of old templates, I successfully was able to update my website, and get all my entries all under the hood. Phew. Look below for my newest WC form, #8.

Wenesday Challenge #8

Hi everybody! Dr.Neat is going to see my website over the weekend. I'M SO SIKED! Since my grade dropped, (BOO!) I have updated my WC forms, and making sure I have A LOT of entries to present to Dr.Neat. I even asked him to test out the script I found online, HTML comment box. I hope he comments. Over than that, the JPL people presented there newest machine. They we're able to add a tripod, and constructed a motor. Im proud of them. I hope they win!

Today was another SketchUp day. We had to make a curved handle for our closet door, and had to create a letter. I was pretty difficult, but I was able to pull it together. Thank goodness for the follow-up tool. Thats all for today!

What a day. We had to start our offical Bridge presentation, and I had no partner... but no worries! With the day tommorrow, (Veterans Day) and with the help of Matthew (My partner :p), we completed a good 4/7 slides. I can now focus on my Health project... thats all for today.

This is the Helix bridge...

Hello Everybody! Today was an awesome day... I helped a friend of mine get comments. I'm so happy! Other than that, I saw my grade today... and it was an A! WOO-HOO!

Hi! Dr.Neat wasn't here today, and It was a pretty held back day. We didn't do that much, but we saw the completed version on the JPL'ers machine. Other than that, we began to update our Bridge Presentaion. Good Job Guys!