Introduction
Before beginning the Capstone Project, we have to learn what we are each passionate about while also learn basic parts about engineering through thoughtful activity. The Capstone Project is the main project we work on during our senior year, in which we create a product of our own, figure out how to make it, recieve advice from mentors, and make a presentation for our work. Below we will be presenting our passions and interests in order for our classmates to know more about ourselves. The first activity we will be doing in order to introduce ourselves into engineering is called, Looking at an Object as an Extraterrestial.
Here we were told to figure out our passions and interesting in order to know what each other's strengths are, and be able to form effective groups for our Capstone Project. If each person in the group have different strengths, then it is easier to split the work within the group and create a well rounded project. This is also useful because due to remote learning, we have less direct social interaction with each other, making this a more effective way to learn more about our classmate and possible teammates.
For Looking at an Object as an Extraterrestial, we were tasked with taking a man-made object from our home and making observations about it as if we knew nothing about it. It started with making raw observations in which we took time to record anything we could think about the object. Then we created for organized observations about the object, long with questions. This helps us become more observative and more open minded about what we see in the world around us, incresing our creativity.
Here we were told to figure out our passions and interesting in order to know what each other's strengths are, and be able to form effective groups for our Capstone Project. If each person in the group have different strengths, then it is easier to split the work within the group and create a well rounded project. This is also useful because due to remote learning, we have less direct social interaction with each other, making this a more effective way to learn more about our classmate and possible teammates.
For Looking at an Object as an Extraterrestial, we were tasked with taking a man-made object from our home and making observations about it as if we knew nothing about it. It started with making raw observations in which we took time to record anything we could think about the object. Then we created for organized observations about the object, long with questions. This helps us become more observative and more open minded about what we see in the world around us, incresing our creativity.
Passions and Interests
Thing relating to art and visuals is one of my main passions and one of the things that I enjoy the most. Examples of these is making graphics and formating documents and presentations in order to clearly convey information. I also have access to drawing pads and drawing programs. However, I am also interested in math and doing calcuations. Something I also enjoy doing is building objects, usually wood, but I am open to different mediums. Below are some examples of art I have done in the past.
Looking at an Object like an Extraterrestial
The object I chose for this activity was my little hedgehog, Har Gow. Below is the information from the original document I made my observations on, along with photos of Har Gow.
Photos
Observations
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Raw
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Organized
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Questions
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Possible Uses
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- Small object
- Its cute
- Spikey
- The stuff on the back can be lifted but goes back down
- One of the appendages on the bottom is movable while the others seem to need force to move them but would most likely result in breaking the object
- The seems to be a pattern with the texture on the back
- The part (nose) in the front can bend a bit down
- Object easily rolls
- Object has button
- Two lights turn on when button is pressed
- Noisy
- The inside of it seems complicated
- Many parts fitted together
- Gears screws
Shape
- Overall it takes a circular, rolled up form
- A lot of spikey parts on it
- Two smooth objects that are on the sides of the lighter part
- The bottom is somewhat open to its inner workings
- Seems to be fair symmetrical
- Two main colors
- Dark blue
- Light beige or tan
- None
- It’s kind of noisy when button is pressed
- No noise when button is not pressed
- Heavy enough for it to stand its ground
- Light enough to be easily carried
- A little spiky though so I would not carry for extended periods of time
- Back
- Hard but thin material (plastic?)
- Dark blue (do I even know colors?)
- Seems to have pattern
- Thins down at one end into a blunt point
- One end is fatter but splits into two smalls blunt humps
- Overall it is thin and seems easily breakable
- Sides
- Blue part
- Harder than back
- Thicker than back but still not super thick
- Much more firm
- Spiker than back, could possible but good for scratching people
- From the tan section to away from the section, the spikes seems to become slightly smaller
- There is an appendage that can almost be seen at the bottom of this section
- Tan part
- One dark grey circle on each side
- One thin but firmly piece on each side
- Sticks out more than the spikes
- One appendage can be seen clearly on each side near the tan section at the bottom
- Blue part
- Front
- Blue
- Hard and seems thicker than most parts
- Spikes seem to point away from the front towards the back
- This section ends with a U like shape
- This section has smaller spikes that do not really poke out
- There is a button
- Hard and seems thicker than most parts
- Tan
- Hard but seems split in the middle
- Two objects on the side stick out
- Two dark circular objects
- Comes down to an almost flat bump with the tip being dark
- Hard but seems split in the middle
- Blue
- Bottom
- Everything is made of the same hard material but it also seems more fragile because there are so many different parts
- Four similar looking appendages of plastic, hard but seems breakable
- Four black circular objects
- Many different parts that fit together
- Silver things
- Tan spiky circles
- Spiky stick
- Everything is made of the same hard material but it also seems more fragile because there are so many different parts
- Top
- Thin layered plastic, still solid but thinner than most of the other parts
- Repeating pattern
- Seems to be spikes connected in sections
- Spikes sit flat so they don’t poke you unless you lift them up
- Thin layered plastic, still solid but thinner than most of the other parts
- Why are there two main colors?
- Why does the inside seem more fragile than the outside
- Why is there a pattern in the blue sections?
- Why is there such little texture in the tan section?
- Why is it so spiky?
- Why cute?
- How come the front tan section seems heavier than the rest if the object when it is one of the smaller parts?
- How come only one of the appendages is easily movable?
- Why is it so symmetrical?
- Why do the back spikes have the ability to be lifted up but the side spikes do not?
- Why are the spikes on the back and the spikes on the sides different?
- Why is the tan section split in the middle and the blue section isn’t?
- Why is the bottom of the front tan section able to be flicked?
- Rolling- seems to be built in a way that makes it easy to roll
- Attacking- very spiky, could do some damage
Reflection
This activity was really interesting because it was intriguing to think critically about objects that I do not really pay much attention to. It was also really enjoyable to let go of everything you knew about an object and try to thinking about it in a new way because it helped me see things about it that I had not before. There were definitely times when I was not really sure what else to say about Har Gow, but after taking a day to not directly think about it, it kind of helped my mind reset a bit. Overall I think this was a good way to start out the class because it helps get the brain thinking in a different way before getting to the hard stuff.