39-245
Rapid Design through Virtual and Physical Prototyping

Project 3: Transformation of Energy

For project 3, you will design, build and test prototypes of activities that engage students in learning about transfornation of energy. The target audience are the middle school girls who participate in the two-week summer SEE program at Carnegie Mellon.

In class on Thursday February 27, we will brainstorm ideas about the concepts children could learn about energy and the environment through hands on learning. You will then form teams of 3 based on your interests, skills and team preferences.

Your exhibit must:

• engage a child's curiosity to learn about energy
• appeal to all types of children, with differing levels of knowledge and abilities
• be safe and durable
• use appropriate and sustainable technology
• employ principles of universal design
• consume supplies that can be procured easily and cheaply, or - ideally - materials that can be found for free or recycled within the exhibit
• include at least one part manufactured by the team

Very Preliminary Project Ideas: Tuesday March 3

Preliminary Project Idea: Thursday March 19

Even at the end of this class, your concept will still be preliminary. You should plan on changing and improving your ideas as you get feedback from me, your classmates, children, your friends, etc.

Project Description: Due Tuesday March 24

By March 24, each group must create a web page that answers the following questions:

1. What is the science or engineering concept that the children will learn?
2. What will the children do and how will they learn it by interacting with your exhibit?
3. How does your activity meet the requirements given above?
4. What supplies will be needed? What needs to be manufactured? If appropriate, include a sketch of the activity.

Everyone in the class must register for Meeting of the Minds by Wednesday April 8, but you can't register until you have an abstract approved by me. We'll talk about this more in class.

Proof of concept prototype: Due Thursday March 26

Each team must bring a proof-of-concept prototype of their activity to class. The purpose is to see whether the exhibit will work and to get more concrete reactions and suggestions from the other teams. The prototype can be made out of anything and can be ugly as all get out, but it should demonstrate the concept and convince you that your idea probably will or probably won't work.

Sequence of prototypes in April:

The details on these prototypes will be added later. We will have groups of children coming to class to test the projects. Your first test with children will be at Moving 4th into Engineering on Saturday April 4th. Throughout this time, you will be refining and improving your activity. I don't have a fixed schedule for the visits yet.

Complete web site due Tuesday April 28

Your web site should document your exhibit, explaining what it is teaching and how it works. It should include enough information so that if someone else wants to duplicate it, they would be able to. This web site is for external consumption, so you should not include the design process information that you put in your portfolio.

Completed project due Thursday April 30

By Thursday April 30, you must turn in your completed project

Meeting of the Minds: Wednesday May 6

The final presentation of your project will be during Meeting of the Minds. All the projects will be set up in the Conan Room. More details to follow.

sfinger@ri.cmu.edu