My goal now is to change the characteristics of the first project / design and make it better. I will consider my experiences from class and other areas to come up with more thorough solutions. My experience / interaction with children this semester has helped me to better understand how kids act and learn. I will keep my same exhibit as what I proposed the first time but with a few important changes.

As before, my goal would be to teach kids some of the basic properties behind common material groups, namely: ceramics, metals, and polymers. There are many other projects that could be considered such as heat capacity, phase changes, volume changes, phase diagram information, etc. However, a project that shows the general properties of the main
categories of materials, may be more useful for young children. It will be easier for them to understand and to construct an exhibit about. In addition, this idea leaves the door open for many ways to create an interactive exhibit. For this idea, I must first
decide on what particular properties I want to be able to demonstrate with my exhibit (hopefully all the main ones), and then I must decide on how this can be done in an interactive way. The main general properties(there are of course many exceptions) are as follows:

metals - malleable, ductile, hard, luster, good electrical conductor, metallic bonding

ceramics - brittle, hard, insulators, high heat resistant, ionic bonding

polymers - softer, exhibit substantial elastic deformation, low temp resistance, not good conductor, covalent bonding

There are a number of things that need to be taken in to consideration prior to designing the experiment to properly reach the kids. It seems like a good idea to keep the project to relatively simple concepts. It is very important to be on the same level as the
children since they tend to have a short attention span by nature. This project can be made to be equally attractive to both genders since there are so many options upon how to present it as will be discussed below. Another very important aspect about kids and many people is that they do not read directions. People in general seem to follow much better when being led by example rather than trying to read detailed directions. This concept is even more critical when dealing with children. Having people around to
demonstrate the exhibit and walk the kids through it may make a huge difference in results. It will increase the tructure/organization of the exhibit and ensure the children are actually learning. Time is another factor. If the exhibit is too long, kids may get bored and
not pay attention. The proper dynamics / time of the way the exhibit is made and presented must be considered to prevent this.

I would now try to think of a creative way to allow kids to observe these properties through interaction, and I must pick a material from each category that accurately represents the general properties. Having the kids interact with the experiment will serve two
purposes. It will help keep their interest since they will actually be doing something rather than just listening, and if it is done correctly it will allow them to have fun. A design team would be helpful to help come up and implement ideas from the start
since there are so many consideration / design constraints that must be considered . A good way to organize would be to have one main entrance to the exhibit (say a door that enter into a large sphere) with individual experiments or setups for each property inside the sphere. One area will focus on ceramics, another on metals, and the last on polymers.

These materials can be compare in terms of say electrical properties, hardness, heat resistance, malleability, strength, surface appearance / texture, molecular structure, etc. It is also very important to make the outside shell of the overall experiment attractive to children. I suggested a huge sphere of something of the sort because most kids will be attracted to this just like they are attracted to large dinosaur bones, etc. However, one must be careful that the kids do not get overexcited to the point of disorder due to the cool exhibit. This further shows the need for personalized instruction and a structured approach. Another important factor is safety. It may be complicated to setup certain areas in a safe manner that deal with electricity, crushing things, excessive heat, etc. This is where the design team would again come in. To display all the useful properties in exhibit form, the
design team will need to be diverse in many areas, and they must be able to intercommunicate well. Materials Science overlaps with all other field drastically since materials choice and selection is a huge part of all engineering disciplines. So to properly
illustrate Materials Science properties, a variety of different types of engineers would be useful.

For example, to demonstrate an electrical properties section: a Material Engineer could select the proper material from each category, and an Electrical Engineer could exhibit a way to send a current through each material (and maybe hook up
some type of lighting system to indicate if the material passes a current through), and a computer programmer / designer could link the current device to a computer. A civil engineer could be used to build the cases for the individual section and the large
sphere that encompasses the entire exhibit. The Materials Scientist should be the most proficient at illustrating the
microstructural properties of the materials. Big microscopes can be setup for kids to look in since they would probably like doing this. It is obvious that intercommunication / teamwork between respective team is necessary for the project to be successful. To achieve this intercommunication / teamwork environment may not be an easy task. One step would be to find people who enjoy working on projects that educate children. In this respect, the group members will at least be motivatedto participate in the project. There is no simple formula for achieving a great group. Problems may arise with the group (as with any group).
Actually finding these people is a very difficult task and is limited by the budget constraint. This may be done by advertising in various forms of media or contacting preestablished consulting firms. This does not guarantee that the people
assigned to the task will be truly motivated. A thorough interview procedure may be more effective at finding
proper qualities. However, this will cost more money and time to be completed. It may also be useful to look for people who have a history of doing these types of projects.

Experience is a HUGE factor in being able to get things done well. People with experience often learn from their mistakes or find better ways to do things that can be very effective. This is certainly one factor that I learned in class by repeating experiments.
After group selection, the group would need to meet to decide on what type of setup could be constructed for each property that was to be demonstrated. Once initial designs are completed, the proper people must be assigned to each task. It may
be tough to get past the initial stage since many designs are possible. It may be useful to have a group leader to make decisions, schedule meetings, and ensure things get done. The group leader could also take care of any paperwork issues, public relations, problem that arise within the group, etc. It is tough to have the right kind of balance with the group that is selected, and
the right dynamics can make a huge difference in productivity. This is where experience could be useful again. Groups that have done things in the past successfully could be a possible choice although there can also be issues associated with having
good friends work on a project together. It is tough to reach the proper dynamics here!

Surveys may be used to access types of personalities that may be compatible, etc. There is no easy answer here! Prototyping would be the next step in the design process. Small scale models of the proposed designs could be constructed or parts of the system (subsystems) could be prototyped. This will ensure that the ideas proposed are possible to design and work well. The prototypes will be limited by the material choices and the construction setup required (safety, etc.) by the proposed idea. The process could take a long time if complex parts are needed. Each subsystem of the overall may need to be designed
separately and then integrated into the overall system. Another key factor that dictates design (and so many
other things) is cost. Unless the project is funded by the government, cost minimization will probably be very important.

The main problems are likely to occur in finding the right initial design and design team to meet and the required criteria. Assuming the engineers on the job are good and have enough experience, making the design may not be as difficult. Having a
strong team that works well together is the key for success. Even with a good team problems may arise in
other areas. There may be problems finding the required materials / components to build the exhibit. There may also be problems that arise from translating an idea to a prototype or from a prototype to the actual build. Reconstruction or modification
may be needed at each step in the process. The key to getting past this"political garbage" is starting early. It is often difficult to try to do everything last minute and often things need to be compromised, etc.

The final step of the process is allowing outside people to test the design. The system will need to be maintained to ensure that everything functions properly.

Jon Bell