Last week was the first week of high school for
me. Monday and Tuesday were both a blur.
Teachers weren't assigning any real homework
except to sign some syllabuses. In Principles of
Engineering with Dr. Neat, we were introduced to
what we were to expect from this class, whether
it was the grading scale or the fun challenges
throughout the year. During Tuesday, we played
the Name Game. I, along with another kid in my
period, mastered the names of our classmates,
and were rewarded with Kit Kat bars, fresh from
the refrigerator. On Wednesday we received our
very first Wednesday challenge. The challenge was
to build a bridge solely from 3 month expired
pasta and wood glue. This was a special
challenge because this would last us a couple
of weeks, compared to the normal Wednesday
challenge that only lasts one period. Groups
were split up into two different rooms, the
normal classroom, or The Shop, a roomy area
that was built off of an old car shop. Run-down,
ancient car parts were scattered around the
room. My group and I combined our ideas to come
up with our top three ideas for bridges. I can't
give them away, or the whole process would be
worthless. On Thursday, we continued to further our
work on the bridge challenge by contstructing
our bridges with our materials. We finished
with some time left over. On Friday, we got
assigned our labtops and began our work on our
website. For the whole week, the Wifi was not
working, and still isn't operating at its best.
In conclusion, not a bad week to start off the
school year, and I am looking forward to the
school year.
8/15/2016
The beginning of the website! At least, that's
what it was supposed to be, but the Wifi did
not like us. Only about fifty percent of the
class was able to login, as well as launch
Notepad++, the program we are using to
incorporate daily logs and maintain our
website. Luckily, I was a part of the half of
the class that was able to login. A rough start
to the creation of my very first website, but
at least it's a start. I am egstatic about
having the ability to know the HTML language,
because my older brother is about to start
pursuing Computer Science, and I may be able to
help him through the process and even teach him
how to utilize HTML to its maximum capabilities.
8/16/2016 - 8/19/2016
On Monday, we learned about how websites operated
and how to use HTML to create it. I also researched the
different codes of HTML to help "spice up" my website's
look. On Tuesday, we learned even MORE about the websites
and only had about a hundred different problems regarding
to the wifi. We continued to work on the Spaghetti Bridge Challenge
during Wednesday and Friday. Even though one of our 5 test bridges
actually held the carton, we are still determined
to build. Thursday was the day where we edited the pdf of the
Spaghetti Bridge Challenge:
Spaghetti Bridge Wednesday Challenge
8/22/2016 - 8/23/2016
Two days down the drain, even though we furthered our work on the
websites, we have gotten nowhere. AGAIN. It's just HTML after HTML
after HTML. Yet, we finally learned how to input pictures into our
website. I can finally improve my website even more. When will this
suffering stop?!
8/24/2016
We worked on our Spaghetti Bridge today. Finally, a break from the
repetitive and boring work on the websites. My group actually
designed a bridge that could possibly let us win the competition.
8/25/2016
Today we worked on our websites for about the thousandth time.
No biggie, except for the fact that it's SO BORING. I can't write
about anything else apart from the WEBSITE. Even though it's a bunch
of fun to research the complex language of HTML, I would rather be
doing something else apart from updating our websites.
8/26/2016
Yay! My website has gone live! I can't wait to have the ability to
look up my website and see my hard work displayed on a computer
screen. Correspondingly, this awesome guy came in today, his name
is Mr. Wilton. He seemed to know EVERYTHING regarding robotics and
common sense. We discussed the brand new JPL Invention Challenge
with him, and he corrected a few mishaps, as well as setting an
amazing rolemodel. If you're interested, here is his website:
Mr. Wilton's Website
8/29/2016
We learned EVEN MORE of this website stuff. My friends requested
my assistance. I suddenly realized how much I truly know of HTML.
I have been able to whip up as good of a website that a veteran
of the class could.
8/30/2016 - 8/31/2016
On both Tuesday and Wednesday, we have continued our work on the
Spaghetti Bridge Challenge. We are way ahead of all the other groups.
This means that we have extra time to work on our websites. I enjoy
spicing up my website using HTML, and I am even more joyful that
Dr. Neat stopped giving us lectures about how to improve our websites.
Thanks to Jacob, I already know a lot of HTML, but I still love to
refresh my website and add daily logs.
9/1/2016
Ah, a full month of hard work to get to this day. The anxiety was
obvious in everyone's eyes. All of our hard work has been flushed
out because once we arrived at the Tech Shop, our bridge was BROKEN.
We failed, but if you want to know the results, Connor's team won
with a score of 13. I learned to use triangles in bridges to help
hold more weight. Here are the final results:
Spaghetti Bridge Results
9/6/2016
Today we worked on our websites. WHAT A SURPRISE. Not. I am
getting very bored because it's becoming the same thing EVERY
SINGLE DAY.
9/7/2016
Our very second Wednesday Challenge! This time we aren't being
assisted by veterans. The challenge was to come up with a
machine that could tell a dog apart from a cat. The only
rules were to 1)You can't harm the animal. 2) No human
assistance apart from placing the animal. Here is the PDF of
the challenge:
Cat vs. Dog Wednesday Challenge
9/8/2016
Today we are finalizing our websites for Mr. Miller. We are being
graded on three main components: 1)Content = 60% of grade.
2)Style = 20% of grade. 3)Mechanics = 20% of grade The
FileZilla servers crashed, causing us to not be able to refresh our
"live" websites. Hopefully we can update them tomorrow.
9/9/2016
Today the veterans and Mr. Wilton discussed and pinpointed the possibilities for our entries in the JPL Invention Challenge. The veterans narrowed down the seven ideas into three in order to begin work on the challenge. The three remaining ideas were the slide, the belt (aerial conveyor belt), and the Kevin Arm.
9/12/2016
Today we learned how to use SketchUp. I created a city using it. I took the responsibilty of coloring it PINK. Here is my masterpiece:
9/13/2016
Today we are switching between Mr. Neat and Mr. Miller. Mr. Neat helped us further our knowledge in SketchUp by copying a Jenga block. Mr. Miller went over the safety protocols with us so that we could soon utilize the equipment for challenges as well as assignments. We worked on SketchUp with Dr. Neat. Here is my creation:
9/14/2016 - 9/15/2016
On both Wednesday and Thursday, we worked on our third Wednesday Challenge. I was excited to know my group and how we would do. There are three things we learned: Consistency, Precision, and Teamwork. If you want to see our aproach and results, check this out:
Block of Wood Wednesday Challenge
9/16/2016
We talked about the JPL Invention Challenge with the aid of Mr. Wilton. The veterans revealed their "prototypes" of their builds.
9/19/2016
We worked on the Safety Survey because I was one of the five people that registered for the survey. I was happy that I did it.
9/20/2016
Today was a blur. I can't fully recall what we actually did, but I hope I will in the future.
9/21/2016
We were presented with a Wednesday challenge of moving a marble only using pipes, where each person on our team must touch the ball and move it. It was a struggle, but we eventually got the hang of it. If you want to know more, here is the form:
Marble Transport Wednesday Challenge
Here is a live video recorded by Alex Smith. Thanks, Alex!
9/22/2016 - 9/23/2016
We worked on our websites on both Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Alex showed us how to import a website into our website. On Friday, we were given the privilege to work on our websites while listening to the JPL Invention Challenge groups, and were able to see the actual builds. I am thankful that we were able to edit our websites.
9/26/2016
Today we saw our overall grades for our website. I was very unhappy with my score because I had mine updated up to a certain day, and whenever I tried to upload, the sr=ervers were crashed. At least now I know what to fix and what to take out. If you want to see how we were graded, here is the PDF of the grading scale:
Website Grades
9/27/2016
We started off the period with a frame-by-frame replay of a 2016 rocket explosion. It pinpointed the problems of the rocket, as well as how the explosion increased so dramatically in such a short period of time. If you are interested about this event, here is the video we watched:
9/28/2016 - 9/29/2016
On both Wednesday and Thursday we were presented with a brand-new Wednesday challenge. We were put into groups of three. We are given about one week of time to complete it. If you want to know more information, here is the PDF of the challenge.
9/30/2016
The Friday tradition of having the JPL groups present is amazing. In my opinion, I love the Kevin Arm. It's so different yet innovative. In total, I believe this is quite a difficult JPL Invention Challenge.
10/3/2016 - 10/6/16
Monday through Thursday, we worked on the Wednesday Challenge. It was to create an arch bridge with a keystone, no adhesives, and with the same material with the same dimensions. Here is the PDF of the challenge:
Arch Bridge Wednesday Challenge.
We were graded on Thursday. Unfortunately, we got DQ'ed due to the absence of a keystone.
Arch Bridge Wednesday Challenge PowerPoint
10/7/2016
JPL Invention Challenge groups presented once again. This time, they had real models, and one group even had a video. I am excited to see the final results of each group's build.
10/10/2016
Today we saw a video to start off the period. It was how music affects science. I loved this video because it combined music with what we are learning in high school. Here it is!
We also used SketchUp to create stairs by using the "Move" tool. This is what I created:
10/11/2016
Today we used SketchUp once again. This time we learned how to create curved edges. I painted a Jenga block's edges to show you. Here it is:
10/12/2016
IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! We were given a Wednesday Challenge. It was to construct a house solely using a deck of cards. No adhesives allowed, and bonus points of you use the whole deck. Here is the PDF of the challenge:
House of Cards Wednesday Challenge
10/13/2016
We are using SketchUp AGAIN. But this time we have to create a card, with measured curved edges as well. I love SketchUp because to me, it's quite simple. Here is what I created:
10/14/2016
The JPL groups presented again, but we had to move to the Tech Shop in order to see two of the designs. I love the design of the vacuum. It is simplistic, fun, and easy to build. I think that the trash truck design will most likely be the best candidate.
10/17/2016
We are using SketchUp to create a pencil now. It's basically just a review of what we have learned so far. I like to use SketchUp because it's very compatible with my style.
>10/18/2016
I am continuing my work on the pencil. It's a bit SKETCHY (I'm funny) but it's pretty good. I figured out the tool to draw any polygon with "n" sides. Here it is:
10/19/2016
We have a NEW Wednesday Challenge. I was excited because we were able to pick our own teams. Here is the PDF of the challenge for more info:
10/20/2016
The PowerPoint isn't fully complete yet, but it will be most likely be completed by Monday. I was happy about our score. If you want to see, here are the scores: (I'm on THE DREAM TEAM)
Triangle of Straws Scores
10/24/2016
I finished the PDF of the Wednesday Challenge. It turns out that the smaller groups demolished the larger groups. Here it is:
Triangle of Straws Wednesday Challenge
10/25/2016
I did absolutely nothing today. I was all caught up, so I was able to lay back and relax. It's nice to have a day off.
10/26/2016
Today we were presented with yet another Wednesday Challenge. It was to ESTIMATE the number of candy corns that could fit into an 8 by 21.5 cm paper. Here is the PDF:
Candy Corn Wednesday Challenge
10/27/2016
We were given a day to catch up on all of our recent projects. Whether it was SketchUp, a Wednesday Challenge form, or just updating our websites. During it, I finished my SketchUp of a Lego Block. Here it is:
10/28/2016
I enjoy watching the adaptations the JPL groups have made to accommodate Mr. Wilton's desire. It's getting a bit repetitive, but it's still a good break from SketchUp and our websites.
10/31/2016
THIS IS HALLOWEEN! HALLOWEEN! HALLOWEEN! Today I "drove" for the class! It was AWESOME! I hope I can do it again! Today was really chill, so I got to catch up on my website. I only needed to do today's entry, so I am super ready for this week's grading entry.
11/1/2016
On Tuesday we worked on SketchUp, as well as catching up on our websites. I am mostly finished, so it was a nice, relaxing day for me. There isn't too much to write about, so I am trying my best to extend these entries.
11/2/2016 - 11/3/2016
On both Wednesday and Thursday we worked on our new Wednesday Challenge. It was to design a capital letter E in SketchUp. It doesn't sound like much, but the PDF below will explain it with more detail. Here it is:
Capital E Wednesday Challenge
Here is the JPG's and builds of both E's we built.
Here are the results:
E Final Results
11/4/2016
The JPL groups presented once again. This time each group has a real-life model to demonstrate with. I'm excited to see the results of the competition.
11/7/2016 - 11/8/2016
On both Monday and Tuesday everybody got a chance to catch up with the required elements for our website. Once again, I only had to update these entries, so I got to kick back and relax.
11/9/2016
Today's Wednesday Challenge was special. I got to be a judge. The challenge was to determine the difference between two weights. Both were labeled as 1 kilogram. Here is the PDF of the challenge:
Scale Wednesday Challenge
11/10/2016
This is the last day of Mr. Wilton coming to the classroom to correct and improve the entries for the JPL Invention Challenge. The competition is next weekend, and I can't wait to watch them compete.
11/14/2016
We had another catch-up day, so I got the chance to update ALL of last week's entries, including a special Wednesday Challenge form. I love how chill, and laid back this class is. I'm thankful to have Dr. Neat as one of my teachers.
11/15/2016
We were finally given a day to work on our arch bridge groups. I'm with Edgar, and we chose the Rain and Wind Bridge. I'm happy about the future of what's to happen related to this project.
11/16/2016
Today's Wednesday Challenge was to use one type of adhesive to attach two pieces of metal to each other. It's a bit complicated, but I'll do my best to explain it in the challenge form. Here it is:
Sheer Force Wednesday Challenge
11/17/2016
Welp, I'm screwed. My computer died, and lost all of my hard work. Luckily, I was updated to November 14th. I guess I got lucky. It's gonna be tough to catch up on all of my entries and challenges, but I can sustain.
11/18/2016
Today's the last day of JPL. I got to start and end the timer for each group. I went behind the scenes, and got to see each group's approach and build.
11/28/2016
Today we worked on SketchUp. I created a reconstruction of our arch bridge. It was a simple task, but a nice review of SketchUp.
11/29/2016
Today the JPL crew gave us the overall breakdown of what happened at the JPL Invention Challenge Competition. It was humbling to realize that only one group actually succeeded. They didn't even enter, but they completed the challenge. I was a bit surprised by how much the other groups failed.
11/30/2016
A new Wednesday Challenge was presented to us. It's another one where two random teams pair up, with a SketchUp and a real-life construction. Here it is:
Building Wednesday Challenge
12/1/2016
Today we finished our SketchUp, Word Document, and building. Here is the SketchUp:
And here is the Word Document:
Scale Wednesday Challenge
Here is the photo of what we built:
12/2/2016
Today was a chill day, we watched MythBusters, and got to catch up on our websites. I'm happy that I caught up on my website, even after my computer died.
12/5/2016
Over the weekend, I rode up Brown mountain, here is a picture:
Today I found out that we won the Challenge. This is the very first Challenge I have won.
12/6/2016
For our final, we are creating our own solution to the JPL Invention Challenge. We were allowed to copy our school's entries, but we decided not to. I don't want to reveal our idea because someone else may steal it from us.
12/7/2016
Today we continued our work on the Final. This is by far the most enjoyable Final I have ever had. I'm excited to compete against Kevin's team's time.
12/8/2016 - 12/19/2016
I apologize for the lack of updates throughout this period of time. I was very focused on the final. It was hard to update my website, as well as balance my other five finals to study for. I will continue to update normally, but I can't remember too much from this time. I hope this isn't too depressing for you, but I'm sorry.
1/9/2017
The first day back at school after three weeks of vacation. It sucks. I could barely get out of bed today. Anyways, it turns out there's another option for creating our websites. It's Google Sites. I'm not gonna use it, but it seems pretty easy.
Here are the results:
E Final Results
And here is the Word Document:
Scale Wednesday Challenge
Here is the photo of what we built:
Today I found out that we won the Challenge. This is the very first Challenge I have won.