Improve Your Build
Answer the following questions in your engineering notebook as you tinker with the build.
-
What would you change about the build if you wanted to improve it? Explain at least one change.
-
What steps will you follow to change the build? Explain with details and/or sketches.
-
Do your changes to the build make it work more efficient or powerful? Explain how.
Or, do the changes make the build usable for more tasks? Will more people want to use it after the change? Explain how the change affects how it is used.
Teacher Toolbox
1. Student changes may include ways to increase the speed or power of the V5 Gear Box. Answers may vary but students should express their idea(s) of an improvement to the build through writing and or/sketching in their engineering notebooks.
2. The amount and content of the steps may vary, however, students should present steps in a logical flow when explaining how they achieved their outcomes.
3. Students will answer these questions differently depending on the changes they want to make to the build. As long as their answers show evidence of critical thinking and explain sufficiently, then they are correct.
Make your changes to the build and then test them.
A. Did your changes make the build better? Explain how, or why not.
B. How many times did you try to change the build? What happened during each try? Explain.
C. Is there a change you would like to make but need additional pieces? Explain with details and/or sketches.
Teacher Toolbox
A. Answers will vary, but students should include both the positive and negative impact of the changes they made to the build, if there are any.
B. Students should list each attempt, followed by the impact of the change to the build.
C. Arguably, students can answer in the negative but should be encouraged to think further about it and consider some additional pieces. Details should include either named pieces from other kits or proposed pieces that could be 3D printed.