High Tech High - Project Based Learning

Today's Machines

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Overview

Through this project students connect the ideas of today's technology and innovations to discoveries made centuries ago. Our essential questions are, "Are we and our technologies a product of our ancestors?" and "How did ancient technologies shape and change cultures?" Working individually, students start by choosing a machine or invention that exists today. From that machine or invention, they choose one integral part that existed before 1400 C.E. Students research their part to learn about its origin and the person or persons who invented and first used it. They learn the physics underlying the invention and study how cultures were changed because of it. They may also choose a part that did not exist before 1400 C.E. if the knowledge underlying it dates from before 1400 C.E.

Products

Students will produce each of the following:

  1. formal research report
  2. video script
  3. 6-8 minute video

Each student completes a movie and burns it onto a compact disc. The students are encouraged to enter their movies in local competitions. Our culminating event for this project was a movie night. Two classrooms were arranged to resemble theatres and invitations were sent out to the families of the students. A program was assembled and all the movies were shown on the "big screen" to an audience of friends and family.

Learning Goals

Students will understand:

  • The historical context of their machine, the integral workings of the machine, and the physics concepts that come into play in the workings of the machine.
  • MLA formatting and research methods as well as the inside workings of a university library and advanced search engines.
  • that behind each complex modern machine lie the workings of ancient simple machines
  • the importance of storyboarding, scripting and revision in creating a final product

Students will be able to:

  • create a 6-8 minute video explaining the physics concepts behind their machine as well as the historical context in a professional and coherent manner
  • conduct research and organize information in a coherent research report
  • to use research to create a script
  • use Sony Vegas film editor, Acid pro music editor, recording technology and simple and complex picture editing tools
  • engage in peer revision and editing
  • use media to demonstrate learning

Content: Topics & Standards Addressed in Today's Machines Project

Throughout the project, students learn about:

  1. Physics
    Physics standards addressed may vary considerably due to the many different concepts chosen by the students. For example, one student chose the lens as his ancient technology and the Hubble Space Telescope as his current machine. Having chosen the lens, he learned the material covered in the following California physics standards:
    1. Waves - Waves have characteristic properties that do not depend on the type of wave. As a basis for understanding this concept, students know:
      1. that waves carry energy from one place to another.
      2. how to identify transverse and longitudinal waves in mechanical media, such as springs and ropes, and on the earth (seismic waves).
      3. how to solve problems involving wavelength, frequency, and wave speed.
      4. that radio waves, light, and X-rays occupy different wavelength bands in the spectrum of electromagnetic waves whose speed in a vacuum is approximately 3108 m/s (186,000 miles/second).
      5. how to identify the characteristic properties of waves: interference (beats), diffraction, refraction, Doppler effect, and polarization.
  2. History
    California has not set forth standards for 9th grade history classes, beyond stating that ninth grade courses "should build on the knowledge and experience that students have gained in kindergarten through grade eight. They also should contribute substantially to students' preparation for the three subsequent years of history-social science education that are mandated in Education Code Section 51225.3."
  3. English Language Arts
    The ELA standards covered include standards for research, writing, and interpretation, at the discretion of the instructor. In the course of this project we explicitly addressed approximately 30 standards for writing, language and research and implicitly touched on many others.

Materials/Texts/Resources

  • computers
  • university library access
  • Sony Vegas software
  • audio recording equipment