Activities
Timeline
| WEEK | HUMANITIES | MATH | PHYSICS | DELIVERABLES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Media Project | Scale Drawings | Electricity | |
| 2 | Media Project; Demographics (1-2 days) | Linear Graphing & Algebra with Excel | Electricity; Engineering Drawing & Design | Initial Product Proposal (IPP); Start Portfolio |
| 3 | Media Project; Patents (1-2 days) | Linear Graphing & Algebra with Excel | Electricity; Engineering Drawing & Design | Patent |
| 4 | Finish Media Project; Economics, Advertising | Linear Graphing & Algebra with Excel | Electricity; Engineering Drawing & Design | Slogan, Logo, and Tagline |
| 5 | Advertising; Intro to Marketing |
Electricity; Engineering Drawing & Design (1-2 days) | Engineering Plan I; Print Ads | |
| 6 | Advertising, Marketing | Business Development | Prototype 1 | |
| 7 | Advertising, Marketing | Finance Math | Business Development | Prototype 2; Radio Ad |
| 8 | Advertising, Marketing | Finance Math | Final Engineering Plan; Prototype 3 | |
| 9 | Advertising, Marketing, TV Ad | Finance Math | Financial Plan; TV Ad | |
| 10 | Final Prototype; Web Page; Pitch |
Project Narrative
Week One
The project begins by giving students the project sheet (Appendix II.1) and breaking students into their project groups (we used groups of two whenever possible). During the first week we study electricity, following a fairly traditional progression through electrostatics and electrical potential. The project work focuses on generating ideas for products. To facilitate brainstorms, students are asked to think about things objects they use every day, such as a toothbrush or comb, and then think of how it could be turned into an electrical product to make the task easier. The teams generate ideas and create sketches of what the product could look like. In math, students learn how to make scale drawings of simple Lego creations.
In humanities, we begin with a mini-project (Media Project) that supports the larger project. The goal is to collect enough data from observing different media so the students can write an informed essay about the media. Students form Home groups of three persons. (Each group chooses one of the media options and then joins the larger television, newspaper or periodical group known as their Media group. Each group decides which students will collect data from their choice of media. In the newspaper group, at least two students choose the New York Times, two choose The Wall Street Journal, two choose the local paper and so on until each student has chosen which newspaper he will be responsible for examining. The television group divides up responsibility for collecting daily national news broadcasts of CNN, Fox, NBC, CBS and ABC. Time, Newsweek, U.S. News and World Report are the choices for the magazine group. More can be added as needed. It is important to make sure the groups are collecting data for the same week. (See Data Collection Sheets, Appendix II.2) Once the data begins to come into the classroom, it is the responsibility of the media groups to accurately organize and maintain the information. A lecture about the history of the media in the U.S. is appropriate this week. High school government texts are good resources for this information. One last note: choosing a prompt for the essay could either be a student's choice arising from a genuine question or the following, which has always worked well: Is the American media the watchdog of the government or in reality a business?
Week Two
Students prepare their Initial Product Proposal (IPP), due at the end of the week, and are given the IPP Rubric (Appendix II.4.1). The IPP includes a product description, a loan application (Appendix II.3.15), and a resume from each group member. At this point it is necessary to begin discussing the design process that engineers follow. Students use the Lego creations from week 1 in order to learn three-view perspective diagrams. The study of electricity continues as students learn about electrical current. To facilitate this process, students complete the Potato Current Lab (Appendix II.3.3). Also, to understand more about how electrical products and appliances work, students begin to study electrical devices. Samples of twelve electrical devices are given to groups of students, and they complete the "Schematic Diagrams & Electrical Devices Guide" (Appendix II.3.1). Each group of students is given a set of the "Device Info Sheets" (Appendix II.3.2) and they use these to fill out their guides. At the end of the week students complete the "Lemon Battery Lab" (Appendix II.3.4) in order to understand more about electrical current.
In humanities, we continue to collect our data. Classroom discussions focus on what we are observing and recording. How much information is disseminated in a 30-second news broadcast compared to a five-page news article in a magazine or newspaper? What is the reading level of the newspapers or magazines? Why are there differences? How is news defined? What products are advertised? And most important, what does this all tell us about the audiences or readerships? Teachers will want to check on the organization of the data gathering. VHS tapes should be clearly labeled with dates and times of broadcasts. This week is a good time to introduce the idea of liberal and conservative political thought. There are lots of surveys on line that students can take. These provide an excellent way to spark discussions about identifying not only themselves but where in the political spectrum their media might fall. This week is also a good time to introduce demographics, including the four basic groups. Students should be introduced to the prompt for their essay. The teacher decides how to conduct this assessment (in class timed writing or out of class, length, writing goals, etc.).
Week Three
In math/physics, we begin with a review of linear graphing. At the end of the week, students begin work on a math lab, the "Arm Span & Height Lab" (Appendix II.3.7). Project work continues as students prepare to submit their patent application (Appendix II.3.16), including engineering drawings for the patent office. Two major activities are completed for physics: Electrical Devices in Action (Appendix II.3.5) and Controlling Circuits (Appendix II.3.6). The goal is to be able to understand series and parallel circuits, make schematic diagrams of circuits, and use Ohm's Law in problem solving. These activities continue in the following week.
In humanities, this is the last week of data collection for the Media project. With more and more observations, students should either begin to form opinions about what the news is or raise important questions that lead to jumping off points for further research. The goal is for students to be able to predict which demographic groups are being appealed to by the different media. Towards the end of the week, students should be migrating back to their Home groups to compare notes and ideas for each of their media. The objective of the Home group is to support each other in writing their essay, even if it is only to swap ideas and data. Thesis statements, outlines and first drafts should be reviewed. We also want to discuss patents as legal protection for one's ideas. A patent office should be set up, and deadlines for patent applications should be set. Teachers should be wary of products that are not original and are already on the market. Sometimes, at the discretion of the patent office, ideas can be accepted if they are an improvement for an existing product.
Week Four
In math/physics, students complete the Arm Span & Height Lab and learn to use Microsoft Excel for graphing and graph analysis. This is an excellent week to wrap up circuits and conduct an assessment on electricity. The project work is really starting take over class work as students are preparing for their first submission of their Engineering Plan. The Engineering Plan I rubric is distributed (Appendix II.4.2). In this plan students create a parts list for their prototype, a three-view perspective diagram, and a schematic diagram of the circuits in the prototype. It is essential to check in with the students often as they work on their Engineering Plan.
In humanities the students' final media essays are due. At this point the students form their business by giving it a name and creating the logo, slogan and tagline to be used for the marketing campaign. The students should begin to keep a portfolio that contains copies of all their work (logo, slogan, radio ad script, etc.) and a sign-off sheet indicating whether they met their deadlines. This is a good week for a couple of Socratic seminars--one to assess what they learned about the media and another about the ethics of advertising. Lectures covering the economic topics and an introduction to advertising techniques should be scheduled for this week. Now would be a good time to bring in a professional from the field for an additional talk and assessment of the students' logos and slogans.
Week Five
This is an especially busy week, since students are building their prototypes and must turn in their Engineering Plan I. One or two lessons are given on web design using Dreamweaver and each team submits a rough draft of their company webpage on paper. More than 75% of class time this week is allowed for project work.
In humanities things begin to heat up and the stress begins to rise a bit. A shift begins as more time needs to be given over to work time and less for teacher directed activities. Print ads are due this week. The black and white ads are designed for the newspaper and the color ads for magazines. Students need to be reminded that all advertising needs to include their logo and slogan. Ask the students how they will choose which newspaper and magazine their ads will appear. Clearly their answer should depend on which media will reach the largest number of their target groups. Research should include the cost to advertise in their newspaper or magazine and which demographic groups are being reached by those particular choices. Students are encouraged to contact their respective media choices to inquire about the costs of placing ads.
Week Six
Business development begins officially during this week. Students work in groups to complete the activity "Setting Up Your Company" (Appendix II.3.8). They begin designing their company's building as well as determining how many employees they will need. During the middle of the week the first official Prototype Review is held. Students are assessed with a rubric for Prototype Review 1 (Appendix II.4.3).
In humanities more and more instructional time is given over to project work and meetings with the teams to assess their products and progress. Radio ads are due this week, with scripts going into their portfolios. Students should be reminded that the length of their radio spots (as with the television spots) is critical and must be exact. Topics for inquiry and discussion include costs of buying time for their radio ads, how rates are affected by the length of their spots, the time placement of their spots, and how many time slots to purchase. The focus here should be how much of their target groups will they reach, or how much bang will they get for their buck.
Week Seven
In this rather intense week, students begin learning about the financial side of their business now that they have determined the number and type of employees they will need. The first step is to learn about business finance with "Finance: The Bottom Line" (Appendix II.3.10) and complete the Cost Break Down activity (Appendix II.3.11). The work on "Setting Up Your Company" is completed and students complete a peer evaluation of the work with "Evaluation of Setting Up Your Company" (Appendix II.3.9). Finally, there is a second prototype review using a new rubric (Appendix II.4.4).
In humanities, work begins on the television ads. Many of the considerations for inquiring about rates for their spots will be the same as for their radio ads. Students may construct their ads with a traditional camcorder or using software such as Vegas, Dreamweaver or Flash.
Week Eight
This week is given over primarily to project time, during which students complete the Final Engineering Plan. The rubric for the Final Engineering Plan (Appendix II.4.5) is more in-depth than for the first engineering plan and requires the students to make a detailed parts table, submit revised versions of their engineering drawings, write assembly instructions, and give final electrical specifications of their prototype. There is also a third prototype review (Appendix II.4.6) to keep students improving and troubleshooting their prototypes. A few major financial math lessons are also given so students can complete "Cost of Goods Sold" (Appendix II.3.12). Work on Cost of Goods sold requires close monitoring as it is very challenging work and students may still need support when using Microsoft Excel.
In humanities work continues on the television ad and anything else a team may be behind in. Ninety percent of instructional time should be devoted to work time for the students and assessing progress for the teachers. It is during this time that the teacher's role really becomes to resemble that of a coach. Most discussion is about reminders of upcoming events, what a good ad consists of and related issues. Teachers should keep an eye open for any articles about the trade to use as a stimulus for a class discussion.
Week Nine
Students complete the "Break Even Analysis" (Appendix II.3.13) and "Income Statement" (Appendix II.3.14). By the end of the week all of their work on business finances must be compiled into the Financial Plan. The rubric for the Financial Plan (Appendix II.4.7) should have been given out the previously, during week 7 or 8. Again, it is absolutely essential to check in with each group on their progress with the financial plan because the work is sequential and errors must be caught early.
In humanities work continues on the television ad and anything else a team may be behind in. It is a good idea for teachers to ask to see any completed work on the ads. Students should be reminded about the last requirements: the splash page for their business website and their "pitch."
Week Ten
Week 10 is finally here! Students fine-tune their prototypes and give their official Prototype Demonstration in class (rubric: Appendix II.4.8). Students give their pitch in their teaching teams, and teachers select a few groups to present to the expert panelists the following day. For these presentations, students are assessed with the "Pitch Rubric" (Appendix II.4.9). The week ends on a very exciting note as students dress in their best business attire and get feedback from experts on their ten weeks of hard work!
In humanities final checks are made and portfolios are submitted and assessed. Time should be given over to teams to organize and practice their pitches. The unit ends with a bang as the students present their work to the bank presidents, loan officers or venture capitalists in attendance.