STEAM- INVENTION & INNOVATION PLEASE, SQUEEZE ME

OVERVIEW: For this project, you will be working with a small group to use the engineering design process to solve a
problem. That’s normal, but in this case, your group will be working to solve a specific real-world problem that impacts
members of the Simpson Middle School community. We will be partnering with Mrs. McCarthy-Dillon (Dee) who teaches
students with severe and profound disabilities. Her class presents some special challenges, and her students have
unique needs. You will be working to help provide a solution to one of those challenges and help meet some of those
needs. Mrs. Dee will visit with us at the beginning of the project to describe her class, her students, and the problem.
Since your solution will potentially be used in her classroom on a daily basis, you will have three focuses:

1. Sound research and planning to make sure that what you build is useful.
2. Extreme care and craftsmanship to ensure that your solution will hold up to regular use.
3. Respect to the students in Mrs. Dee’s class.

PROCESS: This project should take two weeks. The schedule that I have in mind is below:

Day One: Introduce project, prepare for Mrs. Dee’s visit, discuss project management.

Day Two: Visit with Mrs. Dee. Listen to her needs. Ask thoughtful questions. Begin research.

Day Three: Continue research, brainstorm, evaluate ideas.

Day Four: Make a plan

Day Five: Begin scale prototype construction.

Day Six: Continue scale prototype construction.

Day Seven: Complete scale prototype construction.

Day Eight: evaluate scale prototypes (Mrs. Dee will come back for this and choose the best one from each class).

Day Nine: Plan and begin constructing full-size prototypes.

Day Ten: Continue full-size construction.

Day Eleven (if necessary): Continue/complete full-size construction.

For this project and all those moving forward, you will be required to adhere to my timeline. If you don’t finish on time,
you will be assessed based on what you have finished. To that end, we will discuss some project management strategies
to help make sure that each team meets the proper deadlines.
PART ONE: RESEARCH – Use the space below to write down some questions to ask Mrs. Dee as well as to make notes
while she talks and to conduct some background research of your own.

QUESTIONS: Each group MUST write at least three thoughtful questions.

1. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

NOTES: While Mrs. Dee talks, make notes of things that you may need to know while working.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

OTHER RESEARCH: Conduct some online research about the desired outcome. Keep track of the URL where you find
information.
Information Source URL
BRAINSTORM: Use the space below to brainstorm at least five different ideas. Use words, pictures, or doodles to record
ideas.

EVALUATE IDEAS: In order to choose an idea, you should develop criteria for your solution and employ a decision matrix
to choose the idea that best fits the criteria. Use the space below to develop three CRITERIA for the success of your
prototype.

1. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Now use the decision matrix on the next page to evaluate the ideas that you brainstormed and choose the one that is
best. The decision matrix will be described in class.
PLAN: Make a plan for your prototype. Your plan should:

1. Be drawn on graph paper with pencil

2. Include AT LEAST two view orientations

3. Include labels of what each part will do and what it would be made of in your prototype and in the real thing.

4. Include measurements for your prototype and the real thing. Your prototype should be NO MORE than 1/3 the size of
the real thing.

The second part of your planning will be project management. To practice project management, your group should plan
who will be responsible for different parts of the project as well as when those parts will need to be completed and what
members of your group should be doing during down time.

Project Aspect Who is Responsible? When is it due? What does success What will others do?
look like?
BUILD IT: Use materials available to you to build your 1/3 scale prototype. You should be able to describe what each part
of your prototype does and why it is made the way it is.

TEST IT: When you have completed the prototype, you should test it. Using the criteria that you developed earlier and
any additional criteria, test your prototype. The chart below ill guide you.

CRITERIA RATING (1-10) Why is it rated that? What could have made it even
better?

PRESENT IT: The last step is presenting to Mrs. Dee. Make sure that you are prepared to answer any questions about
your design. Use the space below to write an outline of what your design is and why you chose to make it that way.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________
ASSESSMENT: Your group will be assessed based on the following rubrics.

PROCESS RUBRIC:

ITEM LACKING: 0 BASIC: 12 PROFICIENT: 16 EXEMPLARY: 20

RESEARCH No research Your group conducted 1- Your group conducted 3- Your group conducted 6
was 2 pieces of research 5 pieces of research pieces of research
conducted. (combo of questions and (combo of questions and (combo of questions and
research). research). research) and wrote in
complete sentences.
BRAINSTORMING No Your group included 1-2 Your group included 3-5 Your group included 5 or
brainstorming ideas in your ideas in your more ideas in your
was brainstorming. brainstorming. brainstorming AND used
completed. multiple forms (notes,
drawings, doodles, etc)
SKETCH No sketch Your sketch included 1-2 Your sketch included 3-4 Your sketch included ALL
was of the following: 1. On of the following: 1. On of the following: 1. On
completed or graph paper in pencil 2. graph paper in pencil 2. graph paper in pencil 2.
none of the At least two views 3. At least two views 3. At least two views 3.
four Labels 4. measurements Labels 4. measurements Labels 4. measurements
components AND it was consistently
was included. neater than average.
PROJECT No project Your group included 1-2 Your group included 3-4 Your group included at
MANAGEMENT management tasks on the project tasks on the project least five tasks on the
was management form OR management form OR project management
completed. most information was some information was form and all information
incomplete. incomplete. was complete.
EVALUATION No prototype Your group evaluated Your group evaluated Your group evaluated
evaluation your prototype on 1-2 your prototype on 3-4 your prototype on 4 or
was criteria for success. criteria for success. more criteria for success
completed. AND wrote in complete
sentences.
TOTAL:
PRODUCT CHECKLIST:

ITEM POINTS POSSIBLE POINTS EARNED NOTES

Prototype created to size indicated in 20 points
plan.
Prototype looks like plan (plans may be 20 points
adapted to match prototype).
Materials are used correctly and not 20 points
wasted.
Tools were used and put away correctly 20 points
throughout construction.
Work area was cleaned each day of 20 points
construction.

PRESENTATION CHECKLIST:

ITEM POINTS POSSIBLE POINTS EARNED NOTES

Your group created an outline of your 20 points
presentation.
Your group explained how your prototype 20 points
worked without prompting (-5 per
prompt).
Your group explained at least three 20 points
decisions you made in construction
without prompts (-5 per prompt).
All members of your group were involved 20 points
in the presentation.
Your group was able to provide answers to 20 points
all questions from Mrs. Dee.