Learning Fair: Bringing Back the Blackstone

Last week, the ETA held its annual learning fair on Wednesday, December 7th.
It opened with Mr. Garcia introducing the night, and explaining the learning fairs to the parents, guardians, and guests on the students. Ina Zhidro and Ama Agyeman-Williams, the student speakers, talked about the project. Zhidro walked through the specifics of the project and how it related to all of the five core subjects of the Engineering and Technology Academy. Agyeman-Williams spoke of the dangers of procrastination and about the more challenging aspects of the project. 

Mr. Garcia opening the night

Ama Agyeman-Williams

Ina Zhidro

After that, the learning fair officially began. Guests walked around, seeing the models and the all the hard work the students had put in. Students explained the fair to the guests and showcased the projects that they had spent so long on. It was the busiest fair we've had in years!

At the end of the fair, two raffle winners (one guest and one student) were awarded $25 gift card to Barnes and Nobles. We'd like to thank the students and teachers for all of their hard work and dedication. If you have any ideas on how we did at the fair, please comment below. We'd love to hear your thoughts!

From left to right: Ms. Cochran, Ms. Vanni, Ms. Perez, Mr. Garcia and Mr. Simmarano

The Blackstone Canal

Engineering and Technology Academy Invites You!

The ETA is holding their 9^th annual “Bringing Back the Blackstone” project fair, and welcome the community to see. Those who attend will have the freedom to walk around and talk to the students, parents, and staff about the projects and the future of the Canal District, in a casual environment. Snacks and drinks will be provided.  

Date:
December 7th, 2017

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm.

Location: In the cafeteria of Doherty Memorial High School

The Blackstone Canal

The History of the Blackstone Canal:

An artist's rendering of a modern Blackstone Canal. www.golocalworcester.com

The Blackstone Canal was a canal that ran from Providence to Worcester, through the Blackstone Valley, giving it its name. The canal was created by a merchant community that wished to profit from the trade in the greater Worcester area. The proposed waterway would use water locks and natural bodies of water to give the people of Massachusetts and Rhode Island better prices for their goods. The builder of the canal was Benjamin Wright, who also helped create the Erie Canal, and Holmes Hutchinson, who went on to build canals in New York state.  Construction began in 1825, and on October 7th, 1828, the Lady Carrington officially opened the canal. The canal was very profitable to Worcester. At its highest, the canal was 451 feet, and passed over 45 canal locks. The canal also helped to bring the countryside into the more urban parts of Worcester and Providence.  

An etching of the Blackstone canal. www.blackstonedaily.com

However, the canal became increasingly polluted over time and was made obsolete by trains, which moved far faster than the boats. In 1848, the canal was closed, and later, due to pollution, Worcester covered up what remained. The canal still exists underneath Harding Street. 

The canal being covered up in Worcester. www.worcesterhisory.org

Overview:
The basis of this project is the idea of bringing back the Blackstone Canal. This would increase tourism in the area, causing the need for new businesses along the canal, boosting the local economy. The students are each "given" a 120x120 ft. plot of land, as well as one of five sectors to work with, ie. commercial, residential, industrial, recreational, and cultural. They must get a building permit approved by two teachers before they can officially begin. 
Engineering:
For the engineering project, students must design a scale building on Inventor, and build it in real life. They have to build the whole thing to scale, also accepting the parameters of the project. 
Science:
In science, the students have to create a "Green Plan" for their building. They have to research new and developing environmentally friendly technologies, then utilize them within their design.
English:
For English, the students must write a letter to the mayor. This implements their writing skills, as they must write a persuasive essay to explain what their building will do for the city, such as the economy, the green energies they will use, and how they plan to run their business. 
Math:
For the math portion of the project, the students have to design, on paper, how they want their land to be laid out. They also have to do this to scale and label every part of their design. 
History:
For the history portion, the students have to research the dates of the Blackstone Canal. It is a three part timeline, that includes the history of the Industrial Revolution, the history of the Blackstone Canal, and the history of Worcester. Students are graded on their creativity, accuracy, and originality.
The Learning Fair:
Students have to put all of their work on a poster board, to be graded by their Engineering teacher (Ms. Cochran) for neatness, design, and creativity. The posters are then put on display in the cafeteria their parents, friends, and community to see. The learning fair is a chance to relax and take pride in all of the student's work and effort. 

First Engineering Week!

On October 13th, the freshmen will start their first Engineering Intensive Week. It will be a five period block where the students are introduced to the Learning Fair Project, surveying, scale, and the basics of civil/architectural engineering. Students who have the 5-block period should bring clothes to be worn outside (dress for the weather), and a snack to be eaten before lunch. The classes that do not have the 5-block period will go to their other four classes for a slightly extended period of time. The schedule goes as follows:
     Oct. 13th: Ms. Vanni's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Ms. Vanni's class first.)
     Oct. 16th: Mr. Simmarano's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Mr. Simmarano's class first.)
     Oct. 17th: Mr. Garcia's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Mr. Garcia's class first.) 
     Oct. 18th: Ms. Perez's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering. (Ms. Cochran's first period will go to Ms. Perez's class first.)
     Oct. 19th: Ms. Cochran's homeroom will have the 5-block period in engineering.

Math Textbook

The online math textbook has been updated! To get it, please follow these steps.
     Step 1: Log into the Student Portal (link here)
     Step 2: Under "Student Links", Click "McGraw Hill ConnectEd"
     Step 3: When on the McGraw Hill page, do not click "Add". Simply click on the book cover that is yours
     Step 4: Click on the e-book for the access to individual pages
McGraw Hill ConnectEd also provides extra resources to students. There are tutor videos and quizzes to check their math skills. 

Know Your School Night

Know Your School Night will be on Thursday, October 12th, at 6:30 pm. Parents of freshmen students in the Engineering and Technology Academy will:

• Go to their child's first period class shown on the schedule provided
• Will then be taken to the library, with all of the other freshmen ETA parents, for a more detailed discussion about what being in the ETA will mean. 

The teachers will discuss grading systems, learning fairs and other projects throughout the year, and then they will open the floor to questions. We hope to see you there!

Recommended Apps

Mr. Simmarano compiled a list of apps that will be useful for the ETA freshmen. These sites many also be useful if you're not a freshman, so check them out!

• Office 365: This Microsoft program is given to all Worcester Public Schools students. It will allow students to use Word, Excel, and other programs like it. (Some apps offered will be explained in detail below.) 
• Outlook: This is the student's school email. They can contact teachers and guidance officers through this email. A student can sign in using their student id number  at the Worcester Public Schools email domain (i.e.: student.######@worc.k12.ma.us), and if they've never signed in before, their birthday will be the password. For example: if you're birthday is January 2nd 2003, "01022003" would be your password. 
• One Drive: This is a 365 program, and is basically a digital cloud. Files can be created, shared, and edited on this software. 
• One Note: One Note is another 365 app. This program allows a student to take notes on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can also share and receive notes from other students. 
• Remind: Remind is an app available in the iTunes Store or on Apple Play. The app literally reminds and updates you about things happening within your classes. It also can be used to communicate with your teachers and to farm study groups amongst students. See the website for students here.
• Quizlet: Quizlet is a website that allows you to use take online quizzes to prepare for the in school ones. The quizzes are created by teachers and students and are in subjects from math to history to biology. There are even quizzes for AP classes on this site. If you type in a subject, you will find the perfect quiz to study with. The website can be found here. 
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is an online program that helps student when they are struggling with a subject. The site offers help is dozens of courses, from World History to Differential Equations. The site gives the students practice in a subject, or area, and extra assistance if it is needed for a student to comprehend the material. It is also a valuable resource for PSAT and SAT prep. The website can be found here. 
• Complete Biology: This is an app that Mr. Simmarano found for his class specifically. Complete Biology is an android app that allows users to read through biology notes and diagrams as they are quizzed on it. This is an excellent resource while studying for a biology test. Look at the app here. 

Welcome Back!

It's a brand new school year at Doherty, and the ETA is full of new freshman. As students get settled in, this website will be posting some new things. Here's to a great new year!

Rube Goldberg Projects

     For the freshmen's last project of the year, they had to design and build Rube Goldberg machines. Named for the cartoonist who sketched them, a Rube Goldberg machine is a complex machine, made to complete a simple task. The freshmen were divided into groups within their classes, and each group had to build a Rube Goldberg that incorporated the six main simple machines in its design. The six main simple machines are an inclined plane, a wheel and axle, a wedge, a screw, a lever, and a pulley.The students learned about how these could be employed in the project, and then went to work in the shop.

One of Rube Goldberg's more famous designs, the Self-Operating Napkin.

     When building, the groups were all given $200 in ETA dollars, created for this very project, and had to budget their money. Materials, tools, and expert advice all had a price. If the students kept their money in order, on a charge sheet, they were given a bonus. However, if they were doing something improper in the workshop, they were fined. This gave the students a new perspective on building, and how to make use of all that they were given. 

     The groups within each class had to connect their projects together, so that momentum of an object (like a marble or toy car) would continue from group to group. This stressed the importance of communication, and how it is necessary in any kind of project. The classes then took their projects down to the cafeteria, so the classes could "race" their machines. Below are some of the final projects.

     The "race" in the cafeteria was a wonderful end to a wonderful year, and the teachers and teacher's assistants would like to applaud the hard work that the students put in this year. Have a great summer, and we'll see you in the fall!

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair

This was the third Reverse Engineering Learning Fair at Doherty, where the students take apart an object and construct it on Inventor, the most commonly used CAD program in industry. This project prepares the students to create an item in the world of engineering by having them do research in History and Biology, make accurate measurements of an item in Math, dissecting the principles of design in English, and creating a fully functioning 3D-Animated item in engineering. 
Mr. Garcia and Ms. Cochran introduced the evening, debuting a video of previous graduates of the ETA talking about their experiences and their life. After the film, Animah Mohammed spoke about the project itself.

After the film, Animah Mohammed spoke about the project itself, describing it from the point of view from a student. David Adarkwah then described what it was like to be in the ETA. 

Then, the parents and peers walked around and enjoyed the learning fair and the hard work the students put in.

At the end, the raffle was pulled to give a gift card to a parent and a student. Congrats to student Anthony Migridchian! Thanks to all who attended, even though the room was very hot, which we cannot control. Thanks to the freshmen for another great year! 

Learning Fair UPDATE

Today, Ms. Cochran is collecting the:

Learning Fair Inventor Files: 

Cover Page 

.IAM 

.IPN with BOM, and balloons

Then, next week, Monday and Tuesday is only working on display boards. Tuesday, they are due at the end of the period. After school on Wednesday is the learning fair.

Learning Fair UPDATE

The Human Connection Project is now due on May 5th. 

Human Connection Exemplars

Welcome back from vacation! As the freshmen resume working on the Learning Fair project, Mr. Simmarano wanted to show some Human Connection projects from previous years. These were all given high marks for creativity, organization, and content.

T-Shirt Contest Winners

The two winners of the ETA t-shirt contest are Sophia Puch and Adish Khatiwada. Congrats to every one who entered and thanks for participating! 

Learning Fair: Reverse Engineering Due Dates

4/3- Introduction of the Project
4/11- (Honors) English Technical Writing completed with rough draft attached
4/12 & 4/13- Human Connection Research in the Media Center
4/13- (College) English Technical Writing completed with rough draft attached
4/13- Gantt Chart Due for Engineering
4/13- Product approval sheet due
4/17 - 4/21- April Vacation
4/24 - 4/25- Math Lab
4/24 - 4/25- History Timeline Research in the Media Center
4/28- History research completed
5/5- The Human Connection for science completed
5/9- History Timeline completed
5/12- Inventor Files and Working Drawings printed
5/15- Surface Area and Volume completed
5/16- Poster Board completed
5/17- Learning Fair

IMPORTANT: ALL LATE WORK MUST BE BROUGHT PERSONALLY BY THE STUDENT TO THE TEACHER FROM WHICH IT WAS ASSIGNED BY MAY 16TH. OTHERWISE THE STUDENT WILL BE INELIGIBLE FOR THE LEARNING FAIR. 

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair

   The ETA's next cross-curriculum project will based around reverse engineering. Students will have to research and reverse engineer a product with a minimum of five pieces. They will need to detail the history, function, design, and how this product is used by the human body. Students will use technical writing, graphics, and Inventor to complete the project.
Each Student Will:

1. Research an existing existing technology/product
2. Complete and submit the "product approval sheet" in Engineering
3. Submit a list of dates of their technology/product and world events timeline in History
4. Submit a paper demonstrating technical writing of their technology/product in English
5. Complete a graphic organizer on how how the technology/product impacts human anatomy in Biology
6. Compute the surface area and volume of the technology/product in Algebra/Geometry
7. Complete and submit Inventor files and working drawings in Engineering
8. Display their work on a poster board in a aesthetically pleasing design

     If students want to, they can attend the learning fair on May 17th for extra credit.

Welcome, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito!

The Engineering and Technology Academy was honored today to host the Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, Karyn Polito.  Lieutenant Governor Polito was welcomed by Principal Sally Maloney, Head of the ETA John Staley, before being given a tour of the ETA's two workshops, as well as two classrooms. Guests were invited to see the freshmen students at work, the robotics team, and the sophomore students working on programming and building robots. Then, in the library, a series of speeches were given about the importance of STEM programs for K-12 students. These speeches were given by Karen Polito, Dr. Rex Bolinger (Senior Vice President of PLTW), Katherine Skrivan (Mass STEM Hub), and Bruce Bursten (WPI). 

Lt. Governor Polito speaks to the robotics club

Lt. Governor Polito 

Katherine Skrivan

Dr. Rex Bolinger

Bruce Bursten

The ETA would again like to thank our many guests and we hope you enjoyed the visit as much as we did!

Genetics Research Project

Mr. Simmarano would like to remind all freshmen that the Genetics Research Project is due on Friday, 3/17/17. If you need access to a computer, or extra help, go to Mr. Simmarano's room after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. 

T-Shirt Contest CLOSED

Thank you to everyone who submitted a design! The results will be announced in a few weeks.

Update!

The T-Shirt contest is being extended by another week for sophomores and seniors! Submissions are due on Tuesday, February 7th, 2017. Please submit more designs! Continue to creatively think of designs!