Reverse Engineering Learning Fair 2018

The Reverse Engineering Learning Fair was a huge success! Students showed up at 5:30 to set up their boards and eat the pizza that was provided by the teachers. Parents and students signed in at the front desk and then moved into the main room. 
The speakers of the night were Sokol Hoxha, Erisa Sote, and Fabjola Sote. Sokol gave a speech about what the project was about in the class. The Sote sisters spoke about student's experience with the project, thanking the teachers for all of their help. Then the learning fair began in earnest. The projects were about reverse engineering an object, by taking that object apart and then building that object on Inventor software. Parents walked around, asking the students about the project, and the students explained what their favorite part was, what was the most difficult, and what they did for each class. The learning fair ended promptly at 7:30, and the teachers were very proud of this year's freshmen and their projects. Have a great summer!

The feedback given was:

"Great!"
"You guys did well but some of the students are so nervous they don't know how to explain their work properly."
"It was fantastic! The students are so poised and articulate!"
"Really nice job setting up the projects this year."
"Great job! The space is still small but it was better than last time. Super hot in here though."
"All students did an excellent job! Proud parent here!"
"Everybody did a great job on their project. I think the project helps these students use their talent and ideas toward their development and advancement."

Reverse Engineering Learning Fair

Engineering and Technology Academy Invites You!

The ETA is holding their 4^th annual “Reverse Engineering” learning 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 items that were selected, in a casual environment. Snacks and drinks will be provided.  

Date:
May 10th, 2018

Time: 6:30-7:30 pm.

Location: In the cafeteria of Doherty Memorial High School

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.

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.

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.

The Blackstone Canal 2016

Last Thursday, the Engineering and Technology Academy had its eighth annual Blackstone Canal Learning Fair! The night was a resounding success. 
The students showed up around early to set up their projects and the mock canal. After everything was set up they enjoyed pizza and cookies, provided by the teachers.

The mock canal

Mr. Garcia opened the night, giving a basic schedule of how the night should go. He also announced, for those who didn't know, that school was cancelled on Friday the 16th. He also told people about the raffle that both students and parents could participate in, for Barnes and Nobles gift cards. The raffle tickets would have to be signed either by seven students or attendees, to prove that the students were interacting with adults. He then handed the microphone over to the student speaker, Miguel Sosa. Miguel talked about the history of the Blackstone canal and what the project entailed for the students. After Miguel was finished, Mr. Garcia let the learning fair commence.

Miguel Sosa and Mr. Garcia

Parents walked around from project to project, asking the students questions about it. "What was most challenging? ...Most enjoyable? ...Most interesting?" were all common questions. Students, who were standing at their projects, were ready to answer any and all questions, since they have been working on this project since late October. And as they spoke, students got more and more names to put on their raffle cards. 

Below are various pictures of the night:

At 7:30, the raffle was drawn and the students were sent home. Congratulations to the engineering students who worked so hard on this project, and thank you to the teachers who made it happen!