Reverse Engineering Learning Fair Due Dates

March 16th- Introduction of the project/brainstorming

March 26th- Research for Biology and History

March 28th- Engineering Gantt chart due

April 2nd- Researched dates for the History Timeline completed

April 5th- History Timeline completed

April 12th- English Technical Writing completed

April 16-20- APRIL VACATION

April 25th- iProperties

April 27th- Math Calculations completed

May 1st- The Human Connection for Biology completed

May 4th- Inventor Files and Working Drawings printed for Engineering

May 8th- Poster Board completed for Learning Fair

May 10th- Learning Fair

The 18th Annual Doherty Food Drive

Doherty just finished it's 18th food drive for Jeremiah's Inn. This food drive is run and organized by Mr. Garcia, the freshman history teacher of the ETA. The food drive annually makes posters to advertise and boxes to hold the donations in. For four weeks, the students bring in non-perishable items like canned food, boxed goods, hygienic products, and similar products to donate. 
The students and teachers raised 6,295 items this year! On Feb. 15th, the food drive took a field trip to Jeremiah's Inn, and unloaded all of the donations. 
A huge thank you to the Doherty community, the students in the food drive, and anyone who donated. Another huge thank you to our chaperones, the retired Health teacher Mr. Garcia, the guidance counselor Mr. Halfmann, and the organizer of the food drive Mr. Garcia.

Document Based Writing

As the freshmen return from the holiday break, they will starting a new project in World History II. They will be learning how to write Document Based Questions, or DBQ's. These are essays that are written in history classes and that are written after reading documents from a specific time period. The question is based within that same time period, and in a standardized test setting, the essay is timed. Mr Garcia will allow the students to work on it in class and after.

Documents can be anything: a letter, a picture, a speech, a political cartoon, a poem, an excerpt from a book, etc.

An acronym for writing based off the documents is SOAP.

• S- Who is the speaker? What is their point of view?
• O- What is the occasion? What is happening? 
• A- Who is the audience? In the time period, who would've read/heard this?
• P- What is the purpose? Why is this being written?

Pre-College Programs at WPI

To any juniors and seniors who are interested, WPI is offering pre-college STEM programs. Some of the programs offered are in Biology, Physics, Robotics, Engineering Technology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, and more!
If you are interested, click here.

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.