School project ideas

[nmantas]

I didn't know where to post this. I'm a high school teacher (chemistry) and one of my classes will have 4 weeks in May having no official curriculum and instead we are going to fabricate several projects with our new lab (3D printers, small cnc, large router-based cnc, laser cutters, and an assortment of hand tools and electrical tools). We just finished electrochemistry and built a large and a small electrolysis tank with graphite electrodes and a laser-cut laminated acrylic beam across the tank to hold the rusted item. This is a highly educated group of kids that mostly come from a culture of never having to built anything in their lives....it was cute seeing one student that was basically scared of a cordless drill. It is really rewarding to see them develop some practical skills with their hands and have pride in building something but it also means they don't have many skills or experiences to build on (which is also true for the software/hardware of the machines in the lab).

The students are brainstorming projects (mostly from watching nerdy Mystbuster-like videos on youtube). if anyone had any other ideas for cool small-scale projects (doesn't have to be chemistry related) please let me know. I'd like to have them make a small bucket sized foundry to melt and cast metals but since our school is in the upstairs of an office building it would be difficult to use (would not be using it in my classroom).

 

[Hephaestus29]

Can you do a "Turners Cube" with the
3D Printers ?

 

[The Cobbler]

No ideas to share, but It's sure nice to see that this type of curriculum still exists.

 

[racingtadpole]

If you really want to engage the class, formula racing (although its more physics related than chem). Give them three different materials to work with, a size the car has to be, and a weight the car has to be, you can add/subtract rules to suit. Have each build a car to those spec's using the machines, then drag race them on a make shift gravity fed track. Kind of like derby cars (I think thats what you call them).

I'm not a teacher, but I have helped with something similar at a school, PM me if you want any more info on it.

 

[Willie Makeit]

chemistry class you say? teach them to cook meth.

call it a lesson in modern chemistry, marketing and economics.

 

[PelicanPines]

Not related to the OP request but... I have a HS Chemistry story i'm gonna share...

One day we all walked into class... early 70's AP Chem... there was a huge beaker on the main table... filled with a clear/slightly cloudy liquid.

Our teacher went into a preamble about stressed solutions yada yada... don't remember the whole thing but he "Plinked" the side of the beaker with his finger and a solid, in a rather large volume compared to the liquid... precipitated out...

Was cool as hell... sorry for the lack of actual memory to the chemical he put in solution and why the chemical precipitated out when cooled upon such a light tap on the beaker.

Was just a cool story and was a cool teacher... still remember that day 42+ YEARS later.

 

[JamesW]

Tribuchets... then compete for distance

 

[Gore]

I am also a teacher...and considering getting another credential that would allow me to teach wood/metal shop once my district brings those things back.

I thought that since I would basically be starting from from scratch that I would have the kids build things that would remain in the class. I thought it could be rewarding for the kids to see things they built on a daily basis being used for (hopefully) many years to come.

 

[larry_g]

Have them build small motors with nails. wood, and wires.

My BIL teach's industrial arts and he was describing 'Mouse trap" racers. Basically the old spring trap mouse trap was the power source with added stuff to make a car. When he started the project they were getting cars to go a few yards. Later on the cars were traversing a gym and crashing into the far wall.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[MarlynOC]

Electric motor powered race cars size of TQs or real Midget. Formula cars. front wheel drive with rear assist. motor on each wheel to power.

 

[BLUE72CAMARO]

I am just amazed that a high school chemistry class has access to equipment like this. In 4 weeks your going to have to keep the project pretty simple since the kids have no background with the equipment.

 

[headwrench]

How about they build a rube goldburg.You, the teacher, will give the simple task the goldburg will need to perform. Have the class form teams of at least 2 . each team come up with a section of the rube goldburg that will work together with all the other teams ideas. It will teach that they have to work together with the other teams so the whole system performs the required task. Just an idea

 

[Capt Chrysler]

chemistry class you say? teach them to cook meth.

call it a lesson in modern chemistry, marketing and economics.

REALLY?

Maybe nmantas's class, can keep a few out of that style of manufacturing.


Capt. Chrysler

 

[braidmeister]

Chemical 3D models are easy but probably too boring.

You could do an HHO/Electrolysis setup (printed parts), A laminar flow 'filter' - although more physics, A fancy lemon/fruit powered electrical device demonstrating electrolytes/chemical electricity etc.

Browse Thingiverse...there's a ton of free stuff on there for your hardware needs. No sense in reinventing the wheel.

 

[jd_1138]

Maybe an electric powered bicycle. I'm sure you can get some used bicycles donated to the school perhaps, or they are cheap at Goodwill, Salvation Army, CL.

 

[fergus]

Wevolver.com has loads of projects that relate to 3d printing...and much more.

 

[hawkeye2]

Several simple steam engines here: http://npmccabe.tripod.com/steam.htm

 

[nmantas]

Thanks so much. I'm seeing many ideas both for this year and beyond. Some of the more involved projects will be easier to pull off after the students achieve more skills. For this year we are only talking 6 students and they will probably be split into pairs or groups of three and they are picking their own project "independently" (I will guide them, help them brainstorm).

This week they have been derusting a few items I found by the railroad tracks in their electrolysis tank. They definitely come from a throw away culture with no concept of restoration or even fixing something and it is cool to see them really be amazed and take pride in how you can take something that they would have never considered laying a finger on into an object that looks new. This wasn't the most dramatic transformation but is the only one I took a picture of:

 

[Shootinok]

My wife's a teacher too, AP chem and AP bio

Sometimes she'll do some pretty cool stuff that might be a little outside of both.
Like have them build a Rubens tube.

She says Aerosmith and AC/DC work the best for music and the kids are always amazed that she has that music on her phone.

 

[nmantas]

I had them made a Rubens tube a few years ago.....super awesome. Make sure she makes a vacuum ping pong cannon (can be "charged" with a faucet aspirator if she doesn't have a vacuum pump).....the best demo in school bar none.

 

[myredracer]

Even with 2 college degrees, the best classes that I've ever taken, bar none, were woodworking, metalworking and electronics 11 & 12. They set me up with a lifelong interest and passion for building, fixing and restoring all kinds of things that have wood or metal in them. The electronics classes led me to a career as an electrical engineer. I think all high schools should have shop classes and it's sad to think many kids never get to use tools and learn how to build things with their own hands - my 2 sons didn't.

Can't think of any suggestions, but there is an electrical engineer that has an interesting website and entertaining youtube vids about building various electrical devices and things and demonstrating how they work and is aimed towards kids and younger people. His site is called electroboom and he makes learning hilarious. http://www.electroboom.com/?m=201504

 

[Gizmosity]

4 weeks......that's not a huge amount of time. How about a filament extruder? Maybe a couple for various filament diameters and/or types (PLA/ABS).

 

[cadmodeling777]

I thought that since I would basically be starting from from scratch that I would have the kids build things that would remain in the class. I thought it could be rewarding for the kids to see things they built on a daily basis being used for (hopefully) many years to come

 

[alfazer]

With the 3D printer or a cnc mill, they could make a fidget spinner. Just add bearings.
The CAD would be easy or there might even be some on grabcad.com or similar, if you want to skip the CAD lessons. Or use one CAD model and they just customise it a little.
There might be some science in there with the spinners; balance, inertia, mass.

Maybe you could anodise an aluminium one for some chemistry.

 

[nmantas]

The kids made so many fidgit spinners that the school had to put a stop to it.....(most were premade cad files so the learning was minimal). The school is slowly using the fabrication lab more and more and the kids are producing some decent stuff. We have a new 3D printer that doesn't use filament (looks like weed whip line) but instead uses a resin bath and a directed UV light to harden the resin. The items that come out of this 3D printer are WAAAAYYY better.

 

[FANTM58]

how About functional
miniatures of shop equipment
Floor jacks/hi lift jacks/cherry pickers/jack stands/

 

[gayler]

How about Co2 powered race cars? Maybe 3d printed. We made them in shop class from balsa wood.