The Egg Drop Challenge

Here is a picture of our project:




















Here is a picture of the egg that test piloted our project after the drop:

It probably would have not cracked if we secured designed the cover of our project better.

Accuracy: 4 out of 5 (The first ring)

Achievements:

- Brainstorming Achievements:

Create a Sketch of one possible solution

- Material Prep:

Generate a list of required materials for build day

- Build Achievements:

Fits inside a printer paper box

Weighs less than 150 grams

Hit the first ring
Less than half a second to hit the target

Activity 2.1.6- Model Creation

Here are some images of the objects I have created:


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#3

#4

#5

#7

Paradigm Shift- Khan Academy

I watched a very well made video on the website known as Khan Academy recently. The video was under the the category called Finance, and then the subcategory called Current Economics. The video was about Unemployment. I am very impressed with the amount of detail and effort that was put into making it. Imagine over 3,000 videos similar to the one that I watched!

Here is a link to the video that I watched:


http://www.khanacademy.org/humanities---other/finance/current-economics/v/unemployment


If there was one thing that I could change, however, it would probably be the length of the video. I realize that it would be very difficult to put that amount of information in each one in a less lenghty time, but imagine trying to study ten of these videos the day before a big test. They're ruffly 12 minutes each.


Khan Academy has been doing more than just videos. They've been trying to improve class in school. An interesting idea that they came up with is what they call "flipping the classroom." Flipping the classroom is doing things that you would do at home (homework) in class and things you would do in class at home. I think it would be a great idea and that schools (that don't already use this method of teaching) should put it into action.

Overall, Khan Academy has done an incredible job, and I would recommend them to anyone who needs assistance in a certain subject. They have pretty much anything you would need to know for school, and even for life (work related subjects).

GAME CHANGER Activity: Moneyball

1) What was the “Moneyball”approach that Billy Beane and Peter Brandt applied to the Oakland Athletics 2002 season? Was it an “art” or a “science”? What single statistic did they boil their value consideration down to? (In class research/discussion)

Moneyball, in my opinion, was a science. Billy and Peter both came to a conclusion that wins came from hits.

2) What is the equation used to calculate OBP? (In class research/discussion)

3) What is design? (In class research/discussion)

Design is the plan for the construction of an object or system.

4) Describe 3 situations where movie characters (intentionally or not) applied a step from the PLTW 12 Step Design Process. Explain both the (a) situation as well as (b) how the step is relevant:

1 - Billy and Peter brainstormed ideas on how to replace Giambi and the other players that they lost with new players that could produce the same, if not better results. Brainstorming is relevant because it's basically thinking up ideas, or in other words, a technique of creative problem solving.

2 - Billy defined a problem that the team had, which was winning games. The step is relevant because if he didn't mention (understand) the problem then the Oakland A's may have never set the AL record for the longest winning streak.

3 - Billy and Peter refined the strategy the Oakland A's had been using so that the team could get more wins. Refining is relevant because it is similar to remodaling, which is basically making something better.


5) What is “Leadership”? List the three aspects of leadership that we come up with in class. (In class research/discussion)

1 - Respect
2 - Trustworthiness
3 - Being honorable


6) Describe 3 circumstances from the story where a character exercised effective leadership:

1 -  When Billy Beane trade Jeremy Giambi because he was a bad role model.

2 -  When Billy Beane turned his truck around and went back to the stadium to support his team.

3 - When Billy turned down the Red Sox's offer ($12,500,000.00) and decided to stay with his team.

7) According to the movie, what was the A’s record at the start of their winning streak? _68__ : __50_

8) What does this ratio simplify to (roughly)? _1.36__ : 1

9) How long was the A’s record setting winning streak? __20_ games won.

10) Given the A’s win/loss ratio at the start of the streak (listed two questions above), what are the odds of winning 20 games in a row? Run the numbers. (In class research/discussion)

4 to 1.
11) Based on your calculation, do you think the A’s got lucky or was there something to the Moneyball approach?

I personally believe that there was something to the Moneyball approach.

12) Did Billy Beane strictly apply the “science” of Moneyball to his management approach? Was there an “art” to his efforts as well? Describe a circumstance where he broke from the Moneyball approach to make a positive change for the team.

Billy wasn't always going with the Moneyball plan. There was no art to his efforts, either, in many circumstances he just did what felt right. For example, he broke away from the Moneyball approach when he fired Jeremy Giambi, who was a bad role model for his team.

Bonus Question (look into this if you’ve finished ahead of the class):
Money Ball was originally a book. What author wrote the book? What other books has this author written? Is there a theme to his writing?

Michael Lewis wrote the book Moneyball. Other books he has written are: Boomerang, The Big Short, Home Game, Panic, The Real Price of Everything, The Blind Side, Next, The New New Thing, Liar's Poker, Trail Fever, and Money Culture. The majority of his books seem to be based on financial circumstances.

GLIDER CHALLENGE

This project required participants to form into groups and, using elements of the design process, build an effective balsa wood glider that would later take part in a competition to see which group's glider could stay in the air the longest and cover the largest distance.

I teamed up with Connor Lewis and Patrick Burke for this project. Together, we built an okay glider. It could have been better. Our glider's distance and time in the air weren't all that hot. And we could have built it alittle bit sturdier. After all, it did split into two during the competition. But we tried our best, and that's what counts.

Above is a picture of our plane after it participated in the competition.

We tried to repair it, bu in the picture it remains broken.