Isaboutchallengingyourimagination,Learningnewwaystoaccomplishyourgoals,And

MakerFairePacket

2016-2017

Whatisthisallabout?

TheMakerFaire

isaboutchallengingyourimagination,learningnewwaystoaccomplishyourgoals,and stretchingyourabilitytoturnyourideasintoreality.Theprocessincludesbuildingupabaseof knowledge,tools,andskills!Thenyouturnyoureyeoutwardtofindaneed,problem,ordesireyoucanprovideananswerto;youmustaskyourselfaquestion:“WhatkindofthingcanImakeordotoachievethisgoal?”Onceyouhaveanidea,youbegintoturnitintoaction:prototype,document,discussandsharewithothers,thenprototypesomemore!Finally,whenyournew“something”hasjourneyedthroughtheprocessofrevisionandyouhavedocumentedyourprogress,youhavethechancetoshareyourstoryofsuccessfrombeginningtoendwithan audienceoffellowmakersattheMiniMakerFaire!

Thispacketshouldhelpyougetstarted...

MakerFaireGuide

Whatcanyoudowithwhatyouknow?Asamaker,itisyourjobtotakeaconceptandturnitintoarealprototype.Thisinvolvesexploration,sharingideaswithothers,choosingand definingaproject,planning,executingandrefiningyourplan,anddisplayingyourfinalprojectattheBartlett City Schools Engineering Fair.YourMakerProjectisallaboutturningyourideasinto action,creatinga“THING,”andsharingyour“THING”withothers!

GettingStarted…

Brainstorming

Havelotsofideas!Dr.LinusPaulingfamouslysaidthatthebestwaytohavegoodideasistohaveLOTSofideas.Thatis,createa listofasmanyideasasyoucan,thenstartfocusingontheones thatappearpromising.Eventually,you’llwinnowthelistdownto thegoodones.Don’tbesurprisedifonlyafractionofyourinitial ideasturnouttobegood.That’snormal.

(MakerspacePlaybook)

HerearesomewebsitesforMakerstohelpwithbrainstorming:

●CommunityScienceWorkshopNetwork

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●DIY

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●Howtoons

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●Instructables

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●Make:Projects

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●MakerCamp

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●TheMakerEd.Initiative

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●TheTinkeringStudioattheExploratorium

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ComingupwithanIdea

TherearelotsofstartingpointstohelpsparkyourcreativitywhenyouarelookingforaMakerproject.Herearesomesuggestions:

●Youmaywanttoworkwithamaterialyou’veusedbeforeoryoumightwantto learnanewskill.

●Youmightwanttotrytomakesomethingyoualreadyknowhowtomakeusinganeworimprovedprocess.

●Youmightwanttocreateanindividualizeditem-somethingthatyoucan’tbuyorthatgoeswithsomethingyoualreadyhave.

●Youmaywanttocreateyourownperformanceart.

●Oryoumaywanttodesignsomethingthatsolvesaproblem.

AMakerProjectthatSolvesaProblem

“Solvingaproblem”mightbemoredifficultthanitsounds.Howdoyouidentifyaproblemand thenhowdoyouengineerasolution?Findingaproblemanddesigningasolutionrequirehavinga“designer’seye”.Asadesigner,yourjobistostudythedesignsoftheobjectsaround you.Lookatobjectsandaskyourself:

●Whyweretheydesignedastheyare?

●Whatiswrongwiththem?

●Howwouldyouimprovethem?

Youdon’thavetolimityourthinkingtojustobjects,however.Whataboutthewayswedo things?Askyourselfaboutprocessesyouobserve:

●Isthisfunctionbeingproperlyperformed?

●Isitbeingperformedinthebestwaypossible?

●Arethereanyproblemswithit?

●HowcanIimproveuponit?

Andbeopentotheideasofothers.Askothers:

●Howdoyouusethisobject/process?

●Howcouldthisobject/processperformitsfunctionbetter?

●Whatimprovementswouldyousuggest?

Keepinmind,manypeopletodaytakeforgrantedthethingsaroundthem. Oftenwedon’tevenknowhowsomethingisputtogetherorhowitworks!Weviewobjectsassomethingtobeused,notassomethingthatcouldbeimproved upon.Adesignerlooksattheworldandsays,“Icandobetterthanthat.”

“Reallygoodimprovementsarenottheresultofinspiration[somuchas]the

resultsofanobservingmind.”HenryPetroski,TheEvolutionofUsefulThings

Justincaseyoustillneedsomeideas,herearesomeexamplesofstudentinventions:

●adevicethatcleansgutters

●aplasticproductthatholdsabookwhileyoueat

●arainponchodesignedforusewhenridingabicycle

●alunch-boxalarmthatgoesoffwhenanunauthorizedpersonopensthebox

●abirdfeederthatprotectsfeedfromwindandrain

●anewlydesignedbottleopener

●atoothpastecapethatminimizeswasteandmess

●adevicethatpreventsblistersfromformingonhandswhenraking,shoveling,orsweeping

●abillfoldthatorganizesmoneybydenominationforblindpeople

●anewtypeofswingset

●adogcollarthatlightsupatnight

●abedspreadthatzipsdownthemiddle

●safetysuspendersthatlightupatnightforjoggersorbikers

●anewtypeoficecreamcontainerthatminimizesmess

●anewtypeofrakethatallowsyoutopickupleaveswithoutbendingover

●aninfantsupportthatpreventsaveryyoungbabyfromfallingover

●arobotthatdistributesandcollectsstudentpapers

●aglovewithalightforsignalingturnswhenridingabikeatnight

●abetter,morecomfortableswingset

●adevicetoholdobjectsfordisabledpeoplewhouseawalker

●achild’sseatthatfitsashoppingcart

●ahearing-aidguard

●amailboxalertdevicethatsignalswhenmailhasbeendeliveredtoaroadsidemailbox

●alegcastsocktokeeptoeswarm

●tapelesswrappingpaper

●acomforterforcats

●anoutsidehouselightthatflashestosignalpolice,firemen,orotherhelpersastowhich housemadeacallforassistance

●acomputerprogramthatcatalogsvideotapes

●aneyeglassdefoggingdevice

●adevicethatmakesiteasiertoswallowpills

●adryingrackforgloves

●aliquidthatcoversfademarksonbluejeans

●alightswitchforyoungchildren

●achocolate-candydevicethatpreventsicecreamconesfromdripping

DevelopingYourIdea…

Onceyou’vegotanidea,you’llhavetospendsometimerefiningit.

Successfulmakerskeepthemselvesopentosuggestionsduringtheprojectdevelopmentstage. Talktoyourfamily,friends,classmates,othermakers,andteachersaboutyourproject to get their feedback!Hereareafewofthekindsofquestionsmakerscanaskoneanotherduringtheprocess to receive feedback:

●Whatisyourprojectvision?Whatareyouhopingtodo?

●Whatinspiredyoutopickthisproject?Whyareyoudoingit?

●Doyouknowofotherpeoplewhohavedoneasimilarproject,oristhisone-of-a-kind?

●Whatotherprojectideashaveyoutoyedwith?

●Whatkindsofprojectshaveyoubuiltinthepast?

●Whatdoyouthinkthehardpartsaregoingtobe?Whataretheeasierparts?

Whyhavefeedbacksessions?

●Theyprovidemultiple small deadlinessothatstudentmakersaren’tfacedwithonehugedeadline(liketheMiniMakerFaire)monthsinthefuture.

●Theygiveallstudentmakersachancetoseethecreativityandbreadthofideasoftheentiregroup,andstudentscanseeotherprojectsdevelopthroughtheseason.

●Theygivestudentmakersachancetotalkabouttheirfailuresinapositiveand constructiveway.

●Theygivestudentmakersachancetopracticetalkingabouttheirprojectsinadvanceof exhibitingatthefaire.

●Theyprovideanopportunityforparticipantstogettoknowoneanother,helpingto buildthekindofcommunityandculturewe’retryingtopromote.

ExecutingYourPlan…

Nowit’stimetobuild!Duringthebuildprocess,youmayfindthattherearesomethingsyou didn’tplanforordetailsthatyouhadn’tthoughtof.That’sokay!Executingyourbuildalso involvesrefiningyourideasasyougo.Anddon’tforgettodocumentyourprogress!

Documenting

It’snotenoughjusttomakesomething-it’salsoimportanttobeabletotellothersaboutyourprojectandwhyitisgreat.Documentationcantakemanyforms,buttheimportantthingisto capturethewhyandhowofwhatyoumade.Yourprojectnoteswillbeinvaluableinformation tofutureMakers!Belowaresomewaysyoumaychoosetotellyourstoryatthemakerfaire:

●Notebooks:Keepamakerjournalwithyourprojectideasandprogressnotes.

●ProjectBinder:Revisewhathasbeencapturedinyournotebookspecifictotheprojectyouwilldisplay.

●Photos:Beforeandafterpicturesofyourmaterials;actionshotsofyourprojectbuild.

●How-Tos:Givebacktothecommunitybysharingwhatyouhavelearned.

●Video:Capturetheexcitingtrialanderrorprocessonvideo.

MakerProjectProposalForm

StudentName: Cedric Peete,KyriceHenry,PhilipBobbit

Grade: 8th

ProjectTitle: Home made flashlight

Brieflydescribeyourproject. Whatdoesitdo? Howdoesitwork?

We are making a home made flashlight and on the plus side you have a

way to shade the light.

Checkandanswerallthatapplytoyourproject:

❏ Areyouworkingwithmaterial(s)you’veneverusedbefore?Ifso,what?

Yes we are working with popsicle, sticks,bottles,wire,and a light bulb

❏ Doyouneedtolearnanewskilltocompletethisproject?Ifso,what?

We have to learn how to be percise with our movements

❏ Areyoumakingsomethingyoualreadyknowhowtomakebyusinganewmethodor

improvedprocess?Yes and we are improving it with a shade mechanism

❏ Areyoucreatingacustomorindividualizeditem-somethingyoucan’tbuy,orthatgoes withsomethingyoualreadyhave?It is some we have already

❏ Areyougoingtocreateyourownperformanceart?NO

❏ Areyoudesigningsomethingtosolveaspecificproblem?Ifso,what?

Yes we are making a flashlight with a shade mode so you can manage the

brightness.

MakerFaireProjectRubricReflectionSheet

StudentName:

ProjectTitle:

Pleaseanswerthefollowingquestionsonaseparatesheetofpaper. TurnthisreportinwithyourMakerFaireproject.

1.Describeyourproject. Whatdoesitdo? Howdoesitwork?

2.Howdidyouarriveatyourfinalprojectidea? Whatsourcesdidyouconsult? Howdidtheyhelpyou?

3.Brieflydescribeyourbuildplan. Whichthingshadtobedonefirst,second,etc.? Howdidyouorganizeyourtimesothatyourprojectwascompletebythedeadline?

4.Didyoureceiveanyfeedbackfromfamily,peers,orothersources?Describethisfeedback.

5.Whatelementsofyourprojectworkedasplanned?Whatproblemsdidyouhavetotrouble-shoot?Didyouhavetomakedesignmodifications?Whatdidyoulearnfromyourmistakes?

6.Inthecourseofworkingonthisproject,whatnewskillsdidyoulearnorwereexposedto? Canyouseeyourselfusingtheseskillsinthefuture?

7.Whatadvicewouldyougivetoafuturemaker? (Forsomeinspiration,refertotheMakerspaceManifesto.)