CM VI - Lesson 10 – Projects

Project for lesson 1 - Revision

A salute to the night workers

This project can be done by a group of 5 students together.

Find out about people who have to work in the night. For example firemen, doctors, pilots, security guards, drivers of transport purposes, people working in call centers, news paper reporters etc. What do they do at night and why do they have to work at night. How do they manage to work during the day and night, (when do they sleep, when do they eat etc.) Are there professions where people take turns to work in the day and night?

  • Write an introduction about professions where people have to work in the night.
  • Collect details of one of the profession that interests you.
  • Gather information about how the person manages his/her day and night schedules. Include images and any interesting anecdotes from people whom you interview and prepare a report about the same.

(This can also be a skit about a night worker) Give an interesting title to your report. Provide catchy sub titles while you write about various aspects of the topic. Use images, videos, Webiste references in your report. Use all the formatting concepts that you have learnt to make your report interesting to read.

Project for lesson 2 – synthesizing information and graphical representation.

1. My brick stacking machine

Form groups of 5 students. Visit the following site to help you learn more about simple machines.

a) Match the following simple machines with their names.

Usha: A few examples here from those which we see daily like the steps, door,

toilet flush etc and the corresponding simple machine

b) Design a machine to place a brick from a pile and stack the bricks somewhere else about one meter away. The operator should be able to guide the machine to place the brick in the stack. Use the following steps to achieve this goal.

  • Brainstorming
  • Discussing about the ideas and short listing a few ideas.
  • Discuss with your teacher parent and finalize an idea.
  • Represent each part of the machine graphically. Specify the simple machine used for each part and its function.
  • Draw the complete machine.
  • Build a prototype/small model using waste material or cardboard.
  1. A cell phone for my grandma and grandpa

Ask elderly people above the age of 60 the problems that they have while using the ordinary cell phones. Ask them what they want to do with a cell/mobile. How should the number keys and displays be and what are the functions that they would like to use mostly. Collect this information. Then considering these wishes of elders, brainstorm to get ideas for the design of a cell/mobile for the elders. The following is a simple example.

Project for lesson 3 – Uses of computer

1. How different is it? ( CM Team: Should I convert this into a history project? Please see the third project in this lesson and then decide.)

Divide the class into four groups. Each group takes up one category from the list given below. For this the teacher can use chits to distribute the categories among the groups.

  • Personal use: Word processing, playing entertainment games, learning car driving
  • Internet and Networking: Video conferencing, email, information gathering
  • Special purpose applications in various fields: weather analysis, communication in defence, healthcare and service.
  • Uses in other devices: remote of TV, robots used in assembling cars, mobiles

For each of the task in the category that is assigned to your group:

  1. Find out how this task is/was done without computers.
  2. Brainstorm about the advantages and disadvantages of this task being done with and without computers.
  3. Each group enacts a skit in the class about the task, which shows how the task is done without computers and with computers, the advantages and disadvantages.

Example: Buying a railway ticket – Look up a railway timetable booklet or go to the railway station and find out about the trains, schedules. Then decide on which train to take. If on the date that the family decides to travel, if the tickets are not available, find out alternative dates when tickets are available, communicate the same to family, buy the tickets and come home.

With computer: Sit at home or in a cybercafe. Browse the railway ticketing site. Select and buy tickets.

2. If I were a computer

Imagine a computer (embedded computer) in things around the house and school. For example a wall that reprimands a person who spits on it! A light that goes off as you step out of the room!

Take trees, pets anything that you see. List out atleast 5 items and the use of computer in them and the advantages of embedding a computer in these items. Draw a sketch of your idea. Share these with your friends and classmates. Brainstorm an find out which of the ideas are useful and have advantages. Prepare a poster with the ideas that are selected by the class and display it on the poster board of the school.

3. I am a computer consultant

Through this project you will find out about the tasks that are computerised by various professions by interviewing people. Find out any problems that the workplace is facing and advise if computerisation would improve the situation.

Each student in the class selects a person who will be interviewed and provides the name of the person and workplace to the teacher. A table which shows, name of the student, name of the person to be interviewed, and the name of work place is prepared for the class. Make sure that each student is interviewing a person from a different workplace. There are no duplications of work place. The professions can be same.

Find out the following from each person interviewed:

  • Name of the workplace, profession
  • What are the goals of the workplace?
  • What are the main tasks in the workplace?
  • What are the tasks or subtasks for which computers are used?
  • For which of the tasks or subtasks computers are not used?

All the students who have collected information about a particular profession sit together:

  • Consolidate the tasks for which computerisation is being used. This list will help you in solving some of the problems of the persons interviewed.
  • Consider the problems faced by each person interviewed. Discuss and prepare a list of tasks or subtasks for which computerisation is required to achieve the goals at their workplace.
  • Prepare this list for each person interviewed.

Discuss with your teacher about your advise. Give the list to the persons interviewed.

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Example: Tejas interviews a shop keeper from Chedda general stores, and Jyoti interviews a shop keeper from Kanpara general stores.

Profession – Shop keeper, Name X (information collected by Tejas)

  • What are the goals of the workplace? Making profit
  • What are the main tasks in the workplace? Selling, procuring goods, customer satisfaction.
  • What are the tasks or subtasks for which computers are used? None
  • For which of the tasks or subtasks computers are not used? All
  • Are there any problems due to which goal are not met? Too many customers, bill making for the products purchased takes time, Finding how much of each product is required per month is very time consuming, Due to one person serving all customers there are delays in serving the customer.

Profession – Shop keeper, Name Y (information collected by Savani)

  • What are the goals of the workplace? Making profit
  • What are the main tasks in the workplace? Selling, procuring goods, customer satisfaction.
  • What are the tasks or subtasks for which computers are used? Billing, Making decisions on procuring products, accounting.
  • For which of the tasks or subtasks computers are not used? Picking products, packing and delivering to the customer.
  • Are there any problems due to which some of the goals are not met? Customers from distant place phone and find out the products that we have. The phone is always engaged. One person is totally dedicated for this task due to which we may be losing some customers.

Advise to X

◦Computerise billing

◦Accounting and

◦Inventory management.

Advise to Y

◦Provide information about products on a web site.

◦You can even sell your products through the web.

◦Contact professional for costs of setting up the above.

Project for lesson 4 – History of Computer

I know my history and I am still being used (a pencil and a pen)

Writing and publishing – Trace the history of writing and recording of data, from ancient times to the computer age. Hint: Ancient times pictures were drawn in caves to express and convey a message or a story, Tanjore's Brihadiswara temple has calligraphic inscriptions in tamil of revenue, details of not only the jewellery and vessels that were gifted to the temple but also how these were made (an information galore) etc.

Start the history from then to the applications that are used now for pubishing. Some of the tools for writing are still being used. Talk about these too when you trace the history. What are the advantages of current technology being used to publish information? You can use graphical representations or collage or a poster with appropriate titles for this project. Share your project with your classmates by talking about it in the class.

2. I was hand assembled and could run on my own, but now robots and embedded systems have taken over – Trace the history of car manufacturing from hand assembly to the current robot assembly. Also list out what are the functions and features in a car, where computers are being used in some of the cars nowadays. What are the advantages of these features? You can use graphical representation or collage or a poster with appropriate titles for this project. Share your project with your classmates by talking about it in the class.

Projects for Inside Computer lesson

1. I Know how it works

Form groups of 5 students. Each group picks up one of the following devices that are used for various purposes..

  • Car
  • Washing Machine
  • Microwave oven
  • TV
  • Mobile
  1. What are the uses of the device?
  2. Find the parts of the device.
  3. Find the function of each part of the device.
  4. Do these parts come in different sizes? Which are the main parts of the device on which the various features of the device depend on? For example the number of people who can travel in a car depends on the size of the car and the seating arrangement in the car.
  5. Find which of the actions or features of the device are initiated by a

computer in the device.

  1. Prepare a presentation and share it with other groups.

Hint: You can find out about the item from the internet, a shop that sells these

devices, instruction sheets or brochures about these devices.