Grade 8 Innovation & Blogspot Project

Grade 8 - Innovation Project

Greetings Grade 8's

We are approaching our term project slightly differently this term by posting it as a Blog.
You are to make groups of 2 pupils in the same class who will work on the Blog together.
This project will count 50% of your term mark.

THE PROJECT:
Identify a problem that you have observed in your personal capacity and attempt to solve the problem by using the Technological Process which is set out as follows:
(note the headings that follow must be the format of how you go about to solve your problem)

1) CASE STUDY
In the case study you describe the situation in which the problem occurs in detail, normally an essay of about 200 - 300 words. make sure you include the following detail who, what, where, when, why and what thereafter.

2) PROBLEM STATEMENT
Summarise the problem that was described in the Case Study in a one or two short statements / sentences.

3) BRIEF
As a group decide on the brief (a short statement / paragraph) that you would like to write to solve the problem. A brief is written as you would give another person a command / order on how to do something and should start with the words: "design a build a ..."The brief should also include specifications and limitations as with regards to the function of your solution, its cost, how it is constructed and the resources you have to your availability"

4) RESEARCH
Research should be submitted by each member of the group about the problem and about information that can help solve the problem. Research can also be done to find out more about possible ways of building a solution to the problem. Selected cut and paste from the internet, books, interviews and questionnaires are good sources of research.

5) SUGGESTED SOLLUTIONS
Each group member submits his suggested solution in the form of a annotated / labelled freehand drawing that outlines his suggestion.

6) THE FINAL SOLLUTION
The group gets together and decides on the best solution that would most effectively answer the brief. This can be one member of the group's solution or a combination of the member’s solutions. A table with the solutions and their points for and against must be submitted.

7) WORKING DRAWING
The final solution is now formally designed in detail. Annotated detail on Orthographic drawings, Isometric drawings and Exploded orthographics are drawn up together with parts and equipment lists, flow charts and Gant charts are done.

8) PROTOTYPE
A test model or working model is built.

9) TEST
A test is drawn up to see if the prototype will solve the problem. The test is done and the results are recorded.

10) EVALUATION - IMPACT AND BIAS
The result the new invention would have on the community is discussed along social, economical, environmental and cultural lines.

11) COMMENTS The Blog can be visited by non group members who comment on design and makes suggestions on improvement.




Homework Assignment 1

SETTING UP YOUR BLOG (70 Marks)

1a) Create your groups Blog spot.

Follow the instructions on http://www.blogger.com/

One person in the group is to use his personal school email adress to create the Blog.
His email will be referred to as the founding email.
NB! Make sure everyone in the group knows:
· the founding members email address
· the Blog site password!

1b) Post the 11 headings as 11 separate posts on your own Blog.Go to Mr. Buys's Blog at http://innovation07.blogspot.comStart with "1) CASE STUDY"Make sure the headings read in numerical order.

1c) Give your Blog spot a name.Choose a fitting Blog name that reflects or relates to your project.The name can be changed later if you think of a better name.

1d) Post content in heading 2 and 3.Go into "Customize", then "Posting", then "Edit Post", and type in your content.You can always change the content later.

1e) Print out the page
1f) Write your class, initial and surname in the top left corner of the printed page.
1g) Hand in to Mr. Buys.




Homework Assignment 2

COMPILE A CASE STUDY: (70 Marks)

2a) Make sure the problem is from your personal frame of reference.The case study is the essence of what your project is about. Remember that it must be a situation that you or your group members have personally experienced. It is best to compile a case study that all the group members have knowledge of and feel presents some kind of problem that needs to be solved.

2b) Make the case study as illustrative as possible.If you can ad to the case study with other media that supports it even better. This can be in the form of photos taken from your cellular phone, a school magazine article or an interview. This should not be in the form of research but should resemble someone telling a story without pointing out the problems contained in the story. Also no solutions should be offered in the case study.

2c) The case study should be between 200 - 300 words long.You may choose to make the case study longer than 300 words but for the sake of marking you will be limited to a 1000 words.

2d) The case study must reflect the name of the author at the end of the written piece.

2e) Base the case study in reality.Talk about something that really happened and that you, your group members really observed. Make sure you include the who, what, why, when and what thereafter components of the story.

2f) Print out the case study on a single A4 page.
2g) Write your class, group members initials and surname at the top left corner of the page.
2h) Hand in to Mr. Buys for marking.