Tech Directions - January 2008 - (Page 25)

Front and back views of a rear-mounted rack jingle to promote the product before school-wide sales begin. Theater students could create an advertisement to perform during morning announcements—to be followed by that jingle from the music department. English and journalism students could get involved with writing and proofreading ads for the school newspaper. Be sure to seek prior approval from your principal or school board for these interdisciplinary activities. Positive Results fenders. Whatever location they choose, the rack must mount securely. For obvious reasons, warn students to stay clear of the spokes. I discourage students from using bungee cords for mounting the rack itself, since bungees have limited strength. Also, during mounting and dismounting the bike, a rider might hit the bungee’s S-hook and dislodge the rack. Some students do use bungees to secure the skateboard to the rack. As you can see in the photos, my students came up with some good and creative products. One team created an oversize backpack. I decided that it met my project requirements and gave the team a good grade. I think it’s important for teachers to encourage students to think outside the box. My students really seemed to enjoy this activity, since they could relate to the product on a personal level. They also took great pride in taking their products home to show to parents. Ultimately, I let team members keep their product or sell it to a friend. Here’s where a benefit of teaming a skater and non-skater comes in: It reduces arguments as to who wants to keep the skateboard rack. If there’s no easy solution in this regard, you can always flip a coin or decide ahead of time that the team will produce two racks. metal or tubing, if you have welding and metal-forming equipment. Students can prime and paint final products in bold colors, if desired. Advanced Designs and Mounting Concerns Some students might choose to fasten a permanent mounting base on the front or rear of the bike so that it could hold a basket, backpack, or additional sports equipment. This multi-use device involves higher-level thinking from the brightest students. A plastic milk container, inverted plastic bread tray or plastic soda tray might work as a multi-use device. Note that letting students take on this approach is much more involved and would require changes to the project due date. I don’t let my students use rope or twine for mounting purposes because they do not provide a secure hold and might get caught in wheel spokes or gearing mechanisms, which could cause an accident. Students may decide to mount their device on the handlebars, frame, below the seat, or on the Interdisciplinary Benefits You might want to expand this project into an interdisciplinary activity by involving other departments and curriculums at your school. For example, a drafting/ design class could do technical drawings of your class’s best model with mass production and sales in mind. Art or computer classes could produce sales brochures or flyers for posting throughout the school. Business classes could determine pricing and, with help from students in the art department, design packaging for the product. And you needn’t stop there! Music students might create a Oversize backpack—thinking outside the box! www.techdirections.com MANUFACTURING 25 http://www.techdirections.com

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Tech Directions - January 2008

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