Tech Directions - February 2009 - (Page 15) to travel, one ball return, five ways to score, a method for keeping score, and a theme for the game’s playing surface. Students will have roughly 30 class periods to complete this design brief, from initial design day to final product submission. for optimal game performance, they must experiment with different angles of the playing surface. To help Technological Design Process and Procedure Students using any tools or power equipment must receive proper safety and procedural instruction. This includes the planer, jointer, table saw, band saw, miter saw, drill press, and milling machine. Students who need to use the router must have assistance from the instructor. When students have demonstrated their knowledge of proper and safe procedures for use of all necessary machines, the class discusses different woodworking processes that they might use in fabricating their games. Topics covered and demonstrated include squaring a rough-cut board; gluing boards together; making tapered cuts; and cutting miters, dados, and rabbets. Then, at first working individually, students brainstorm ideas and create rough sketches of their pinball games. Next, they take their rough sketches to their design groups, which include two to four students, to share possible solutions and get new ideas from other group members. Students then work to finalize their design. Despite working in groups, each student has responsibility for his or her own final product. For students to get their pinball to travel at the appropriate speed to 2), the class discusses finishing techniques. Demonstrations include the proper use of abrasives for surface preparation and different finishes. Playing surfaces are typically painted to the selected theme of the pinball game, and students either stain or paint the case depending on the theme and student preference. A final clear-coat will help protect the finish. Other demonstrations include different options for flippers (Photo 3). A simple lever setup is typically the easiest for students who may be having difficulty with producing a working solution. Other students may explore options for gears and cams. Either way, students will need to weigh the options of having a short stroke versus a longer stroke, considering how each Photo 2 (above)— One student solution to the pinball game design brief during production Photo 3—Studentactivated flipper facilitate this process, the instructor can make an adjustable playing surface whose angle can be varied much like that of the surface of a drafting table (Photo 1). Students can place this surface at different angles and use different obstacles to determine what will give their pinball the desired momentum. As students begin to dry-fit their cases prior Photo 1—Side view of the angle-and-obstacle-testing to assembly (Phosurface affects the pinball’s movement. Final evaluation of this unit is based on the student’s design work, construction, quality of finish, timeliness of completion, degree of successful functioning, addressing of criteria, and final written component. This written component includes a product summary and reflection on the experience gained through the pinball game activity. Specifically, students should give a detailed description of how the simple machines used in their product function, what they would do differently if given the opportunity to start over, what new processes they learned while completing this product, and a self-evaluation of their final product. F www.techdirections.com TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION 15 http://www.techdirections.com
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