Project Description
In this project, our groups were tasked with finding a typical household item that we can take apart and find out how that object works to its entirety. Once we learned how the object worked and all the functions of the parts, we were told to improve the object in some way. We used the engineering design cycle to track our progress. The cycle includes identifying the purpose, developing a hypothesis, disassembly, analyzing the elements, preparing a report, and resigning. My group chose a common kitchen toaster to take apart. We first brainstormed how we would go about the project. We decided to divide the work into four parts for each group member. Each member chose one of the following: Slider assembly, heating assembly, timer assembly, and toasting assembly. These are the four main parts of the toaster that make it function. In order to gain a better understanding of the entire product, we analyzed each component part. Finally, to share our discoveries, we presented our findings to the class.
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Reflection:
Overall this project went fairly well. My group and I learned a lot about the mechanics of our toaster and how each part works in accordance with one another. One thing I believe I did well on this project was my work ethic. Two of our group members were absent for a few days so my partner and I picked up the slack and took over the work of our other teammates to help my group finish the project out to the end. Also when one of my group members got off task, I helped them out by giving them work to do that would benefit our group in a positive way. Another skill that I performed well in this project would be my cooperation. In this project I really listened to my group members opinions and didn't just do what I wanted. Working as a team is really beneficial toward the end goal for the project. Although my work ethic and cooperation were above average in this project, I did not do a great job communicating with my team members. I never reached out to my group when they were absent and told them what they missed and what they needed to work on to contribute to our project. This prompted the two of us to really dig in and get the work done. Although it set us back a little bit we recovered nicely. A peak our group had was when we powered through and finished our slideshow presentation. This really helped us because it gave it the motivation to practice our presentation and perfect it. A low point our group had would be one group members slacked off and didn't do the necessary work. However, these problems can be easily avoided in the next project.