| Objectives
I wanted our third and fourth graders to immerse themselves in a mass-production
project that had meaning beyond the classroom. This project/unit in
our school’s Engineering Technology class incorporates themes
of “Systemsî and “Michigan History,î as well as the standard
engineering tech fundamentals of design and build, problem solving and
practical applications of science and math principles. (See BCS,
an overview, Science and Technology Principle I, Project 2061).
I wanted all students to experience an assembly line method of manufacturing
large numbers of high-quality products that could be produced in a relatively
inexpensive way, and that did not rely on the individual craftsmanship
of the workers. The goal was to produce enough tanks so that every student
could take one home and then some additional ones for the teachers and
special dignitaries, as needed.
We exceeded our objectives by producing more than 250
high-quality model tanks. The students all took pride in this major
educational event and two tanks were actually hand-delivered to dignitaries
in Washington, D.C. Many students dedicated their tank to family members
who were veterans of the armed services or currently serving in Iraq.
An assembly was held in honor of Memorial Day where we presented all
students with their tanks and recognized their family members who were
veterans or current members of the armed services.
Approach
At the onset of the project, all students were required to sketch possible
vehicle designs for this mass-production project. The idea of the tank
model was not preconceived. The vehicle design was open to any type
of vehicle that would be made primarily of wood with wheels and driven
by an electric motor. During this design process, many students drew
sketches of military-type vehicles. They not only seemed fascinated
with the military vehicles, but also wanted to make them as a tribute
to those currently serving, and those who served in the past, to protect
our country and the freedom that we have. I was amazed by how much our
third- and fourth-grade students understood about current events and
the core democratic values of our country.
This project was unique because the students were involved
in every aspect of this major endeavor. From generating the design,
then producing the custom parts from raw materials, ordering the standard
parts, and setting up a sequential assembly order and emulating an assembly
line process, the students got to experience a real-life product manufacturing
system.
Relevance
Many of today’s elementary-age students are very interested in
toys and objects that are powered and move on their own. Parents and
teachers quite often hear the question, “How does it work?î Our
students got to experience and understand the inner workings of this
electrically powered vehicle. Basic concepts of simple machines, simple
electrical circuitry and speed-reducing gear ratios were put to use
in order to successfully develop this project. |
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Students also got to experience
different roles in the manufacturing process, including those of repetitive
manual labor. They saw the difference in the level of knowledge and
skills needed to produce the jigs and fixtures necessary to produce
interchangeable parts, compared to the relatively lower knowledge and
skill level needed for some of the repetitive, manual-labor roles. I
informed them that the engineers and machine/tool makers require a higher
level of math, science and technical skills, and, therefore, typically
earn a higher wage than the lower-skilled positions.
Measurement
Most of the measurement of project quality was done by actual
measurement of the quality of the parts during the parts production
phase. During the assembly portion of the project, quality was measured
by fit and performance of the various components. In some applications,
we made gauges to determine the acceptance of the part. At the end of
each period, the classes would be informed of the production counts
and quality control people would report on the number of good and bad
parts. Seeing the results of your work immediately helped motivate the
students to work at their best. I reminded the students that any one
of these vehicles could be the tank that they are going to receive.
Challenges
The idea of “building tanksî at a high-profile district-wide school
of choice, in a high-profile school district, was not something I could
assume was automatically going to be accepted as this year’s project.
To be honest with you, I was a little nervous that the tank design won
the majority vote among the students. I obviously could not proceed
with the project without getting approval of the principal, who would
ultimately be responsible for the decision to do this.
I realize we live in an ultra-sensitive, diverse society
where political correctness is taken very seriously, and I did not want
to create an unintentional problem. I presented the dilemma to my principal
and we realized that it would be taking a risk. Taking risks in order
to grow is not a unique concept at B.C.S. Risk takers, including the
principal and myself, created this school. We also realized that the
students were not looking at this tank design as a symbol of war or
hatred to any particular country or ethnic group, but as a symbol of
support for the troops, the people that were actually fighting for our
freedom and way of life here in America. This was a toy model, not a
weapon that fired anything.
The principal, Mrs. Dale Truding, needed some time to
think it over, understandably. Dale asked me to write a letter to the
parents and we would assess any feedback we receive. I wrote the letter,
and the responses we got back were all very positive in support of the
project. We did not get any negative feedback or request to pick another
design for any reason. The students enjoyed a Memorial Day assembly
like no other before. Many three-generation families were touched as
the students presented their tanks, honoring their parents and grandparents
for their part in protecting our country.
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