As we were learning and researching about the Industrial Revolution we learned that a lot of inventions were made and some we still use to this day, so in the spirit of that we were assigned to create our own invention that was fairly realistic and people would want to buy. We first had to brainstorm ideas, around 20, and then we picked 3-5 that we liked the most. After the whole process we ended up with sunglasses that would produce energy like solar panels, but there was one main flaw which was that you couldn’t use them year round because they were based off of sunlight. So, then we needed to make and invention that you could use year round and in any climate, and finally we came up with Power Step. Power Step is a gel pair of gel insoles that you would put into your shoes that by impact on the ground will charge any device that it can wirelessly connect to through Bluetooth. Here’s how it would work, by they six main pressure points on your foot (the balls of your feet and your heel) we would put spring technology in so when you stepped down the springs would press down and collapse by the force of a step. When the springs close down they produce energy which will connect to the wireless piece via THW wires. Then once it has reached the wireless piece it will transmit energy to the device of your choice.
We used a lot of skills and competencies, but the one that we felt most impacted us was our communication skills. In any group project communication is needed and depending on how well you can communicate with your group members will possibly change our mark. Although I did a lot of talking during this project I was able to see both sides of an argument and respect the others opinion which is a key life skill. Me and my group members were also able to split the work evenly among and I took responsibility for some roles and tasks in this group. This project was also a good representation of the work and effort I always put into these projects. We also were able to come up with a design or a plan and carry it out and although we didn’t win the most we still feel like the effort and work that went into this did in fact pay off. When we were giving our sales pitch to customers we were also connecting and engaging with other students and teachers.
As a group of three we could improve a few things. Although this wasn’t a setback it ended up in some group members doing more of the work then normal. During this project me and one of my group members were responsible for more of the workload and the reason for this is our other group member was sick on the day we had time to work on it and never really made the time back up. Another thing we could have improved on which wasn’t in the criteria was a prototype. Although this wasn’t asked for many teachers and staff such as Mr. Rud, Mr. Clerkson and Mr. Sun said “you should have a prototype” or “people love to see these inventions”. And one of our group members did do a very in depth drawing we decided by the end that if we had a prototype we would have won.
In the past few weeks we have learned about the french moved to “new france” aka Quebec and what their settlements look like. In this assignment, we looked at how to make a safe and realistic model of a settlement that would last a long time. We thought it would be a great idea to find some ideas of how they did it back then, and after a few hours of work we stumbled across the Fort Langley National Historic site. This was exactly what we were looking for. We noticed some things about this fort that made it stand out to us, it also gave us a few ideas when it comes to layout of your fort, location and the nearby natural resources. During this project me and my group partner Connor F. learned the importance of group working and splitting the work evenly. Since we choose to make it on minecraft we had to also learn a lot of communication skills that aren’t taught much.
Me and Connor were working on this project we learned the values of scrolling through the internet and finding other people’s ideas, and example of this would be when we found Fort Langley, this gave us so many good ideas. Fort Langley didn’t just give us good ideas and trick to apply to our fort but it also gave us stellar ideas to build off of and improve upon. When making our Fort we had some problems with our location we wanted it to be private but safe, having a lot of trees or built in a forest would make the fort hard to find but when having trees close to your wall the enemies can use them to knock down your wall, sneak up on you, or even climb the trees to get a better understanding of where to make their break in from. So by using online resources and a few realistic models we were able to solve these pretty much straight forward problems. We wanted our fort to give and edge when it came to making it safe and being able to collaborate with my group, we could generate ideas fairly fast but when talking to other groups it gave us some insights on new and surprising ideas. To reach our full potential work ethic we worked with headphones on and tried to separate ourselves from all the nearby distractions. This would make it so we could be all alone, so we could be as creative as possible. Me and my group partner were pretty passionate about this project, and we managed to stay focus and at work for the whole time, we were both dedicated and didn’t want to let each other down.
Although we did well on this project there’s always room for improvement. One of the ways we could improve is our start, we start off not really knowing how we would do this, where (geographically) we would make it, what made forts good and what didn’t. The second way we could improve was by splitting our strengths with our work. What I mean by this is I did a bit more of the fort design, layout, and building, while connor did more of the writing aspect. I am not very creative, and i don’t properly know how to research so wasn’t a problem i just think we could have gotten and even better result.
(Actual assignment)
Minecraft Video Link
Why did you leave Europe to come to New France/Canada?
As French explorers, we were sent by the King to accomplish one main goal of improving and expanding, our country. The most significant reasons as to why we moved here, are economical. This land is home to many materials which can’t be found in Europe, which tremendously increases their value. These materials include Atlantic cod, minerals, and most importantly, furs. The fur trade was extremely important to France and was one of the main factors in their economy. Establishing a fort in New France, allowed us to trade steel and weapons to the indigenous for fur, which was extremely valuable in Europe.
Why did you choose the area to build your fort?
We built our fort on a very flat landscape, for numerous reasons. First off, in the era these forts were built, it was very difficult to build on uneven mountain like terrain, because we didn’t have access to modern construction technology. Therefore, we felt as though it was easier, and more realistic to build on predominantly flat terrain. Also, building our fort on flat terrain, away from forests and other most hiding places, gives us a tactical advantage. The reason for this, is we’ll be able to see all of our enemies coming, narrowing the likelihood of any sort of attack which we aren’t prepared for.
Why are the people that are out in the wilderness trapping furs going to be attracted to trading with your fort?
Our fort is hidden but in an area near loads of animals and near a river. People wanted to trade with us because we have a lot of valuable materials. Since we had come from France, we could take over the metals and materials from France that would go for a fortune in Canada, just like how furs are more valuable in Europe.
How are you going to survive, {what will you need to bring and do to survive?}
For survival, our forts have been stocked with all of the materials we need, to make ourselves almost as self–sustainable as the actual France.This would include many tools, and iron. Even though theiron we’d be bringing isn’t as important to our survival immediately, it is a valuable trade item. This would mean we’d be able to acquire many other valuable items, without having to ship them from France.Also, we would have to be prepared for the harsh weather conditions, and foreign diseases. We’d do this by forming an alliance with an indigenous tribe, to ensure that our village could sustain the difference in environment.
What are the potential dangers, obstructions, problems, etc. to your fort?
For potential dangers, there would be two main concerns; weather, and enemies. Building a fort in new weather conditions would be difficult, especially when the conditions are Canadian. Also, as our fort is under construction, we would be nearly defenseless against an attack from our enemies. After we’ve settled down, enemies would still pose a threat to our colony, though it wouldn’t be as great, since we’d have the upper hand because of our fort.
What are the potential benefits to your fort due to its location?
The location of our fort would make survival easier. One reason is it is near a river, so we’d have easy access to water. Also, we aren’t as vulnerable to attack because of the location of the trees near our fort. They are far enough away, so that we have enough time to see our enemies coming, though they are close enough, that they hide our fort.
How does geography affect where/how your fort was located/built?
When we were building our fort, we wanted to have it close to a river, so that we had easy access to water and transportation. Also, the rivers make for easier hunting, for two reasons. First, there are fish in the river, and second, animals need a source of water, which draws them to the river, so we know that hunting them will be easier. Also, there are forests nearby, so we can use the trees to hide, as well as wood for building.
How will your fort be self-sustainable?
In order to be completely self–sustainable, we must not rely on anyone else, or any other external factors to survive. This means that we must gather food, be able to survive the conditions, and the various diseases on our own. To accomplish this, we first must try to develop a form of sustainable agriculture, because it is risky to rely on animals as your sole source of food. Also, we must learn how to treat all of the local diseases, because is we don’t know how, they will spread throughout the whole community, and wipe our colony out.
