Old Slice

In the first STEAM class of my junior year, Design and Engineering, we are going over what really makes a tool a tool, and all the steps designers have to take when making one. In the first unit of this course, which is called Stronger, the class went over the history of some tools, and we were also introduced to some math concepts that include angles, pressure, force and leverage. For the action project, the class was assigned to work with a partner and brainstorm ideas of how to improve and redesign an existing tool. My partner and I decided to look into the machete. We looked into all the different designs that were available and came up with a better one that would also be safe for an elderly person. At first, my partner and I had a hard time thinking about why an elderly person would even have a machete, but then we also thought about the possibility that they would, and how we could make it easier for them. I'm proud of how my partner and I communicated during this project, and I learned about new steps that could help me in the future when it comes to redesigning something.

JB. Machete. (2015) 

As my partner and I were talking about the machete, we were also discussing the consumers, because we wanted to make sure that we added an element of empathy, which is being able to understand and share the feelings of others. We realized that machetes are pretty dangerous, especially for an older person. As I did research and looked at the ones at the store I noticed that the machetes are just out in a long box and it was pretty easy to just simply take the machete out and use it. Just looking at one scared me, which is why my partner and I decided to give our machete a rubber blade cover. It protects the user from the blade, along with stopping the look of the blade from scaring people away. As I was interviewing my grandpa, I asked him why he doesn't really use tools and he responded by saying that "sometimes they take up too much space and are too heavy." This got me thinking about a way to make the machete lighter. We decided that the handles would have a gel grip handle that would make it more comfortable for the user, and it would also be lighter. We also have a notch for cutting wire and other strings or cords. Other machetes have that feature, but they don't have a button that controls the retractable blade. I did more research and I noticed the curve feature usually makes the price of the machete go up, but that would not happen with ours. We also made sure to add a lock to that button to let the user know the blade won't just come out. Along with the retractable button, we added a hinge so that the user can fold up the machete and put it into the rubber blade cover. It would look better but it would also take up less space. The Old Slice is also a few inches longer in the handle, which means that the consumer would not have to do as much bending or going on their tippy toes while chopping something down. Our machete would be considered a wedge because the blade is used to cut and separate objects. Even though we made the machete more safe, the Old Slice is still able to do all the monster chopping that you need it to do. Below there is a storyboard of the Old Slice.

JB Storyboard  (2015)

JB. Old Slice storyboard. (2015)

RD, Old Slice. (2015)

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.

In the third and final unit of the Forbidden Books class, which is called Diversity, the class learned about the different ways authors permit diversity in their writings, but also having the side of intolerance somewhere in there. The class also looked into the meaning of diversity, and seeing how society can be scared of that idea.  For the final actual project the class was assigned to write a "book report" on our chosen book, which were all on the list of banned books. We all had to pick a topic that we were going to be supporting in our essays. I decided to choose The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian because since it's written in a form of a diary, I know it's going to be interesting. I also decided to choose the topic of looking how the main character in this book transforms and makes peace with diversity. It was interesting really looking into the main character along with looking at the many setbacks he had while trying to make peace with diversity, all while being surrounded with people that don't accept the idea. I had a hard time when I first started, but with some deep digging in my book, I was able to come up with an idea that I had about the character and his transformation. Thanks to this unit and project, I had a better understanding on why so many people were scared of being open to different settings, situations and even more diverse things.

MF. Photography. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian cover (2015)

ATTENTION!

In the second unit of the Disease class, which is called Mind, the class went over mental illnesses, and see and try to understand the effects that they have on people. We went over the DSMV and looked at how psychiatrists use this book to diagnosed someone. It was also interesting to just look at the symptoms that make up a mental illness. For the action project the class was assigned to do some research on a certain mental illness that affect children, and also do a stimulation and flier that would help our classmates understand this mental illness a bit better. I decided to research Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While doing some research I learned a lot of interesting facts about it, and I defiantly have a different view on this topic. It was challenging though on figuring out ways to create a lesson plan that would let my classmates understand and sort of feel what a person with ADHD goes through. Although challenging, I did have a fun time putting my flier together and creating my lesson plan. I hope through my flier below, you have a better understanding of ADHD. I also hope my lesson plan gives more knowlegde of what a person with ADHD has to go through.


Attention Deficit/hyperactive disorder, also known as ADHD is a mental disorder that makes having to focus, following directions or completing a task difficult, because of how easily distracted you get, and because your brain is entering too much info at the same time. The official definition for ADHD is a chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness. It is very common in the United States, with more than 3 million cases per year. The symptoms include zoning out regularly, difficulty following simple directions, makes careless mistakes, not being able to listen at all, easily distracted, avoids any activity that involves a lot thinking, loses items, forgetful, There are also other symptoms that include hyperactivity. Those include talking a lot, unable to sit still, quick temper, fidgeting/squirming, climbing in children, for adults extreme relentless, hard time completing activities quietly, feelings of driven by motor, blurts things out, out of no where or when its not their turn, and having a hard time waiting. In order to be diagnosed children must have at least 6 or more symptoms, and for people 17 and up at least 5 required. Being unable to focus though, seems like a huge problem, and often leads to hard situations, like doing poorly in school , or you seem to look when talking to other people. “When I am talking with someone, I miss a lot of what they say. I want to listen but I have 20 other things going on in my brain. I am listening but the words are added to the items and juggled around. It is easy to see how this leads to a speaking and communicating problem. The other person would have to continually repeat themselves. How frustrating.” This is a quote I found while researching and landed on a man named TJ’s blog.