Okay, you asked for it. Here are your last
portfolio project options of the year (and this class). If you don’t like any
of them, you can come and talk to me about creating your own project, but be
warned! It has to be a real project whose success can be measured. Please
remember that I will be grading these closely. Make sure you have your time in.
Good luck and remember this is your last chance to show what you can do!
Shooting the Stars
In this option, you are going to photograph the
stars and get a look at their real colors. You must first locate an older 35 mm camera.
The camera must have a “bulb” or “B” setting on the shutter speed dial. Buy a
roll of ASA 100 or ASA 200 speed color 35 mm film. Load the camera and take a
couple of regular pictures to set the light level for developing. Wait for a
nice clear evening and set the camera on something steady like a picnic table
or car hood. It’s better if you manage to get away from the city so the sky is
dark. Set the shutter speed to “B” and have a watch with a second hand. Take a
picture with the shutter open for 10 seconds. Then do a shot for 30 seconds,
then 45, then 1 minute, then 1.5 minutes, and then 2 minutes, and so on until
you use up the film. Go have it developed and look at the results. WARNING!
You may have to repeat this multiple times until you get it right. It
usually takes two to three tries to get a really good picture. So plan ahead!
Turn off any yard lights etc. before you begin. I really appreciate (i.e. give
a higher grade) when a student marks the stars and constellations on the
picture.
Spin a Web Page
We are having trouble accessing personal web pages
from school computers because of the new web filters, so it may be a better
idea to do this on your computer and burn it on a CD. You may also choose to go
to http://www.webs.com and sign-up for an account (parental permission
required) and build a web page on one of the following topics…
1. Unsung Heroes - This would be a web page
on a scientist, engineer or inventor who helped develop our understanding of
electricity and/or electronics. Here are some suggestions as to good topics…
André-Marie Ampère, Michael Faraday, Charles-Augustin de
Coulomb, Lee De Forest, Richard Feynman, James Clerk Maxwell, James Prescott
Joule, Jack Kilby, Robert Millikan, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, J. J. Thomson,
Alessandro Volta, Robert Moog.
You must have your subject approved by me (NO
EXCEPTIONS!).
2.
Journey Through the Solar System – This would be a web page about
the solar system and the eight planets and five dwarf planets plus moons and
asteroids.
The web page must contain graphics and text (in your own words) that
explain about the subject. Please credit all references. If you do this online, you
must submit the website to me one week prior to due date so I can get your site
unlocked at school. You may use an HTML editor like Microsoft® Publisher™ or
FrontPage™, or a free editor like
KompoZer (www.kompozer.net). You must also turn in a copy of the
text to me. You
should have at least three typewritten pages of text plus your references. Also if you are using a free website you must give me the
address the week before it is due!
Full of Hot Air
In this project the student will have to
explore the world of lighter than air vehicles. You will be required to build
and fly a mini hot air balloon of your own design, made from tissue paper, or a
dry cleaner bag. The balloon must carry with it a heat source (say, birthday
candles on a balsa frame, or a couple of cotton balls soaked in kerosene in
aluminum foil). You will build a presentation (to me, not the class) showing me
your design (either the original, a copy, or photos of your creation) and
telling me (in DETAIL, through written observation) how it flew, how far, in
what direction. WARNING! These balloons require putting flammable material and
fire together! You must first have parental permission before doing this
project! Your balloon should be designed safely and MUST be closely watched
during flight! Always keep a flame extinguisher like a simple garden hose close
by! DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS IN A BUILDING! You must follow your creation’s entire flight
path to make sure you don’t start any fires!
Old Time Radio Days
One of the all time greatest science projects of the old days was to
build a crystal radio. This is a simple radio receiver you can build yourself.
You may buy a kit for this from a hobby store or Internet site, but make sure
that it is a kit that you need to wrap the wire coil yourself. There is a
simpler “little kid” kit that is pretty common, don’t buy that one. In that kit
you just screw everything together (Radio Shack sells this kind). I will have
examples of both kind of kit. I will give an “A” if you build a real “old
fashioned” kit with a real piece of mineral crystal. A description and plans
for that radio can be found here…
http://www.bizarrelabs.com/crystal.htm
You must bring in your completed radio to your
portfolio review show me that it works and tell me how it works. You must then
answer some basic questions about the radio. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS PROJECT ANY
LATER THAT THREE WEEKS INTO THE QUARTER!!! IT TAKES TIME AND PAITIENCE!
IF YOUR RADIO DOES NOT WORK OR IS AN UNACCEPTABLE KIT YOU COULD LOSE A LOT OF
POINTS!
Circuit Bending
You may order an electrical project kit and build it
as well. There are several reasonably priced kits at this website…
http://www.elexp.com/kit-indx.htm
or
http://www.electronickits.com/kit/complete/complete.htm
But shipping can be expensive for these places (it’s
cheaper if you order with a friend and split the shipping). You can also go to
a local hobby shop. Let me know what you are going to try and build before you
order the kit please! Obviously some of these kits are complex so you don’t
want to be buying something you can’t build.
Good
luck to all! Start these early! I have high expectations for this grading
period. Remember you can always do more than one project for a better
grade!
ALL Portfolios are due on… May 28, 2013