Stranded No More

In Social Entrepreneurship, we learned about everything that goes into making a business. We went over the basics such as marketing, incentives, mission/vision statements, sales, and pitches, as well as some lesser known concepts such as hedgehog concept, financial projections, and legal structures. We read the book E-Myth Revisited to better understand the mentality an entrepreneur needs when starting their own business. For our FE’s, we had guest speakers like the founder of Purple Asparagus, the director of 826Chi, and the founder of GCE, Eric Davis, come in to show us what they thought worked the best and to give us tips and tricks for starting and running a business. Our action project was to create our own business idea over the entire term, and we learned about each part of our business as we created it. We went really in depth with our business ideas to the point where, if we had the time and resources, we could actually make these ideas a reality. We each had to make a quick, two minute, video of our pitch for 'potential' investors. I really enjoyed the entire process of creating our businesses because this is a real thing that I am contemplating on doing. To be able to get good insight on what it would take and the work that goes into it on top of having a decent beginning with research will help a lot in the future. The only part that I had truly struggle with was the financial projections since it really depends on the individual hair salon. Overall this course genuinely helped in believing that I could do this in the, hopefully near, future. Please enjoy my pitch below.

ENT AP - Kizoa Movie - Video - Slideshow Maker

Hoping for a Fair and Equal Representation

In unit 3, Organization, we learned about what makes a group, or company, perform at their best and the methods they use. Looking into business practices such as Six Sigma and Total Quality, then at systems thinking to see how each component works together to make the whole. For our action project we were tasked to find a system in the school and create a SWOT based off it. Along with the SWOT we had to connect the system to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the Commons, and business trends. The main goal was to find a solution to the problems within the system and explain how it would improve it. I ended up choosing the student council because I believe it is a vital part of any school. I really enjoyed interviewing members of the school about the council because they all had a lot to say, good and constructive. I had really struggled with relating I-O psychology to student council, but I found help from my peers and a shared resource we created. Please enjoy my SWOT on the student council below.


Works Cited:

BM (Teacher). Personal Interview. 2017.

LS (Student). Personal Interview. 2017.

“Industrial and Organizational Psychology.” American Psychological Association. N.p. Web. Accessed February 6, 2017.

KK (Director). Personal Interview. 2017

SG (Student). Personal Interview. 2017

"Vroom expectancy motivation theory | Employee motivation theories | YourCoach Gent." Your Coach. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Feb. 2017.

Generations and Their Colors

In unit 2, Group, we learned about how a person's behavior changes when surrounded by others and their awareness to this alteration. We looked into similarities between group dynamics and what makes them function. Some of the groups we researched were Boy Scouts, Outward Bound, and NOLS with the goal of finding out their purpose and why they've lasted for so long. To help understand group dynamics we planned out team building activities and the class ended up becoming closer due to it. For our action project we had to design and administer a sociological experiment. I chose to observe how a person’s tattoos and race can affect how they're viewed by multiple of societies generations. I really enjoyed being able to look into this because it hits close to home. I love tattoos, I currently have two, and have been told by many people that they will affect my chances of getting a job. It was a struggle to write since my project was somewhat more difficult due to having multiple variables that needed testing. However, this was overcome with minor obstacles with the help of my teacher and a friend. Please enjoy my lab report below.

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I Am Me

In unit 1, Individual, we learned all about different psychological evaluation tests that help individuals discover more about themselves. These tests measure how much we truly know about ourselves and the way we function in society. This brought us to our action project, making a self portrait and artist statement about what we've learned about ourselves. We were given free reign of how we wanted to represent ourselves in our self portraits from concrete to completely abstract concepts using whatever medium we wanted. I decided to do a more abstract drawing that shows both the tests I took and my true self. I had mixed feelings when creating this project. On one hand I loved the creative liberty given to us and that we got to share more about ourselves with others. On the other hand it was really hard to express who I am as a whole in a single image. It was challenging and took me a while to decide on an idea for the project. I knew I wanted to incorporate eyes in some way and went from there. In the end it turned out to be something I loved and am extremely proud of, I managed to capture the basics of my essence in this drawing. Please enjoy my self portrait and artist statement below.

TS. "Through the Eyes of Me". 2017. Chicago

"Through the Eyes of Me"
Computer Printing, Sharpie, and Colored Pencils on Card Stock
H 9" x  W 12"

I had taken a multitude of psychological tests in order to have a better understanding of myself. Out of all the tests the two I think represent me most were the Enneagram and Myers-Briggs. In the Enneagram test I ended up being a six, otherwise known as the Loyalist, meaning that I will do anything for what I believe in and for those I care for. Sixes are the committed, security-oriented type and are known to be “reliable, hard-working, responsible, and trustworthy. Excellent "troubleshooters," they foresee problems and foster cooperation, but can also become defensive, evasive, and anxious—running on stress while complaining about it. They can be cautious and indecisive, but also reactive, defiant and rebellious. They typically have problems with self-doubt and suspicion.” (“The Loyalist Enneagram Type 6”, 2016). It freaks me out how spot on my test results were. I tend to try and solve problems before they happen and am constantly wary of others and their intentions. The reason being is that I’m afraid to be forgotten and left behind once again; to not have the security and support that I need when life gets tough is terrifying. So when I decide to put my trust into a person or idea I make sure to defend it with all my being. If you ask anyone who is close to me what the most predominant trait I have the answer will always be my loyalty. This is represented by the eyes and the tree. The eyes are the physical representation of my loyalty, one being human while the other being a wolf, an animal that is immensely faithful and that I am compared to quite often. The blue color of the irises is for my true eye color and the color symbolization of devotion. Trees are known to be sturdy, unmoving and to solidify this thought I wrote “security” in Tagalog, my native language. For the Myers-Briggs test I was placed into the ENTP group, which is also called the “debater” or “visionary”. They are “quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading other people. Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.” (ENTP Type, 2016). This is fairly accurate, but not exactly me. The problem with this test was that it was very black and white; there is no grey area. You’re either an extrovert, who thrives off of being action oriented, preferring frequent interaction and getting energy from spending time with people, or an introvert, who prospers from being thought oriented, favoring substantial interaction and receive energy from spending time alone. I am neither of these, instead am an ambivert, a person who exhibits qualities of both introversion and extroversion. I don’t prefer one way of functioning over another, rather I’m a jack of all trades doing well in any situation be it social or secluded setting. To show this I have two different skylines portraying my interactions with my surroundings, twilight for introversion and dawn for extroversion. The silhouettes of the people are manifestations of me and how I can easily blend into each trait.

I looked into other psychological assessments and case studies to gather a better understanding on human and, ultimately, my behavior. I first delved into an unofficial, but quite accurate, assessment: Pottermore. I took the test that places you into a Hogwarts house; I ended up being sorted into Slytherin. Their traits are cunning, ambitious, resourceful, shrewd, loyal, and determined. This strongly backed up my results in the other tests with certain traits being repeated. For instance loyalty makes another appearance due to Slytherins constantly looking out for eachother. Though many believe that being a Slytherin means that you’re evil. This is not true it just so happens to be that there were recently many infamous dark wizards that came from Slytherin, the other houses have had their fair share in producing dark wizards but no one mentions it. Merlin, the most famous wizard ever who was the definition of good, just so happened to be a Slytherin. The Slytherin house is just frequently misunderstood. A case study that we analyzed that connects to the Pottermore test was the Stanford Prison Experiment. Psychologist Philip Zimbardo designed a prison simulation where students played the role of a guard or inmate. The experiment ended early due to the severity the guards treated the inmates, causing them extreme psychological torture. In this case the power the guards believed they held went to their heads despite being picked randomly from the same group as the inmates. Proving that anyone has the potential for evil given the right situation.

The thought process behind my piece was confusing and didn’t have a final form until I finished. I knew that I wanted eyes to be incorporated due to their unique beauty and doors to the soul. From there I figured that a concrete portrait wouldn’t get my whole message across so I went with an abstract piece. Deciding on the medium had been the last big hurdle that needed to be determined before I could let loose my creativity. As a kid I loved to use colored pencils so I opted to go with that. Keeping the tests in mind I filtered through different ideas that I could integrate the eyes that I wanted. Once I thought of a semi-concrete idea I began drawing, but as I continued to draw new ideas kept coming causing me to add something last minute. The colors of everything was decided at the end based off of what I thought would best express both the tests and who I am. When talking to a professional photographer on the process of creating art accompanied by an artist statement she told me this: “Art helps people change the way they look at things without realizing it.” This really made me think about why I created this piece. What view was I exactly trying to change? Eventually I came to this conclusion - go out into the world to learn more about yourself and don’t be afraid to show who you truly are. The world is constantly trying to put people down and make them feel bad and embarrassed about what makes them different. This is causing people to lose touch with themselves. I want people to go express themselves, be unique, and make sure that to have fun while doing it.

Works Cited:

Berkers, E. (2017). Enneagram Tests (free). Retrieved January 18, 2017, from https://www.eclecticenergies.com/enneagram/dotest.php

Briggs Myers, I. (n.d.). The 16 MBTI Types. Retrieved January 18, 2017, from http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/the-16-mbti-types.htm

ENTP PERSONALITY (“THE DEBATER”). (2011). Retrieved January 23, 2017, from https://www.16personalities.com/entp-personality

ENTP: The Visionary. (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.truity.com/personality-type/ENTP

Hogwarts houses: Slytherin. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://www.pottermore.com/collection/all-about-slytherin

On Ambiverts: Why Distinguishing Between Extroverts and Introverts is Inadequate. (2013, June 08). Retrieved January 23, 2017, from https://www.diplateevo.com/on-ambiverts-why-distinguishing-between-extroverts-and-introverts-is-inadequate/

Sol, M. (2016, November 03). Ambiversion: The Lost Personality Type. Retrieved January 21, 2017, from https://lonerwolf.com/ambivert/

Type Six - The Loyalist. (2016). Retrieved January 19, 2017, from https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-6/

Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment revealed how social roles can influence our behavior. We look at how it was conducted and what we can learn from it. (n.d.). Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment. Retrieved January 20, 2017, from https://www.psychologistworld.com/influence_personality/stanfordprison.php

KING OF GODS!

In unit 2, Are You A Game, of Game Changers we delved deeper into the processes of how games are made and worked on creating our own games. For our FEs, we had talked to many people who have a successful career in the game industry. This had helped us significantly while creating our games since we had professional advice from people who have been in the industry for years. We had gone to Chicago Toy & Game Fair to compete in the Young Inventors Challenge where we had presented our second prototypes. Our action project was to create a final prototype of our game, show its process, and make an elevator pitch. My game is called King of Gods; it is a battling race game. I really enjoyed being given such creative liberties over this project, being able to come up with a unique game of my own without any restrictions was amazing. I had so many ideas, but the one about mythologies was by far my favorite. However, I didn't enjoy feeling rushed while making it because in total we only had about two weeks to finish three prototypes. Despite this emotion I put my head down and worked hard to get everything done. Please enjoy learning about my game below.

Pitch

One day, gods from four different mythologies got into a fight about who was the most powerful god and you have been tasked to help one of them win the battle. You will travel through the Underworld, Middle Earth, and Overworld. Along the way you will encounter monsters and fight other players. Your aim is to survive through the battles to reach the Overworld throne to become the king of all gods.

Going into the project, I was fairly confident. I had not realized how truly difficult it is to make a game. Coming up with the theme and type of game I wanted was fairly easy, but making it a reality was much harder. There is a lot of trial and error involved in making a game. In order to have a successful game, you must make it virtually unbreakable (meaning everything needs to be clear cut, easy to follow and solid mechanics) ,  all the while still having it be fun, aesthetically pleasing, and marketable.

The way to achieve this is through multiple rounds of play, testing. By having people play your game, you can learn what things need to be fixed and how to make it more enjoyable for the players. For example, when I had people play my first prototype, they weren't following the path, were battling wrong, and didn't have a lot of fun. They told me my boards were confusing and the battle mechanic had many flaws; overall it was not a lot of fun to play. From there, I made the borders clearer and made changes to the battle mechanic. When I had the same people playtest my game after the changes they had a lot more fun, actually laughing and enjoying the game’s theme. They had found the board’s paths to be clearer and easier to follow.

I think my favorite part of making a game was the experience of going through the stages of game design and watching your game grow.. Seeing what it is like to make a game that is appealing to the public, but at the same time functional, is amazing. You have to put in tons of mental and physical work in order to achieve this. This class has given me a whole new appreciation for games and their designers.

Scouting for Games

In unit 1, Game Mechanics, of Game Changers I learned all about tabletop games from defining what a game is to the mechanics of a game. We also looked at different randomizers such as dice and the statistics for what you will roll. We had gone on a few FEs that helped us understand what a player's perspective and a game designer's perspective is during a game. Out of all the FEs the one I found most useful was when we talked to game designer Jason Little, who has created over 50 games. He gave us very in depth answers to all our question and tips on dos and don’ts when creating a game. For our action project we were tasked with coming up with a scenario where a person or group wanted to play a game where we then gave them two different recommendations. I found it to be challenging to describe the mechanics of the two games without going into the rules of the game. After talking to my teacher and classmates I was able to write the mechanics of the games. I really enjoyed having to have a lot of freedom in this project by being able to choose a scenario and the

games that would best fit those needs. Please enjoy my scenario and recommendations below.

Capricorn.August 2016.

In my scenario, a scout group needs a game to play during multi-day events. The group is looking into games that would be enjoyable and not a great hassle. The biggest needs I’ve identified for the scouts are:

• Transportable, meaning it needs to be relatively small and easy to carry around and play anywhere be it in the airport, car or boat.
• Inexpensive since they spend most of the treasury’s money on their events.
• Be able to accommodate large groups due to there being 12 scouts and 4 adult leaders on the trip.
• Re-playable due to them playing multiple games

I have chosen two games that fit the needs the best: Egyptian Rat Screw and Werewolf (Mafia). Below are the reference sheets that will introduce and explain each game.

The scout group would easily benefit from either of these games. Since both games can be played anywhere and with a lot of people. Another thing is that each game is slightly different from the last making it re-playable enough that the scouts won’t get bored of it. These two games are able to raise the energy in a room since people can get really into it which would help the scouts to not be as sluggish later on in the day. Werewolf has the bonus of being themed with a background story as to why the game is happening which Egyptian Rat Screw lacks.

If I had to choose only one game for the scout group to bring with them it would have to be Egyptian Rat Screw. The main reason for this is that it is cheaper than Werewolf. All you need for the game is a deck of normal playing cards, about $0.50, versus the special cards needed for Werewolf, about $15. The other major reason is that once you out in Werewolf you are no longer engaged in the game. In Egyptian Rat Screw they have a mechanic that can get you back into the game therefore keeping you constantly engaged.

Investing Towards the Future

In unit 2, Wealth and Wages, of Economics we learned about investing and the different things you can invest in such as stocks, mutual funds, or bonds. For the math portion of the class we delved further into matrices by using them to solve systems of equations. For our action project we were given an imaginary scenario where we had been gifted money that was put into a savings account for 18 years. With this money we had to invest it into companies of our choice to reach our three SMART goals, a 1 year, 5 year, and 25 year. The companies I invested in were General Electric, Apple, and Disney, the more in depth analysis is in my post. It had been difficult deciding what companies to invest in and how much of the money I was granted should go into each of my goals. I loved doing this project, despite the hardships, because I will be ale to carry this knowledge with me for the rest of my life. It will make financial decisions easier to deal with and understand. Please enjoy my investment portfolio below.
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We were given a scenario where I was gifted with $49,128.87 from my guardian angel. With this I decided to invest in companies that are in line with my values and investment philosophy, but will also stay in line with my goals. Below are my three financial goals.

1-year goal: Have pocket money to spend in Europe ($5,000)
5-year goal: Get a custom made motorcycle ($21,000)
25-year goal: Own a bookstore with small cafe  ($450,000)

I value multiple types of companies, especially ones that focus on innovation. The innovative are always looking to improve what exists, making it more efficient and, hopefully, cheaper. This will help guarantee that those companies will be around for many years. Children are our future so I highly value companies that are family-friendly, they inspire young people to do things and enjoy life. Being passionate profit-driven brings forth the best the company has to offer. They will try their hardest to produce a product that will do well and make people happy. I believe in watching the economy to look for trends, this way I will be able to predict what will happen with my investments. By waiting out the bumps in the stock I will make more money in the long run.

I ended up choosing to invest in three different companies - Disney, whose share prices are $93.05, General Electric, whose share prices are $28.92, and Apple, whose share prices are $113.72. Each of them are leaders within their own fields and encompass the majority of my values. The two companies I liked the most are Disney and General Electric, below is more information on these two companies.

Walt Disney Corporation: Disney is in the entertainment industry and they are matchless in their reach. They have one of the largest shares in film, television, animation, merchandising, and theme parks industries and have shown continual growth since they opened. They even say in their mission statement "The Walt Disney Company's objective is to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information" which only shows the dedication they have towards their work. They have a P/E ratio of 17.84, compared to the industries 28.60, and a dividend yield of 1.53%. With new Marvel, and now Star Wars, movies coming out every year from now to 2020 there is no doubt that Disney will continue to grow. Many people grew up watching Disney, be it movies or television shows, and it brings them joy. The Disney Corporation covers all the things I value and then some.

Walt Disney Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

General Electric: General Electric is involved in all sorts of innovations thus the reason why it is in the diversified industrial industry. Their products and services range from airplane engines to medical imaging. Some inventions they were involved in are alarm clocks, light bulbs, televisions, and turbines.,and those are only a few. They are also involved in power, renewable energy, healthcare - the list goes on. With so many fields in their grasp they are able to take innovations made in one field and apply it to the rest. General Electric has a P/E of  27.32 and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Compared to the industries P/E which is 23.82 meaning over the next few years GE has some big things planned. This company is constantly growing in multiple areas.

General Electric Stock Price. 2016. Via Google.

The time horizon is extremely important because it will affect how much money you will make when investing. In this case time was on my side due to my most important goal being in 25 years, giving my money more time to accumulate and increase. With all this in mind this is how I invested into my 1, 5, and 25 year goals:

Portfolio I - 1 Year Goal

$4,912.89 (10% of money allotted)

30 shares of AAPL @ $113.72 ($3439.02 total) (70% of portfolio)

5 shares of GE @ $28.92 ($1473.87 total) (30% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 18.06%. After one year I should have made $5,800.16.

Portfolio II - 5 Year Goal

$9,825.77 (20% of money allotted)

43 shares of AAPL @ $113.72 ($4912.89 total) (50% of portfolio)

52 shares of DIS @ $93.05 ($4912.89 total) (50% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 233%. After five years I should make around $22,894.04.

Portfolio III - 25 Year Goal

$34,390.21 (70% of money allotted)

295 shares of DIS @ $93.05 ($27512.17 total)  (80% of portfolio)

190 shares of GE @ $28.92 ($5502.43 total) (20% of portfolio)

The ROI for investing in these two companies is 1254.28%. After twenty-five years I will make about $465,739.74.

Total Investment Portfolio Value: $494,433.94

I expect to make this much, which is significantly over each goals amount, but even if I under perform I should sill be within my target range.

This may sound a little risky, however according to Rutgers University's Risk Tolerance Quiz I have a 27 risk tolerance. Meaning that I have an average or moderate tolerance towards risk and am unlikely to get involved in highly risky situations, financially or personally. However I'm not overly cautious when taking risks since I analyze in order to take good calculated risks.

TS. Risk Tolerance. 2016. GCE Lab School

Assumptions:

1. Assuming that ROI holds steady (or at least does not drop significantly) there will be no changes in my ending investment.
2. I have assumed that companies will last and will remain at the head of their field.
3. I assume that, even if my goals don't go as planned, I will still make enough money to be in the ball park of my goal.

References:

"Apple."csimarket.com.N.P. N.D. Web. 27 Oct, 2016.

“General Electric Return on Investment.” CSI Market. N.p.,n.d.Web. 25 Oct. 2016

“Investment Risk Tolerance Quiz.” Rutgers. N.p.,n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

New York Stock Exchange. 2016. NYSE.

"Walt Disney." csimarket.com. N.P. N.D. Web. 28 Oct, 2016.

“Walt Disney DIS”. MorningStar. N.p.,n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.

The Next Steps

In Unit 1, Utility and Value, of Economics we learned about opportunity cost and how every decision you make comes at a price. When delving into economics we saw how the world runs and that it is influenced by the way people think and the incentives that draw them in. Some math concepts that we had gone over had been different ways to calculate interest, solving systems of equations, matrices, and how supply and demand graphs work. On our FE we had gone to the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and got to really understand how they control the economy. For our action project we were tasked with deciding our futures beyond high school. We had to choose a career and then figure out two possible paths, and the costs that come with each, that would take us there. I ended up choosing a career as an electrical engineer due to my love for math and being raised by electricians. I really enjoyed doing this project since it gave good incite on something I may end up doing in the future. There had been times where I struggled, such as finding concrete numbers for both the salary and tuition for each college. Please enjoy my findings below.
 

Riverside District

In unit 3, Flow, of Urban Planning we focused on what makes a city function and how its design affects the people living in it. We learned about some cities and how they had evolved into what they are today. During our external investigation we had to research a city and find out what could be improved. This lead us to our final action project, choosing a block anywhere in the world to pick out its flaws and redesigning it. It was really difficult when picking a space to reconstruct. There are so many places in the world that need fixing it is hard just choosing one. In the end I had chosen a space that was once a train yard because of all the possibilities I could do to improve it. I really enjoyed this project because I felt like it tied the whole unit together very nicely and it challenged me in different ways. Please enjoy my design down below.

The area I chose is southwest corner of Roosevelt Road and Clark Street. This used to be an old CSX rail yard that has laid abandoned for decades. The strengths this plot of land has is its location, it is next to the Chicago River and is in the Southwest Loop, causing it to be near many if the city's attractions. However location isn't everything and this area has lots of weaknesses. Despite its great location the old rail yard remains hidden by townhouses, railroads, overgrown shrubbery, and the elevated Roosevelt Road. Since it has been abandoned for so long it has hazardous materials all across the grounds posing danger to anyone that walks there. It also is a very unappealing site that many tourists see due to it being along a tour boat path. This space would benefit from adding a boarding dock, lots of plants, and a place where the community can get together. The area's shape is closest to that of a rectangle. The width is 1156.73 ft and the length is 2352.35 ft causing the area to be 2695893.24 ft squared.

TS "Labeled Map" (2016)

5 Redesigned Attributes:

1. Repurposed Bike Path - this path takes the old railway lines and fixes them so people can enjoy a small bike ride and have a clean path for walking 

2. Tour Boat Dock & Ticket/Refreshment Booth - gives tourists and Chicagoans easy access to the South Loop and access to food if people get hungry

3. Community Center - brings the community together and activity options for both children and adults

4. Park/Playground - gives the space purpose and a place for children to play since there are not many places in the South Loop that have playgrounds

5. Added Greenery - to bring the space some life, more appealing view, and a place where people can relax

TS "Sketched Design" (2016)

I was inspired by the TED talks and the docking system in Singapore. Singapore has many ports each within 1.5 miles of the last, and tour boats give easy access to major sites in the city. In Chicago tour boats are an extremely popular way to view the city all at once, but they only have a few docks to get on and off. Many tourists will end up where they started and have to make long treks to get to certain places. Since this area is located near the Buckingham Fountain, museums, and Soldier Field it seemed like a key spot to have a dock. The TED talker, Ellen Dunham-Jones, influenced me the most out of the three TED talks we watched. She had stated how empty spaces can be restored and repurposed and that adding green spaces would benefit both the area and environment. 

My area would benefit the flow of the city in multiple ways. For transportation it gives easy access to both the river and major Chicagoland attractions, along with the bike trail where people can enjoy the scene around them as they go down the paths. It relates to housing due to the ticket/refreshment booth and community center which can always act as a homeless shelter, especially during the winter season. The whole area would count as infrastructure, particularly the bike trail and the nearby bridge on Roosevelt Road. The solar panels on the dome of the community center will save money since they are providing their own electricity, this provides the services. 

Since my area had no previous buildings I had added two. The first was the ticket/refreshment booth which is a rectangular prism with a pyramid on top with an area of 3600 ft². The second was the community center which was a rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top with an area of 108000 ft². To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a triangular prism on top: (l*w*h) + (B*h) = (60*60*9) + (300*12) = 32400 + 3600 = 36000 ft³. To find the volume of the rectangular prism with a hemisphere on top: (l*w*h) + (2/3πr³) = (300*360*22) + (2/3π100³) =2376000 + 2094395.1 ft³ = 4470395.1 ft³.


I ran into quite a few difficulties when designing this project. The main problems I faced had been using Tinkercad to create my 3D model and coming up with the scale.  I had overcome the troubles with Tinkercad by asking a peer to help teach me how to use this program. After learning how to use this site it became fairly simple to use. However, since there were no curves, my bike trail had been difficult to create though I managed. To solve the situation with the scale I had asked my peers how they figured out theirs and then had done multiple calculations to determine the best sized scale. I have learned that you should take advantage of all the time you're given and that, even if a situation seems bleak, you just need to stay positive and work hard. If I were to change anything I would start working on it sooner rather than later and make sure I got feedback from my teacher.

Rewire the World

In Unit 2, Power, of Urban Planning we learned all about electricity, ohm's law, and circuits. Starting with War of the Currents where Tesla and Edison fought for which was better, AC or DC, we then went on to learn about voltage, amperes, and ohms. We then learned about green energy appliances and Denmark's new innovative way of collecting and distributing energy. For our FE we went to the Museum of Science and Industry to take a look at Tesla's Coil, the Wooded Island, and the Brick by Brick exhibit. For our action project we were put into teams of two or three and were tasked to create a parallel circuit including one master switch, one parallel switch, and five resistors. It was difficult to get access to a circuit since all my group could do was wait for one to become available. I am very proud that my group was able to overcome the many obstacles and create a functioning circuit. Please enjoy my slideshow of my circuit below.

Don't Fall

In unit 1, Load, of my final STEAM class, Urban Planning, we learned about the laws of sines and cosines, congruent and similar triangles, and the components that go into the layout of our city. When learning about Chicago's design we focused on bridges due to their importance to society. The four basic bridges that were discussed had been beam, arch, suspension and truss which then led us to our first action project. We were required to build a truss bridge that spans a minimum of 1 foot, holds a minimum of 10 pounds, and made of no more than 50 popsicle sticks. Due to my being out of town and previous experience I was exempt from the popsicle limit and bridge type. My bridge was mainly based off of the design of arch bridges with a little bit of suspension. It had been a real challenge forming the arches and then connecting them to the base of the bridge, but with the help of a friend and super glue I was able to get it to work. I am proud of how my bridge came out. Please enjoy my bridge below.

The Fall of Time

In unit 3 of Light, Sound, and Time we learned about different ways of telling time. Sundials, time zones, geographical coordinates and pendulums had been some of the unconventional ways of telling time we had studied. We had done an experiment during class where we put all clocks, watches and phones in a box and experience what is was like to not know, or have access to knowing, what time it was. We then observed clocks that told time through senses other than sight. This brought us to our final action project, to design and explain our own unique time telling device. It had been very difficult to come up with a solid idea, and it had taken me a long time before I finally decided on creating an improved water clock. I definitely love how my design turned out. Please enjoy my clock and animation below.

My device is similar to test tube waterfalls in the way it looks but with a more modern flare and colored lights. The water used in it would be made to smell like lilac water. That, along with the sound of running water, make it very calming. The clock shows 15 minute intervals that lead into a 12 hour container. Many people base their time off of 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and the hour when planning when to leave, etc. so I decided to use those increments for my clock. As I stated before, the clock has constantly running water, and a modern look. It also has colored lights that make it easier to see in the dark, and at each 15 minute mark, the water makes a splash that makes it easy to tell when 15 minutes has passed.

First of all, this clock creates a very calming atmosphere with the lilac scented water and the sound. Also, many people plan their days around 15 minute intervals. Many people in America don’t know how to read a 24 hour clock, so the large container only counts 12 hours at a time before restarting. This clock is a unique way of telling time while still being comprehensible. Many clocks that try to stray from the norm of time telling are either too complicated or too confusing to read and understand. Nearly every watch and clock has the option of an alarm at specific intervals, usually hours, but they’re loud and startling. This clock also alerts the user to the time, 15 minute intervals as well as hours, but it isn’t as startling because it’s just a splash that stands out from the usual running water sound. This clock is also very accurate because the amount of water in the entire clock stays the same and recycles itself. A lot of the time, time can slip away from us, we often rely on clocks with their timers and alarms to notify us when the specified time rolls around, but sometimes we can forget to set or change alarms. My clock can’t be used as a timer any better than the usual clock can, and it doesn’t have an alarm feature, but there’s no way to turn off the “notification” every 15 minutes. Another problem that clocks have is that unless they are digital or in some other way utilize light to tell time specifically, you can’t see them in the dark and therefore don’t know the time if there’s no external light. My clock has lights in the bases of the containers and each container is a different color.

First, the containers I’m using for the clock have a slanted base, making them trapezoids, this allows the water to easily flow from one unit to the next. Trapezoids are shapes that are made up of rectangles and triangles, for my clock those triangles are right triangles allowing me to use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the lengths of the legs and hypotenuse. Since the 12 hour container is below the 15 minute one and to restart, the water from the 12 hour would have to be recycled into the 15 minute, there needs to be a way to move water against gravity. For this, I decided to use a suction pump which relies on a circular impeller that acts like a vacuum. To determine the size of the impeller, I’d have to implement pi into my calculations.

First, the containers I’m using for the clock have a slanted base, making them trapezoids, this allows the water to easily flow from one unit to the next. Trapezoids are shapes that are made up of rectangles and triangles, for my clock those triangles are right triangles allowing me to use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the lengths of the legs and hypotenuse. Since the 12 hour container is below the 15 minute one and to restart, the water from the 12 hour would have to be recycled into the 15 minute, there needs to be a way to move water against gravity. For this, I decided to use a suction pump which relies on a circular impeller that acts like a vacuum. To determine the size of the impeller, I’d have to implement pi into my calculations.

First, the containers I’m using for the clock have a slanted base, making them trapezoids, this allows the water to easily flow from one unit to the next. Trapezoids are shapes that are made up of rectangles and triangles, for my clock those triangles are right triangles allowing me to use the Pythagorean theorem to determine the lengths of the legs and hypotenuse. Since the 12 hour container is below the 15 minute one and to restart, the water from the 12 hour would have to be recycled into the 15 minute, there needs to be a way to move water against gravity. For this, I decided to use a suction pump which relies on a circular impeller that acts like a vacuum. To determine the size of the impeller, I’d have to implement pi into my calculations.

According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Physics Laboratory, "Water clocks were among the earliest timekeepers that didn't depend on the observation of celestial bodies." The first water clock was discovered in 1500 BC in the tomb of the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep I. They’re called Clepsydra which means “water thief” in Ancient Greece, and there are two different designs used, outflow and inflow. Outflow water clocks work by starting with a container filled with water and that has markings to show whatever time intervals were being used. The water slowly drained out of the container to show how much time had passed. Inflow is the opposite, a marked container starts out empty and a bowl with a small hole in the bottom slowly fills the container up with water and time is told based on how much water there is. Water clocks were created to fix the problems with sun dials. The first more obvious problem was that sun dials couldn’t tell the time if the sun wasn’t out. The other problem was that sun dials didn’t work as timers. Water clocks were seen mainly in Ancient Greece and Egypt. In Greece, they became most popular in Athens, and many philosophers, such as Aristotle, used them to time their speeches. They were also used to time events such as court dates to make sure that they didn’t run out of time.

Works Cited:

"Water Clocks." National Institute of Standards and Technology Physics Laboratory. Infoplease. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.

"How Does It Work." How Does It Work. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.