Where in the school can you find architects and carpenters? For most middle schools, the answer would be that you could not. In Mr. Kaminski’s eighth grade technology class at Dobbs Ferry Middle School, however, you will find many hardworking architects and carpenters.
For the latest Technology class project, the students are working vigorously on the Truss Bridge design, Drawing and Production assignment.
They began the first quarter with the creation of their own mock construction company, coming up with original logos using the website www.paint.net. The first job these construction companies received was to build a bridge using Popsicle sticks. The first half of the semester was occupied by using Auto-Cad, a design program, to create blueprints for their bridges.
Another main component of the project is to produce a budget for their companies. Mr. Kaminski began the semester by assigning each company two thousand dollars in play money. Supplies needed for the construction of this bridge cost money, like the Popsicle sticks. Students had to handle their budget well to be successful, which required them not to waste the supplies, and to have a more careful approach to how they would use them. If a group went over their budget, it would negatively affect their grade. However, students had a chance to redeem themselves by attending T-periods and “making” money. Mr. Kaminski provided a technological learning opportunity in this as well by teaching the students to use Microsoft Excel to manage their budgets. Said the 34 year-old Kaminsky, “One of the main things students will take away from this project is the knowledge on how to manage a budget in real life.”
The final goal of this project is to see which company can hold the most weight on the least heavy bridge. For example, in one class the group that held the most weight on their bridge lost to another group with a higher strength to weight ratio.
Students found the real-life scenarios challenging at times, but as Jenna McDonald states, “It was a long, hard, journey, but we did it.”
Sofia Checa also commented. “It was hard because I’m a perfectionist, but it was fun because it was real, it got tested. You could see how the Truss designs actually work.”