Design+and+Technology

Introduction to Engineering Design

The Sun Chip Project by Maria Smith

[|Sunchip Home Page]

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Sun Chip has a new packaging concept that biodegrades in a certain number of weeks.

__The Essential Question:__

Is a biodegradable packaging really a viable alternative to plastic bags.

Students will test and collect data on the biodegradability of a Sun Chip bag and record the results under various conditions.
 * __ OBJECTIVES: __**


 * __ DESIGN BRIEF / SPECIFICATIONS: __**

Research


 * Research the amount of plastic that goes into a landfill each day.
 * Research the Sun Chip Company.
 * Who are they?
 * What are their environmental issues?
 * What projects do they support?


 * What are the materials used in the packaging?
 * How do they deal with shelf life of product?

Data


 * Collect data on a weekly basis for 14 weeks.
 * Analyze the decomposition of the bag.
 * Beginning tensile strength.
 * Weekly tensile strength.
 * Weight of product as it deposed.

Develop data in an excel spread sheet. Take photos on a weekly basis to note deterioration.

Final Analysis


 * Collect information for a report.
 * Develop charts from excel spread sheets showing rate of deterioration and the changes in weight.

Final Portfolio


 * Cover sheet
 * Description of processes and testing that was developed to collect data. Including all materials used for testing. (250 words)
 * Analysis sheet for each week with pictures and data collection.
 * Print out of spread sheet.
 * Print of graphs (in color)
 * Final conclusion of collected data. Did it deteriorate as stated?

Collaborative Conclusion


 * Compare data from all groups and come up with a collaborative conclusion of the process of deterioration of the chip bag.
 * Present findings to class.

 ===Teach Engineering ===

<span style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f3f3f3; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: repeat repeat; border-bottom-color: #e5e5e5; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: #e5e5e5; border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: #e5e5e5; border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: #e5e5e5; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; display: block; height: 152px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;">We all know that it takes energy to provide us with the basics of shelter: heating, cooling, lighting, electricity, sanitation and cooking. To create energy-efficient housing that is practical for people to use every day requires combining many smaller systems that each perform a function well, and making smart decisions about the sources of power we use. Through five lessons on the topics of heat transfer, circuits, daylighting, electricity from renewable energy sources, and passive solar design, students learn about the science, math and engineering that go into designing energy-efficient components of smart housing that is environmentally friendly. Through numerous design/build/analyze activities, students create a solar water heater, swamp cooler, thermostat, model houses for testing, model greenhouse, and wind and water turbine prototypes. Students should concurrently be taking Algebra 1 in order to complete some of the worksheets.