A Collaborative Engineering Activity
Dyson Engineering Box
Three years ago, I stumbled onto the Dyson Engineering website. It was summer and I was looking for some fun, creative labs that I could use for enrichment with my gifted/talented students. I was looking for more STEM, problem-solving activities where no handouts were necessary, just good old innovation. You have to order the engineering boxes about four months in advance and then you get to keep them for 3 weeks. Then you ship them back. Its 100% free.
The first year, they arrived in a giant box and were delivered to my room during one of my GT classes. Instant intrigue. "What's in that box? Do we get to use it?" I hadn't even opened the box and between myself and my students there was level of excitement we hadn't felt in awhile. After a semester and a half of the human body we were all ready for the holidays. We were in the middle of dissecting chicken feet, so I held off opening the box until my planning.
Finding A Connection
When I opened the box I was even more excited. Screw-drivers, vacuum cleaner parts, even the base of a Dyson vacuum. Hoses and all. I was instantly curious as to how I could bring this activity into the Biology curriculum I teach in 7th grade. I pulled out the hoses and vacuum heads and began to just stare at all the parts. Then it dawned on me. Ligaments, tendons, cartilage, bones, joints, even muscles are all represented here on this hard plastic piece of machinery. So the next day I wrote those words on the board. Just those words. Then I handed out to each table a vacuum and the tools to dissect it. They had a blast and definitely made the connection easily. I had them draw and label two pictures, one of the machine and one of their arm and I had them make comparisons.
I did this same activity, the same way, for two more years. This is the fourth year I have utilized the Dyson Engineering box and this year I decided that I wanted to stir the pot and change things up a bit. Really push my students to literally 'think outside the box.'
UpDating
So this year I printed some basic directions on how to dismantle and reassemble the machine, BUT I gave them the wrong set of directions. Close but not exact. Basically instructions for a different model. I wanted to see how long it would take for them to figure out that the instructions were wrong and set a new plan for solving the engineering conundrum. Same words were on the board, same correlation between Muscular/Skeletal systems, just with a little set back built in. Students got completely frustrated but they figured it out. Some faster than others. Many students began to go around and share their findings, helping others jump the hurdle. But others tried to confuse them even more telling them the wrong way to do it. All the while, I sat watching from afar. It was enlightening for sure.
This year they sent two sets of vacuums, we used the larger set on Friday. Tuesday after we get back from the holidays they are going to do it again with the smaller models, with the right directions. Then I am going to have them compare what it was like when directions were clear and when they were not. I am curious if students found the irritation meaningful or simply a distraction. While I was observing them, they were having fun, they were just struggling a lot. I want to know after a week of vacation how they feel about the activity.
I never told them there was a kink in the plans. So by the time 8th period came in they knew the earlier classes had problems with the activity but they were not sure why. A few had identified the directions as being incomplete BUT each class received a different set of 'incorrect' directions so this kept the curiosity and suspense going all day.
Pushing the Limits
I am looking forward to the next time we dissect a Dyson because they will expect the same road block but it will not be there. I want to see how they adjust to this frustrating activity with another pass at it. It was an interesting day not only because some gave up for a bit, others trudged through without even the slightest detour, but mainly because they even tried to trick each other more. While some helped each other, others told them the wrong information to see if they could figure it out on their own. It was a community feel, every one was laughing when they figured out how to finally put it back together. It was an experience many of them being gifted/talented haven't faced before: struggling to a degree that they nearly just gave up, with no one giving them the answers. But in the end, all groups made it through.
I know on Tuesday, their will be a lot of sighs and moans when they hear that they have to accomplish it again, but that's growth isn't it? Endurance even through those moments we feel we are locked in an endless vortex of vexation. Who knew a vacuum could be so empowering?
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