Journal 4-1

Alana Prettitore
April 7, 2008
Journal 4-1

Rube Goldberg Wrap-Up/Wind Turbine Week

I. Research Question

In retrospect, although this was a very difficult project to coordinate, the point was to build critical thinking and problem solving skills. There were many frustrating times were my team and I reached a wall and felt like we had no options left. But, with teamwork, the right attitude, a cool head, and great determination, we overcame all of the obstacles and produced a successful, outstanding project. It was exhausting, but very rewarding when the project worked out really well. So, although the idea on the surface is silly to some, the deeper issues are much more important.

II. Summary

First, we worked on wrapping up the Rube Goldberg projects. The teams worked on finalizing calculations and submitting the Rube Goldberg Portfolio. The calculations were a very difficult aspect as well as the post-analysis. Yet, it helped to summarize all of the essential concepts. It took much dedication, determination, time, and teamwork to put it all together and produce the project as well as the portfolio.

Then, we focused on the next concept: wind turbines. They produce no pollution and even a simple, small, residential wind turbine can save over a ton of pollution in its lifetime. Yet, the downside is that they can interfere with migration and birds can be an issue. Unfortunately, wind only accounts for 0.5% of energy. We definitely need to look into implementing more energy efficient programs.

Thus, we are learning about magnetism, electricity, and brainstorming what we already know. It ties back into atoms, electrons, and now we are learning about the more mathematical aspect of things. It all seems to be coming together. Math, science, philosophy, and so forth come together here. It ties back into the energy unit. So, we are preparing for a wind turbine lab next week. Should be very informative!

III. My Inquiry

Why don’t we use wind, solar, and so forth sources more often considering that we are in such a dire situation?