Character: True Grit

Grit ScaleDirections for taking the Grit Scale: Please respond to the following 17 items. Be honest – there are no right or wrong answers!

1. I aim to be the best in the world at what I do.
Mostly like me   +4

2. I have overcome setbacks to conquer an important challenge.
Mostly like me   +4

3. New ideas and projects sometimes distract me from previous ones.
Very much like me  +1

4. I am ambitious.
Somewhat like me  +3

5. My interests change from year to year.
Very much like me  +1

6. Setbacks don’t discourage me.
Mostly like me   +4

7. I have been obsessed with a certain idea or project for a short time but later lost interest.
Somewhat like me  +3

8. I am a hard worker.
Very much like me  +5

9. I often set a goal but later choose to pursue a different one.
Mostly like me   +2

10. I have difficulty maintaining my focus on projects that take more than a few months to complete.
Mostly like me  +2

11. I finish whatever I begin.
Mostly like me  +4

12. Achieving something of lasting importance is the highest goal in life.
Very much like me +5

13. I think achievement is overrated.
Not much like me  +4

14. I have achieved a goal that took years of work.
Very much like me  +5

15. I am driven to succeed.
Mostly like me  +4

16. I become interested in new pursuits every few months.
Mostly like me  +2

17. I am diligent.
Very much like me +5

Avg Grit: 3.4
Consistency of Interest: 1.8
Perserverance of Effort: 4.5
Brief Grit: 3.25
Ambition: 4

Feedback:

• Positives: I do put effort into the work I do.
• Change: I should be more consistant with my interest.
• Ideas: Once I have an interesting idea, I should follow through with it instead of changing to a complete new subject.
• Question: Why don't I follow through with all my interests/ideas/etc.
• PS. As for consistancy of interest, I think it will always be changing because as time moves on, new things pop up and catch your interest and you tend to forget about your old interest because the new one seems better to you in your mind. And to answer to my question: Usually I think of somethng else whilst being in the middle of a project that I think is better so I end up switching and leaving the old one half done. 

Mouse-Trap Race Cars!

We've been studying the concept of using mechanical advantage to trade force for distance or distance for force. Our challenge was to build a race car following the next instructions:

Criteria: Design, build and compete with a Mousetrap Race car (A "car" uses at least two axles).
Maintain a clean workspace.

Constraints:
One mousetrap
No more than 12" of masking tape
Fischer technique robotics parts
No more than 24" of string
You must work through the stages of the event (see Achievements below)
Additional materials by Instructor approval

I completed 10 Achievements, as follows:

Design:
Brainstorm:

• will need 4 wheels
• Firm chassis
• hold the mouse trap down in place (or else it will sling-shot back)
• lever
• trade force for distance
• balanced
• fair amount of friction on wheels
• fair amount of traction
• minimum of 25 pieces

Visualize it:

Build:
Build it:

 "Price of Glory":

    First built car- Total Price: $32.00 :

• Wheels(x4)
• Red pieces for wheels(x8)
• 5 millimeter spacer(x4)
• Red cubes(x4)
• Yellow long pieces(x2)
• Little Red hooks(x4)
• Separate pieces of string(x3)
• Axle(x2)
• Mouse Trap(x1)

    Improved car- Total Price: $36.00

• Wheels(x4)
• Red pieces for wheels(x8)
• 5 millimeter spacer(x4)
• Red cubes(x4)
• Yellow long pieces(x4)
• Little Red hooks(x4)
• Separate pieces of string(x3)
• Axle(x2)
• Mouse Trap(x1)
• Pencil(x1)
• Tape(x1)

Feedback:

• Positives: Holding the mouse trap down to the frame of car
• Things to Change: a way to tighten the string onto the wheel properly
• Ideas: More weight in the back of the car
• Questions: What is the best way to attach the string to the axle ?

Iterate:

Re-work:

"Game Changer"

• Who can build a working car faster?
• Maximum amount of pieces that can be used or maximum price
• Lightness of car in weight

Name it:

     Instead of "The Price of Glory", it should be called "Debt"

Clean Up:

Leave it cleaner then you found it:

     I think Carly and I did a good job of cleaning up. There was always extra things on our table that we ended up picking up. We always picked up our stuff and didn't leave the room till we were done putting things away.

Reflection:

Design/Build:

     The Design/Build process is the idea that once you start building something the design tends to mold/ change to fit extra requirements or to improve and get better efficiency, etc. This was something definitly experienced since the beginning of the building of the race car. Parts that were thought to be used weren't used and new parts were found to fit better in some areas. This might not be experienced as much in a career related to technical innovation because there is not an unlimited amount of money to always be removing, adding, or exchanging parts of a structure.

Emergency Preparedness List

This is the Emergency Preparedness  List I have created:

• Fireproof Box (found at home depot; saves important items)
• Water
• Flashlight
• Non-perishable food
• Radio
• Batteries
• First Aid Kit
• Morse code tapper
• Glow sticks
• Fire Extinguisher
• Clothes

Positives:

• Non-perishable food
• Water
• First Aid Kit

Changes:

• Morse Code Tapper(Irrelevant; most people won't know how to use)

Extra Ideas

• Candles
• Money(in cash)
• Meeting Place( whole family knows to meet at specific location in case of disaster)

If you have any ideas. please comment and contribute.

My First Blog Post!

To whom it may concern,

     Welcome to my(Isabel Diaz-B.) blog spot. This is my first year of studying principle's of engineering and my fourth year at Coronado High. I am also in CoSA Dance and invite you all to come to our performances.

http//:cosadance.weebly.com

Wheel And Axel

This is the design that Andrew and I created to show the basic mechanics behind a wheel and axel.