Category: 2013-2014

Exploration Name: Simple Machines (Toys)

Exploration Dates: August 12 – September 26

Number of students: 13

Essential Questions:

1.What are simple machines?

2.What is mechanical advantage?

3.How can simple machines be used to create engaging interactive toys and why is toy                          creation a powerful form of learning?

Description:

In our Exploration class we learned about simple machines and how to make toys using cams (it is like a circle, like wheel and axle) + simple machines. Simple machines can make some jobs easier to do. We learned about wedges, levers, pulleys, inclined planes, gears, screws, wheels and axles. Each of these things have different advantages and disadvantages. Levers are the most used in real life. Levers can be anything you hold. Ex. sword handle, computer lid, all of those things are levers. When we started we learned about how to use simple machines in our toys. We watched a lot of videos to understand and to get new ideas. We first built toys for testing our project. It worked but it was too small and not good enough. We researched more and then we got more ideas from books, computers and videos. When we had enough knowledge and enough information, we got an idea and we worked in teams. We thought that to make our toy more interactive, we have to get some paint to make it colorful. When we finished the toy we planned a trip with our teacher to Takeo province. Our trip was not long just half a day travel and half a day at NFO to teach the students there about simple machines and how to make toys. We came back to set up for our presentation in the big area. All of Liger students came to see us and learn from each other.

 

Exploration Name: Newspapers

Exploration Dates: October 7 to November 19

Number of students: 12

Essential Questions:

(1) Why do we have newspapers?

(2) Historically, what have newspapers sought to do?

(3) How is the purpose enhanced or diminished by external factors (freedom of speech, infrastructure)?

(4) What do reporters do and what are their ethical responsibilities?

(5) What is the process of creating a newspaper from start to finish? What role does technology play?

Description:

In our newspaper class we had a lot of hard things to do but there were fun things to do too. The first thing we did was get introduced to some of the old and famous newspapers. Later on we got the name of one of the newspapers and did the research in pairs or groups. On Friday afternoon we had assembly so we did our presentation one by one. Everyday we learned new things about newspapers and it was very exciting. The most hard and exciting part was we made our own newspaper about our school. Also we went on a late night trip to the Phnom Penh Post printing press at 10:00pm. It was so late we got to sleep in the teacher apartment. The name of our newspaper is Liger Post. We sold it at NISC, ICan, coffee shops and restaurants. At the end we made about $280. We gave some to the Documentary group to do the bike race and some to the orphanage at Siem Reap. Each student on the team also got some money, about $8 each.