Change is Coming

Learning Objective

• I can explain the importance of learning from past failures, in order to inform future designs of similar products or systems.

Introduction

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The toilet that we know of today has come a long way. There have been many people who have added improvements to the design to make it what it is today. Engineers will also continue to work to improve the design for a more environmentally friendly design.

Guided Learning

We are now going to the next phase of your research project. This is to create a timeline of important adaptations or changes to the invention you chose to write about previously. There are two ways to explain changes over time to an invention. The first one is a timeline in paragraph form explaining the events in chronological order. The second method is to create a visual timeline that has short paragraphs giving more information. Which one is more appealing to you?

The answer can depend on the type of learner you are. Some really like reading informational text to gather information while others prefer to learn through images with small amounts of text. Neither one is better than the other, they just use a different method to get the information across.

Traditionally, timelines have gone horizontally across a page, but this example goes vertically. Why do you think the author chose to do it that way? Was it for artistic reasons, did it fit with the topic, does it allow for more room for information, or does it matter the media that will be used to display the information (webpage, poster, brochure, etc.).

The Task

You will be completing a research project focusing on the changes that have occurred over time for the invention that you choose in the first lesson.you begin your research. One of the best ways to display changes over time is to create a timeline, so your end product will be a timeline. As you begin your research, don’t forget that you can gather information from videos just as much as you can from print resources. Vary your types of resources; you will have a much better product to show off your knowledge.

Types of Resources

Hints

1. Use phrases like the ones listed below to help

1. history of ______
2. evolution of _________
3. major changes to _________

2. Don’t forget the media center/library. There might be a book or magazine that tells you everything you need to know about your topic.
3. Keep a running list of resources you used while researching. Don’t try to remember them all at the end when trying to do a bibliography. EasyBib is a great way to keep things organized and will help you cite information properly.
4. As you gather information, think about how you are going to display your information. This is where some creativity can be a little fun. There are some great web tools out there that can help. Timetoast is one web application that can help you create a visual timeline as well as a list timeline. Go explore and see what is out there for your vision of the product.
5. Google is not a resource. It should not be listed as a resource. It is what you used to search for information. Think of Google as the library. It is where you start to find information or a book, but it is not how you gained the information.

Rubric