Spike Theatre Workshop 17/03/10

For this workshop, we created a concept for a show. I was in a group with Jas, Kia and Sian and we decided to do a comedy.
We thought of where we would show our show, our props we could use and how to use an object for different things or how objects could represent other things which would save money and would be easier to travel.

We wrote on two sides of sugar paper, one side a mind-map of our ideas - target audience, characters, where we would perform, scenes, etc. and on the other side we had decided how the stage would be layed out - we chose a split scene, showing three rooms of a house.

We then pitched our ideas to James and the rest of the class and he was really good as he acted like a tough client and I think I improvised well and spoke confidently. He said he was really pleased at our pitch and idea.

Stage 7 - Completion of Visual Arts Final piece

Safety

To prepare for our hand-over of our Orerry, we had to check that all small pieces were on securely - e.g the yellow stars were stuck on well enough when we hot-glued them on. This was because we didn't want any part of our visual arts piece to harm anyone, not just because it wouldn't look nice!

Another safety check we had to do was to check that there were no excess glue that may be toxic if picked off and put in child's mouth.

Furthermore, when we arrived, I reminded Miss Harrington - our client, of the possible hazards including the above and sharp edges, etc.

Hand-over

Jasmine and myself presented to the class first. We had a slideshow of phot's from start to finish of the project of which Jasmine changed and went through main photo's. I presented to the class and demonstrated how the orrery worked and answered questions that the children and the client asked. I feel the presentation went well, and I spoke quite confidently but to improve, I would try not to fidget as much! Also, the orrery seemed to go down very well, and our client and the pupils seemed pleased at the final product. Our client said that year 5 will be using it, as they do a project on the Solar System.

Materials, Equipment and Skills

Throughout the project, I have used; the scroll saw, drill, 2D Design for the laser cutter, acrylic, wood, araldite glue, hot glue-gun, double tape, non-toxic paint, wooden balls and 12mm dowels.

At first, I was scared of the Scroll saw, but now I am more confident and know how it works. I have perfected how to use the drill, and know more about pressure and timing. On Mr Coulson's laptop, I used 2d design which I have an aptitude for it, and increased my I.C.T skills more. Before this project, I had never used a hot glue gun but now I could easily use one and reassemble/refill one without thinking about it. Double tape can test your patience, but I have now mastered the skill of peeling off the side of tape now as well! Furthermore, with the patience improvement, when painting the planets and dowels, I had to use this new and improved skill of mine. My sanding skills were not very good at first, but now I believe they are quite good and this could also be linked into a patience thing, as before I just wanted to finish them.

Paperbirds Worskshop 03/03/10

In this workshop, we went into groups of 3 or 4 and designed 6 sets that could fold out of a suitcase. In our group we designed; a teenage girl's bedroom, a park bench, a train statin, a bowling party, hospital bed and the beach. Each set had a location, a character and an atmosphere.

We then presented to the rest of the class and the lady who organised the workshop seemed pleased with our results. Her job role is a set designer, and in the Paperbirds show we saw they were used, because of the small stage. This tool is really good to use in a small stage as it creates a different scene without waste time by changing set. This is ideal for a small company for travelling and small stages.

Stage 6 - Planning Completion of Visual Arts Piece 10/02/10

10/02/10:

As a group, we went through our timetable for the next few weeks and worked out how many hours we had left until our deadline. Knowing the time limit, we could then decide what to do each day, and the order of which we can do it in. I took charge of my pair today and wrote down a timetable to stick to in the next few weeks, I feel I did well today and used my initiative to think of the order of what to do to complete the orrery on time.

17/02/10:

Plan for today:

- use laser cutter to cut out black acrylic

- use laser cutter to cut out plywood base

- find wooden balls for planets on internet

- research planet colours

Problems- Why the Plan Changed and Why:

Our acrylic hadn't arrived, so we couldn't cut it out on the laser cutter. Instead, we decided to cut out our plywood base but the laser cutter was being used, so we used the Scroll Saw. As a pair, Jas and I decided that although the Scroll Saw isn't as precise, we thought we should use the time well and get something else finished and out of the way.

I had to use goggles, tie my hair back and take off my scarf to cut out the wood using the scroll saw to prevent hurting myself.

I worked well today and used my initiative as I changed the plan to use my time well. This worked out well as I got this out of the way and improved my confidence using the Scroll saw.

24/02/10:

Plan for today:

- order paint for planets - find out which colours are already in school, search what colours we need

- find a Sun on internet between 7-9cm in diameter

- drill 6mm holes into planets for dowels

With the acrylic still not arrived, we decided to decorate the planets today as we had a full day of practical work, and we felt if we did something else, we would waste valuable time.

As the paints we ordered had not arrived yet, we used the paint already in school and improvised as good as we could. They didn't have all the colours, so hopefully next week they will arrive and we will be able to finish all of them.

Next week, we'll have to cut all the materials out using the laser cutter.

I did well again today by eing independant and getting what I could done. I am proud of the painted planets and have improved my painting and patience skills by doing so. We are quite behind the schedule and this is frustrating me. Unfortunately this was due to deliveries not arriving on time and delaying the process. I have learnt not to rely too much on other things and not let it get it to me. This is a new skill I can apply to work next time.

3/03/10

Plan for today:

- decorate the rest of the planets

- get 12mm thick wooden dowels

- cut acrylic out using laser cutter

- use laser cutter to cut out plywood base

Now that the paints we ordered are in, we can decorate the ones we couldn't last week. The acrylic still hasn't arrived, so we won't be able to cut it out, so we just focused on perfecting all the planets and we have painted the 12mm thick dowels black to blend in and become more 'space-like'.

I am proud to have finished all the planets and have gained more patience as I had to wait for each coat of paint to dry before painting another layer.

10/03/10:

Plan for today:

- use laptop to design concentric circles for laser cutter

- set up laser cutter to cut out acrylic

- familiarise self with settings

- practice cuting acrylic on laser cutter

- cut out wooden base with laser cutter

The black matte thick acrylic has arrived! Using 2D Design, Jas and I designed the layout for the concentric circles. To check that each planet would not be touching each other, but still have it not too big that it wouldn't be too big to fit in the laser cutter, we used a slab of wood and drilled the right sized holes for the dowels to fit in, using the same size scale as we would on the acrylic.

After not being satisfied, I told Jas and Sir and he suggested that if we wanted it bigger, we could do so, but just have to glue two halves together and I thought it would be best. Knowing this, we knew we would need two layers, each 45 degrees from each other so the joints would fit in.

I am happy with what I have completed today and feel I worked well and independantly. I brought new ideas to the table and improved the project by increasing the size.

Next Wednesday, our last day, we will need to cut the acrylic out from the laser cutter using the 2D Design we created. We will then have to glue them together and cut out a plywood base. Then adding the finishing touches like yellow stars and making the writing on the acrylic stand out.

17/03/10:

Plan for today:

- cut out thick black acrylic on laser cutter

- cut out shiny black acrylic on laser cutter

- stick all acrylic together

- use laser cutter to cut out yellow stars

- glue, using hot glue gun, the stars to the acrylic

Our last day. We used double tape to stick each cut out acrylic piece to another, and I made sure they all fitted perfectly on top of each other.

I have cut out yellow stars and will use Araldite to stick them on to the matte black acrylic and I have also cut out the plywood base and glued the plywood base to the acrylic. We could use double tape because it is quick and clean, and good for large pieces to be stuck to others. On the other hand, we could use Araldite as it could be potentially stronger, but we will decide next week.

I worked really well today by using the laser cutter and understanding the machinery involved. This helped me to use the laser cutter for today and future times.

The safety precautions I have taken out today include: tying my hair back, wearing safety goggles, taking off extra garments (scarf,etc.) and rolling my sleeves up. These are mainly when I use machinery like the scroll saw and drill, etc.

24/03/10:

Plan for today:

- finishing touches!

I have: glued the shiny black acrylic to the matte black acrylic for strength as they are in half to fit in the laser cutter, glued the outer border of acrylic to the wooden plywood base and also used a hot glue gun to stick on the yellow stars. We used this instead of Araldite for precision and as it was quick. We also used the hot glue gun to stick the acrylic border to the plywood base for speed and reliability.

If I were to re-do this whole project, I would not rely on other people, e.g: orders from companies, and I would try not to be so 'hung up' on sticking to the plan - and get what I could done and use the time well. Having said this, I am really pleased with both the final project, and the new skills I have learnt and skills I have improved.

Stage 4 - Presentation 27/1/10

In the morning we made our client a prototype to show her what we meant by the term concentric circles and to show her how they would work. Jas also typed up a script for us to say to our client in a presentation format where we explained our prototype, told them what our material ideas were and ask her any questions we were unsure of.

Then in the afternoon, we revisited Sarisbury Junior and pitched to our client. I think I sounded quite confident and professional so I did well. I also liked seeing how the laser cutter worked earlier in the day and would like to learn more about it to maybe use it later on in the project myself.

Stage 5 - Developing Ideas 3/2/10

Here I drew a to scale design of the orrery using a pencil, ruler and a pair of compasses:

This morning Jas and I have drawn a to scale birds eye view of the base. We have also decided on materials and layouts. We are having an MDF wooden base as its readily available, relatively inexpensive, has a smooth face and it is eco-friendly. On top of the base, we will have black acrylic and concentric circles which make the planets able to fully orbit the Sun. We have also ordered the wooden balls of various sizes which should come within 2 weeks.

I need to learn to divide the work given so Jas or I aren't working much more than the other, or taking it in turns for a one person job. Having of done this this morning, I feel we could of got more work done. However, I thought to write down everything that needs to be done in order for the orrery to be finished and wrote it down. Between us, we are going to try and assign different aspects of making the orrery to different hours/weeks. That way, we will be more organised and prepared.

This afternoon, we hope to cut out the black acrylic on the laser cutter using the measurements from this morning, and if we have time to cut the wood also with the laser cutter. Next week we have 1 hour and during that hour (if the wooden balls haven't arrived) I want to cut the dowels to size, but if they have arrived, then I hope to drill holes into the balls so the dowels will fit inside the 'planets'.

During half term, Jas and I need to buy some paint to decorate the planets with. I have researched on the internet what colours we need to buy and that most paints will work on wood.

Stage 3 - Investigation 23/01/10

The first ever recalled orrery was in 250BC although during that time, people had a different view and only knew of 5 planets around us. On a website it says; "The device imitated the motions of the sun and the moon as well as the five planets known at that time." A roman poet called Cicero said that it represented the moon and could even show eclipses around a short period of time. It wasn't accurate as it only had 5 planets, and during this time, no-one really knew of anything in space, and had no knowledge of how Earth existed, and were very religious during this period, meaning they weren't really interested in our solar system. From the photograph, it looks like the orrery was made from a stone-like material, and maybe carved with some sort of utensils. This would have been because they did not have any other materials or skills of which to use them with. However, the orrery does look like it would have taken a long time to make.

An orrery was made in 1712 by an english clockmaker called George Graham . It was a construction representing the Earth moving by clockwork and it was very precise with the Earth spinning on its axis and with its moon all orbiting the Sun and because of George Graham, we now have the word 'orrery'. However, the orrery couldn't be that accurate as they were yet to find out exactly how many planets were in our solar system and of they're mass relative to each other.

The largest orrery was built in 1744 and its still in use today. It was built into the ceiling of someone's living room, and the materials used include; wooden tyres, disks and nails. It is all very accurate with each planets time taken to move around the Sun. These materials were used probably because of availability at the time and the tools they had, for example they wouldn't have had a welder, therefore no metal could be used.

Nowadays, orreries are used widely in primary schools to help children understand space and planets. Also, some keen astromonists/scientists/geographer's like to have an orrery in their home or at their desk at work.

Orreries range in price from £10 to £1000's based on the accuracy, size and materials used to make it.

Stage 1 - Meeting with Client 13/01/10

Our client is a teacher from Sarisbury Junior School and 4 year 6 pupils gifted and talented in art. Together they had come up with some ideas that I wrote down such as: a treasure chest for plays, an orrery and a mosaic of their logo for school. Our client had some specifics that she told us like sizes and uses and we all kept that in mind. I asked 3 questions to get more information from the client so that when we have our next meeting, our designs will be relevant to her requirements and ideas she has in her head.

After the meeting, we discussed ideas we all had which included; a rotating Sun for the orrery, a treasure chest with a rounded or flat lid and a mosaic using lots of different materials, like beads, or acrylic or sweet wrappers, etc.

Stage 2 Preparation 20/01/10

Jas and I are now working together as a pair to create an orrery. An orrery is a model of our solar system so below I have written a table of each planet and researched on the internet using secondary research how far each planet are to the Sun. Furthermore, I have tried to complete a scale in order to work out how long the overall orrery is going to be. However, it seem more difficult than that! Below is the table I made and as you can see, shows 3 different scale sizes that I could use. But, as the Sun is so big compared to some of the smaller planets such as Pluto and Mercury. Because of this, I have come to the conclusion that the planets cannot be scaled down exactly. Instead, using the research Jas did of the materials, I looked up spheres made from wood to use as planets and I think that if we get 5 size balls, they can replicate the size of the planet roughly to another planet. For example: Mercury, Mars, and Pluto will all be the smallest ball shape whereas Jupiter will be the biggest, and Uranus and Neptune in the middle.

Planet	Distance from the Sun	Size of planet scaled down (a lot!)
Mercury	36 million miles	4.9 (9.8mm) 0.98cm
Venus	67.2 million miles	12.1 (24.2mm) 2.4cm
Earth	93 million miles	12.7 (25.4mm) 2.5cm
Mars	141.6 million miles	6.7 (13.4mm) 1.3cm
Jupiter	483.6 million miles	142.8 (285.6mm) 28.5cm
Saturn	886.7 million miles	120.6 (241.2mm) 24.1cm
Uranus	1,784 million miles	51.3 (102.6mm) 10.2cm
Neptune	2,794.4 million miles	49.1 (98.2mm) 9.8cm
Pluto	3,674.5 million miles	2.3 (4.6mm) 0.46cm
Total	9,961 million miles	402.5 (80.5mm) 8cm

I have also sketched a few designs on paper to show our client. These include; materials used, stand shape, planet line, sun position, etc and we have come to these conclusions together as using secondary research (internet), these designs will fit the criteria needed and will not be too difficult to make. We have also had to think of pricing and availability when we think of our materials. I feel I did well today as I got a lot done, and thought of all the aspects we need to in order to prepare for the making of our orrery. To improve, Jas and I could of written all our ideas on a mind map rather than talknig to each other about our ideas.