Our next project with the seventh grade was to design and create chess sets. Our idea was to continue building their skills with Adobe Illustrator, add a collaborative part, and introduce them to the Engineering Design Process. So we created teams of six students with the task of picking a theme and creating the six separate pieces found in a chess set. The two themes per set were: Fairy Tales vs Desserts, Nemo vs Minions, and Aliens vs Buildings of the World!
Once a theme was picked, the teams had to research (part of the EDP) how chess pieces are distinguished from one another. For instance, what is it about the Bishop that makes it easy to recognize it as a Bishop? We gave students heights of each piece with tolerances so they had to work within precise parameters.
After teams reviewed each other's pieces and revisions were made, we cut them out on the laser cutter. We used two different thicknesses and sizes. We cut out full-sized sets using quarter-inch acrylic. These sets will be used in the library or classroom. We also scaled down the drawings and made individual "miniature" sets out of eighth-inch acrylic for each student. The chessboards were engraved with each team members name around the perimeter.
Our seventh graders really improved their A.I. skills, got a taste of team collaboration and used the Engineering Design Process during the project. Below are some pics of the final project.
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| Nesting the pieces to minimize waste. |
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| Students cementing the pieces to the bases. |
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A complete set
Aliens vs Buildings of the World. |
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