What We Did The focus of this project was to research one of the worl'd's problems, and come up with a rational solution, or someway to help. After extensive brainstorming and research on many different topics, My group, (Tara, Ashley, Michelle, and myself) decided to focus our attention on malnutrition.
How we did it The biggest piece of this project was the Engineering Design Cycle. Using this, we were able to perfect our plan of action.
Engineering Design Cycle:
Step 1: Identify the Need - We decided to choose the problem malnutrition
Step 2: Research Problem - At the bottom of the page are some notes that we took about malnutrition
Step 3: Develop Possible Solutions - We played with a few different ideas like making vitamin pill capsules and and a granola nutrient bar
Step 4: Select Solution - We decided on a nutrient granola bar
Step 5: Construct a Prototype - We made blueprints of the bar and wrapper as well as decided on flavors, ingredients, and elements
Step 6: Test and Evaluate - We got together and cooked up our first "V2 bar" but our texture was wildly off
Step 7: Communicate Design - We decided we needed a softer bonding because the bar was rock hard
Step 8: Redesign - We decided to swap out two servings peanut butter for one serving peanut butter and 1 serving normal butter
We used the following equations and concepts to create the Nutrition Label: - Total Amount of calories/nutrient ÷ 6 (batch of bars) = amount of calories/nutrient in one bar - Amount of calories/nutrient in one bar ÷ daily amount needed according to FDA = % Daily Value - Amount of calories/nutrient in every ingredient added together = total amount of calories/nutrients
After selecting the idea of making a granola bar, we had to decide what to put in it. We did a lot of research about what foods had the most nutritional value, and what that nutritional value was. Here are the ingredients we decided on.
Whole grain oats - Tons of Fiber, Vitamin E, can improve weak immune system, and help control BP Almonds - Vitamin E, Magnesium, Antioxidants, and protein/fat which make you feel fuller Chia Seeds - Antioxidants, Iron, Calcium, Fiber, Zinc, and high in omega-3 Fatty Acids Honey - B-complex, A, C, D, E, and K minerals, magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus, iron, calcium, potassium, iodine, and superior in maintaining glycogen levels so it gives you energy Dried Cranberries and Blueberries - Antioxidants, Vitamins C & E Peanut butter - Potassium, Fiber, various Vitamins
These ingredients created the V2 Bar.
After we made the bar, we created a nutrition label, which contained all of the nutrient facts. Reflection: I personally thought that this project was a real success. My group members and I got along really well, and we all pushed each other to do our best work. Our granola bar was created using ingredients that had tons of research to back them up, and we knew a lot about our topic, and we didn't start researching our solution until we knew a solid amount of information about malnutrition. So I felt like we went into this project really prepared. We also had a lot of time for trial and error which allowed us to perfect the taste and texture of our granola bar. This was because we got to choose our groups, so we felt comfortable meeting up outside of school to work on our project. For example, we got together on two Saturdays during this project, in order to make our granola bar. The 1st time we met up, we baked our 1st version of the V2 bar. The next time we got together, we made the final version of the bar. The fact that we were all friends gave us a lot of flexibility to do work outside of class. Our group was also great at time management. For example, we would each take on specific tasks, and switch these tasks every few days. This helped us get a lot of work done faster by multitasking. However, our group also had some challenges. For example, we would sometimes have too much fun together and get off task, and distracted. This would put a dent in our progress, but we were always able to catch up, so it wasn't too bad. A personal challenge I had was learning to compromise. My group was full of strong personalities, mine included. Sometimes when we all had different ideas, it would be hard for me to step back and compromise. However, by the end of the project, I got a lot better at releasing control and letting more things slide. Despite these few challenges, I thought my group and I worked very well together, which lead to a very successful project. Below is the presentation we made, which will provide a clearer description of the V2 bar, and what we did during the project.