Name:

Foundations of Technology

Period:

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Appalachian Trail Activity

Scenario

Problem

Procedure
Materials

Start of
Expert
Responsibil
ities

You and five of your friends decide to hike part of the Appalachian Trail,
the whole trail is a total of 2175-mile trail running from Georgia to Maine.
Your team will be dropped off in Pennsylvania and picked up at Harpers
Ferry. The team will be starting when school ends for the year in June.
Your team will consist of an expert in each of the following subjects on the
trip: Energy & Power, Manufacturing, Construction, Information &
Communication, Agriculture & Transportation, and Medicine & First Aid.
Your team must plan a 3 week hiking trip starting June 20th, dropping off
in Pennsylvania and picking up in Harpers Ferry.
Each person is responsible for making sure that their Hiking Team is well
prepared for this trip by knowing their own subject and packing the
resources needed for this trip within their subject. Each person is
required to have a plan and a back-up plan for their responsibilities on the
trip.
Your fearless and supportive leader/teacher will be meeting you ONCE
with a ration of supplies that you come up with within the weight limits.
Sheriff Sam will be around to protect you from anything that might harm
you like bears, crazy raccoons and other travelers.
Each of you will carry a pack filled to a maximum weight limit of 40 lbs.
Every pack does NOT have to have the same materials in it.
Your WHOLE team only has $2000 to spend on the materials for the trip,
this includes EVERYTHING needed for the trip (clothes, shoes, food,
backpacks)
Follow the Engineering Design Process to prepare your pack.
Computer w/Internet Access
Energy & Power
Manufacturing
Construction
Fire, Charging
Pack, Clothes, Water
Sleeping arrangements
Equipment & Shoes
Bottles
for all members: Where
*Challenge: What can
and How (Sleeping
you use for 2 different
bag, roll?)
purposes?
Info & Communication
Agriculture
Medicine & First Aid
&Transportation
Information for the trip, Food for the trip (How
Simple First Aid Kit,
Communication on the many calories should
Plants/Animals
hike (Different paces?), you eat?), What
information that could
Communication with
Plants/Animals will you need medical
outside world, Ration
encounter? How will
attention, Normal
Resupply,
you react?
injuries (Prevention?)
Non-Verbal Day

Name:
Foundations of Technology

1.

Period:

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Define the Problem

What need or want must be met by the solution?
Starting June 20th we are hiking from Pennsylvania to Harpers Ferry where we will be picked up in
three weeks. Each person must make sure that their team is prepared and have a plan and back-up
plan. Mrs. Harlan will meet us once with supplies that are within the weight limit. The pack carries up
to 40 lbs. and any supplies may be inside. A sheriff will be there to protect us from any predators and
we have $2000 dollars to spend for all of the team.

2.

Brainstorming
List possible items that might be used in your final pack. Clearly identify and describe how each of
these ideas relates to the problem statement. Organize them within the 6 Expert Categories: Energy &
Power, Manufacturing, Construction, Information & Communication, Agriculture & Transportation, and
Medicine & First Aid.

Name:
Foundations of Technology

Period:

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Women's Tek Gear Convertible Woven Hiking Pants 33.60

Coreal Large 35L Lightweight Packable Travel Hiking Backpack 19.89

Smart Wool Trekking Heavy Crew Sock Taupe, L 13.26

Marmot Frequency Shirt - UPF 50, Long Sleeve (For Men) - SLATE GREY (M ) 23.89
Columbia Switchback Rain Jacket Girls 7-16 -Light Grape - Large 29.99
Merrell Moab Ventilator Mid Brown, Size 7.5M 110
Men's Sherpa Lined Hoodie Jacket 19.97
Pack, Clothes, Water Bottles
*Challenge: What can you use for 2 different purposes?
- Clothing Mens Convertible Pant-khaki, Charcoal, Army Various 17.2
-

3.

Ladies Peds Turn-Cuff 4 Pair Pack 9-11 Black 4.76

Gildan - Performance Long Sleeve Shirt 42400 6.39
Gildan G185 Adult 50/50 Heavy Blend 8oz Pullover Hood Sweatshirt 14.72

Research and Generating Ideas

In the space below, document your research. I would suggest researching for cost and weight of items
as well as information of the trip. If any expert has something specific to research it should be done
here as well. Be sure to include proper citations at the end of your notes.

Manufacturing:
-

Clothing Mens Convertible Pant-khaki, Charcoal, Army Various 17.23

Name:
Foundations of Technology

Period:

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Ladies Peds Turn-Cuff 4 Pair Pack 9-11 Black 4.76

Gildan - Performance Long Sleeve Shirt 42400 6.39

Gildan G185 Adult 50/50 Heavy Blend 8oz Pullover Hood Sweatshirt 14.72

Clothing Mens Convertible Pant-khaki, Charcoal, Army Various

Ladies Peds Turn-Cuff 4 Pair Pack 9-11 Black

Gildan - Performance Long Sleeve Shirt 42400

Gildan G185 Adult 50/50 Heavy Blend 8oz Pullover Hood Sweatshirt

Citations/References
Citations and References:
"Konus Konustar Professional Metal Geology Compasses 2 Models." OpticsPlanet. Web. 18
Apr. 2016.
Find a Hike That's Perfect for You." Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Web. 18 Apr. 2016
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/Pennsylvania
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/Maryland
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/explore-by-state/West-Virginia

Name:
Foundations of Technology

4.

Period:

Identifying criteria and specifying constraints

What are the criteria and constraints of the design problem?

Criteria
- Everyone must carry their own
expertise
-

5.

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Must have a back plan for

everything

Constraints
- 40 pounds of gear per person
-

Buy everything on a budget of $2000

Must we able to last 2-3 weeks

Exploring possibilities
Reflect on your brainstormed ideas and research notes and describe the plusses and minuses of each
design approach you have considered. What decisions will your group have to make? Write down the
decisions that you must make to discuss.

Brainstorming Ideas &

Decisions
Mens convertible
khakis

Pluses

Minuses

Can be both shorts and pants

Its a bit pricy

Can be long or rolled down,

decent price

Many will need to be purchased

If its cold the jacket wont be

immediately necessary

Arent short sleeves and could be hot

and uncomfortable

Can be used as a pillow

Wont be much protection against rain

Running Sneakers

Comfortable and works on many

terrains

Ugly color

More Food

We can eat more during the day

and keep our energy up.

We have less room and less money to

spend.

Keep us safe from the elements.

Less money and room to spend on

necessities.

We would be more than prepared

if anyone gets injured.

We could easily get medical help if

anyone were to get hurt so there would
be no need for an expensive medical
pack.

We could communicate with

people easily.

For most of the trail we would have

access to our phones and our walkietalkies if we get separated so there is
no need to spend any more money on
communication supplies.

It is bigger and lighter as well as

take up less space.

Less protection

Turn cuff socks

Long sleeve shirt
Pullover sweatshirt

Better Clothes

Spend more money on

Medical Supplies

More money on
Communication supplies

Tarp

Name:
Foundations of Technology

Period:

More protection from the

elements.

Tent
Decision 1:

Tarp over tent because it costs

less and is lighter.

Decision 2:

More money spent on food over

everything else because we need
as much energy as we can get.

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group
Weighs more and costs a lot more
money.

6. Selecting an Approach
a. Enter the constraints and criteria of the project in the first column.
b. Score your brainstorming ideas against each constraint or criterion and indicate how well the idea
meets the criteria and constraints. 3 pts = easily meets, 2 pts = somewhat meets, 1 pt. = does not
meet
c. Total the columns and circle the highest score to indicate your best design idea.
Constraint/Crite Decision 1
Decision
We made
rion
:
2: More
two
money
different
We choose
spent on
decisions
the tarp
food.
as a
over tent
group.
3 Weeks

Weight

Money

Total

7. Developing a Design Proposal

Based on the evaluation of your ideas, develop a design proposal packing list for the highest scoring
idea. Attach your working material list in Microsoft Excel file to your Weebly. Determine the materials
you plan to use based on your design.
8. Making a model or prototype
Within the 3D Modeling Software Autodesk Inventor create the items needed for the trip to fit within
the pack that you have bought/designed. Attach your parts & finished product from Autodesk Inventor
to your Weebly
.
9. Testing and Evaluating the Design, using specifications
As you create your solution, you will perform tests to make sure that the solution is meeting the needs
of the given problem. If your solution does not work, you may need to repeat the previous steps of the
Engineering Design Process, until you find a functional design. In the space below, document the type
of tests you conducted and the results.
Test Performed
Is our plan within the
weight limit?

Test Results
Yes, our individually packs will all weigh less than 40 lbs. each.

Is our plan within the

price range?

No our plan has us spending $2,000 on our supplies.

Name:
Foundations of Technology
Will we survive?

Period:

Date:
Unit 3 Hiking Group

Yes, the supplies we are bringing should be enough to sustain and protect
us during the 3 weeks that we will be hiking. We also have back-up plans in
case of any unexpected mishaps.

10.Refining the Design

Based on your tests, what design refinements should be made to the prototype to ensure that it can
satisfy all of the criteria and constraints of the design problem.
Refinements
Our hiking groups design is within all of the criteria that have been established for us in the design
brief. We have an issue with the overall price of the items we need being too high. We managed to be
well within the 40 lb. weight constraint for each back pack. Our group made sure that we had plenty of
money to spend on food since we will need a lot of energy to do this hike successfully and efficiently. I
believe all of our supplies will last up for 2-3 weeks that is required.

11.Creating or Making It
Modify your model/prototype to incorporate the design refinements you identified in section 10. What
additional steps would be necessary to produce the final product for the customer?
In order to solve our problem of having gone over the budget of $2,000 we needed to reassess what is
necessary to make this a successful hiking trip. We decided to start finding lower prices of some of the
items in order to have more money to spend on food which would give our group the energy we need
to hike efficiently. We also decided to get rid of some unnecessary items that we would not need to
use.

12.Communicating processes and results

a) Demonstrate your final packing list & packs to the rest of the class.