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Digging our self a better shovel



Digging our way into a better shovel




Action project on tools
In this Unit we learned about tools and empathy. We redesigned the shovel to make it easier to use for those who have a hard time with balance. We designed the tool for those with balance and joint issues. The elderly often have that problem. Empathy is about thinking of others' situations and trying to relate. This project really focused on those who may not have as good balance as I do. I got lucky with that and not everyone else has. It's important not to assume everyone can do what you can.
This tool is a wedge and a lever. You use your hand as a fulcrum and your legs as the weight to wedge the blade into the soil. 
As a class we tried planting flowers with and without tools in the garden. This allowed us to see how tools work and what they do. We interviewed a gardener so we could gather more information about tools. We went to Home Depot to look a their tools and try some out. It was very eyeopening to see how many different types of shovels there were. All of them have a unique purpose and that was fascinating.
We researched other shovels to compare our own ideas with already made ones. These shovels all had you use your foot to push the blade down. We wanted something that didn't require using your foot in that way so we designed a new and improved shovel. Our shovel allows people to not loose their balance and is easy to use. We made the handles fold up to make it easy to store and to keep it out of the way when not being used. We have padding on the handles to make it comfy to lean into. 
This whole unit was very important. We studied how to effectively use empathy to help others and how tools shape our world. We compared and contrasted and found a way to make a tool that caters to the older generation. 
This whole unit was very important. We studied how to effectively use empathy to help others and how tools shape our world. We compared and contrasted and found a way to make a tool that caters to the older generation.

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