<p>My D’s calculus class has a project due next week: they have to create a recognizable object (in the past, kids have made everything from a sofa to Kermit to a flamingo to a pair of flip-flops…) and find the volume using calculus. The object has to be “sturdy” (ie no cardboard and paper objects). Most of the kids make their objects out of Styrofoam.</p>
<p>My D and her partner decided to make “Piglet.” Her partner offered to buy the materials. She called D yesterday and said they cost $70 and she wanted half from us. I said no. I told my D I would not pay $70 for a Styrofoam Piglet, even if it were already made. I hate being the bad guy all the time about money. We aren’t poor (but we would be if we spent $70 for every project!) I just can’t justify this. I have offered to help they buy and/or brainstorm materials. I suggested papier-mache, but they thought it needed to be solid and smooth (or the teacher would expect them to find the volume of every wrinkle.)</p>
<p>My kids usually work alone on projects, so I don’t know how often kids spend this kind of money. Am I alone on this? I can’t figure out what cost so much. I do know she bought “a lot of Styrofoam” along with paint, glue, and Exacto-knives (which I told her we already have.)</p>
<p>I don’t understand why the kids just couldn’t use any old object – why do they have to “make” flip-flops? Why not use real ones? The object of the project should be the math calculations, not the craftiness. Only six more weeks and I will be all done with high school projects forever!</p>
<p>But I’m curious - how much have you spent on a disposable school project? (I’m not talking about buying supplies like calculators and such.) Is this a normal amount? An acceptable amount?</p>
<p>I do not think I ever paid $70 for one project, but I remember a couple D did in middle school that cost me around $40 each. The groups projects always cost me more, D would be team leader and there was always one kid who never paid their portion.</p>
<p>I think that I paid nearly a hundred dollars once for a science project for my oldest son. He and his partner were doing an experiment on the trajectory of model rockets, and we ended up buying most of the materials <em>sigh</em>. The rocket materials were hideously expensive, and by the time I realized the cost, it was too late to change the entire project (it was one of those things that you got part-way into it before you realized how much more the project was going to take). I can’t TELL you the amounts of money I’ve spent on various school projects over so many years, and OMG, it is <em>SO</em> aggravating. :mad:</p>
<p>One year my younger son made a model Roman villa for Latin. He did ask me if it was okay with me as he knew he’d be asking for construction advice. That one required quite a bit of foam core which is not cheap. My kids have also done a fair amount of stuff with Fimo/Sculpey which can get pricey too. My youngest really likes these art projects - I actually wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up in advertising, game design or something else with a strong visual component, so even when I think they are completely inappropriate (agree with you 100% on the time and $ wasting aspect of this calculus project), for my younger son, these projects actually may have some long term benefits. But common Calculus is a college level course, why are they doing art projects? I rarely tote up the bills at the end of a project. I don’t want to know!</p>
<p>On the positive side, the calculus project, I think, is designed to be an “easy A” to help the kids raise their averages – this is a tough course so that part is appreciated. My kids also are pretty creative and artsy, but have done some pretty elaborate projects with dollar store and basement finds.</p>
<p>Beruruah - you reminded me of several science projects for my kids that always resulted in the purchase of some gadget or another by my H. They were pricey gadgets, but I didn’t count them because they were things we were able to keep and use. For instance, when my S2 explored the frequency of different french horn sounds, it required a mini-disc and good mike – but they have paid for themselves over and over through the use we’ve gotten out of them. My H bought a fishing scale to measure torque on S1’s bicycle project (or something – I don’t help with science projects for a very good reason!) but we use it every time we fly to measure suitcase weight! :)</p>
<p>I can see how model rockets would cost a lot. But some people buy them just for the fun of it! (Like my H.) That actually sounds like a really neat project. I’m having trouble with this particular project because I know Piglet will be in the trash at the end of it, with no good function along the way.</p>
<p>Oh, I hate these projects and so do/did my boys! They never cost me less than $20. My sons had no interest in them, and learned little if anything. I guess I averaged 2 of these per year and they cost between $20-25 each. I would resented it too, Binx, but I would have foolishly coughed up the money to keep the peace. I bet they did not need to spend $70. Can the partner return the exactos and other unused items?</p>
<p>Just to add, my H has helped with carpentry projects, and of course these cost much more (I just have not seen or asked for a final accounting).</p>
<p>I must say I haven’t heard of projects for Calculus. In any case, my basement is full of projects and I have always joked that I could trade ya a Panama Canal for a ____ and we could pass these projects around! And yes, the art materials add up!</p>
<p>In your instance, binx, now that the materials are bought and it is kinda past a certain point…I would tell the project partner you will split the cost of the consumable goods for the project and thus leave the cost of exacto knives out. She can KEEP the knives (and use them in the future) and you had already said you owned those and did not want to pay for something you didn’t need. That is not a consumable material for this project and so the person who pays for them can keep them. Your family already owned this item and didn’t want to buy it again. Just a thought.</p>
<p>I guess I left that out - when she asked my D if $35 was okay, and D said no, the other girl offered to return the stuff they don’t need. As far as I know, she only kept the glue and the paint. But I don’t know if she bought “premium” stuff or WalMart stuff.</p>
<p>Oh, and by the way, Soozie, I love your idea of sharing projects! I’ll bet there’s a whole new ebay field there. Unfortunately, we threw out all the projects in the basement when we moved to Germany. Didn’t think the clay and stone castle, or the matchstick fort would hold up… Actually, we still have a “Cacaphone,” if anybody’s interested. “Create your own musical instrument” for physics. Must be able to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on it. S1’s cacaphone is a wooden sound box with a lever and a string (guitar string? can’t remember) that is plucked - pitch changed as lever is pulled and lengthen or shortens string. Variation on a washtub banjo.</p>
<p>We have a 10x10x2 acoustically sound box (that looks like a coffin) that DS built for a science project, sitting in the garage. The wood alone was $50, not to mention the different sound proofing materials. </p>
<p>That was one of the most expensive, and like Bururah’s rocket project, we really didn’t realize the expense until it was too late to turn back. Buyer beware!</p>
<p>I made (or helped make…) a fully working scale traffic light in 8th grade. I don’t want to know how much it cost when all was said and done, but it included ply wood, soup cans, yellow paint, red, yellow and green cellophane, light bulbs, and circuitry put together by Radio Shack (doubt they could do it in this day and age…it even included timers to change the lights with variable delay).</p>
<p>Few cool things about this project:</p>
<p>1) it gave me a free trip to DC on a Saturday to see the Smithsonian.</p>
<p>2) it wouldn’t take much to get it back into working order and would be a cool thing for my kids someday</p>
<p>But that much for a styrofoam piglet…</p>
<p>Any chance your D can paint it pink and put it in her dorm room?</p>
<p>That’s the only way I can see it being worthwhile…</p>
<p>LOL!! Wow, have we spent a fortune over the years on projects! We’ve done several “build-a-bear” type things, because of the recordability. One was a project on the tundra ecosystem, with an arctic rabbit that spewed facts. The other was a stuffed mole in a cheerleader outfit that ‘cheered’ the formula for mole(mol?) for chemistry—“6.02X10 to the 23rd” or something. Each of those cost at least $40. Maybe more. That stuffed mole alone cost twenty something on the internet. The cheerleader outfit, pompoms and megaphone added much more…lol…it was really cute, but expensive. My kids have had lots of luck with doing projects on video over the years for all different classes. Cheap and very effective.</p>
<p>Typically a project can cost me between $30-$50. </p>
<p>I remember a physics project years ago that cost around $100.
This does not include science fair stuff. </p>
<p>My daughter also has to attend concerts and plays on her own time. At least 6 a year. I have paid around $50 for something that she had to go to in the city. (That was the student rate.)</p>
<p>argh…the Rover project was the expensive one in our house. Son and his partner broke down a brand new rc car to a bunch of bits and pieces…and from the materials built a Rover with a variety working parts. They used sheet metal which required all sorts of expensive, special cutting and bending tools. I don’t even want to think what that thing set me back. (Yes…I said me…don’t ask, it wasn’t a good situation.) And ironically, after the boys won best overall in the competition and had their trip to meet John Glenn in Washington DC, it went to the other boy’s house and has never returned. They were supposed to take turns having ‘custody’, but that never happened.</p>
<p>Amazingly, my d built a mousetrap car for about $7 using parts from around the house. Got an A, but the pickle jar lid wheels smelled so bad, the teacher stored it outside until the science project open house.</p>
<p>I was thinking today about a project my S had once - maybe for Odyssey of the Mind? - where he was given a price limit. $3? or maybe $5? He had to have a price for everything he used (even if it was from our basement - had to have a price as if it were bought - to avoid kid’s cheating and saying they had something already that they didn’t.) It was a valuable project just in learning to budget and track expenses! I wish teachers automatically had to include price limits on every project, and make the kids track it.</p>
<p>My kid also had a “performance attendance” requirement, but it could be shows from other schools, including things like free band concerts or low cost plays. I don’t mind the kids being encouraged to increase this kind of culture exposure. This is something we would do anyway. Actually - it was extra credit, not required. Because our school system is very aware that if something is “required” then the “free and appropriate education” laws kick in and they have to pay for it. Of course, for projects, the kids are free to figure out how to do something free or cheap, so the teacher doesn’t feel any obligation to put limits on it.</p>
<p>The pickle jar lids brought a chuckle, though! Maybe if we banded together and came up with enough gross or smelly projects, the teachers would give up?</p>
<p>My S1 and a friend built a Roman Chariot for a latin club convention race. I don’t know what we spent on that – plywood, mainly, and tires from an old bicycle, and paint. It lasted for years - showed up every fall in the homecoming parade. Don’t know if it’s still in use or not. Well worth the money. Now, if they’d let Piglet join the parade, maybe I’d feel better.</p>
<p>I’ve spent at least $500 out of my own pocket for high school robotics parts, and I’ve spent at least another $750 on travel and hotel expenses going to HS robotics tournaments. Does that count?</p>
<h2>“The pickle jar lids brought a chuckle, though! Maybe if we banded together and came up with enough gross or smelly projects, the teachers would give up?”</h2>
<p>Wow, this is really interesting to me because I can only remember ever doing one big “project” in high school, which was for a biology class, and that cost maybe $30 or $40 worth of plants (which my parents and I thought was absolutely outrageous). Other than that, maybe I had to buy a poster board or a binder or something, but that’s it. We’d probably have thought the teachers had all lost their minds if they were making us do tons of projects like the ones mentioned here…I just can’t imagine it.</p>
<p>I vividly remember my h.s. bio project. It involved feeding planaria a variety of different colored foods. Goal…striped planaria. (I took fashion to an extreme even back then.)</p>
Unfortunately, we threw out all the projects in the basement when we moved to Germany. Didn’t think the clay and stone castle, or the matchstick fort would hold up… Actually, we still have a “Cacaphone,” if anybody’s interested. “Create your own musical instrument” for physics. Must be able to play “Mary Had a Little Lamb” on it. S1’s cacaphone is a wooden sound box with a lever and a string (guitar string? can’t remember) that is plucked - pitch changed as lever is pulled and lengthen or shortens string. Variation on a washtub banjo.</p>