Jack's Portfolio

1. Describe your story and what real-life situation it modeled.

The story is about Jordan, a rideshare driver who works a 5-hour shift on a busy Friday night. It shows how his earnings change throughout the shift based on different factors, like how many passengers are requesting rides and when surge pricing kicks in. This is similar in real-life, where the taxi is using more expensive in busy night time.

2. What part of your project are you most proud of? Why?

I am most proud of how I created the piecewise function to show Jordan’s earnings. It clearly breaks down his income during different parts of his shift, showing when he earns more and when he doesn’t earn anything.

3. What was the hardest part of creating your piecewise function?

The hardest part was figuring out the different time intervals for Jordan’s earnings and making sure I calculated everything correctly. I had to think carefully about when he was making money, when he was waiting without earning, and how the surge pricing affected his total earnings.

4. If you could revise one part of this project, what would you improve and how?

I would improve the graph that shows Jordan’s earnings. I think it could be clearer if I added more labels and made the lines different colors for each part of the shift. This would help people understand the changes in earnings better.

5. What did this project help you understand better about piecewise functions?

This project helped me understand that piecewise functions are useful for showing situations where things change at different times. I learned how to break down a story into parts and use different rules for each part.

Part 1: Unit 2 Topic A and B Test Reflection (Functions & Statistics)

A. Evidence of Your Best Thinking

1. I choose question 5 as evidence of my best thinking because question 5 requires a complete understanding of the residual plot, the scatter plot, and the skill to draw a line of best fit. I answered all questions correctly indicating I achieved all of the skills required.
2. I choose question 7 as evidence of my best thinking becasuse question 7 is a exceeding question requires precise mathematical reasoning and understanding of the correlation, causation, and scatter plot. I wrote clear explanations answering each questions and got them all correct, suggesting that I also achieved all of the skills required.

B. Skills Reflection

Throughout Unit 2, I improved the most at drawing a scatter plot and a residual plot. I does not use scatter plot often, so after learning about scatter plot in this unit, I developed my understanding and can draw a good scatter plot. I also learned about residual plot in this unit, and how i can use it to indicate of the line is the best fit, or if the function chosen is correct.

One skill from this unit that I still need to work on is interpreting the correlation coefficient in context and consider the difference between correlation and causation.

The biggest challenge for me on this assessment was drawing a scatter plot and a line of best fit using only the residual plot. I think it is hard to draw a scatter plot and a line of best fit because it is sloped while the residual plot is flat.

One strategy that helped me on this test was skipping the hard question and leave it at the end for me to do it.

Part 2: Goal Reflection & End-of-Semester Check-In

A. Looking Back at Your Last Goal

Last Unit, i set this goal: I want to submit everything on time and earn a meeting for all of the assessments.

How will did you work towards your goal?

Very Well

What helped you make progress toward this goal?

To submit everything on time, I used organization systems to keep track of all my homeworks, and I review the key points for the test. The boba lottery review also helped my alot.

B. End-of-Semester Self Reflection

List three strengths you have shown last semester:

Active Learning

Functions

Scatter Plot

List three areas you still want to improve:

Causations

Critical Thinking

Notebook Managment

C. New Academic Goal Moving Forward

In the next unit I want to earn more exceedings in celebration of learning and work with my groupmates more.

What might get in the way of this goal?

To earn more exceedings and work well with my groupmates, I may struggle with time management, group dynamics, and motivation. By prioritizing tasks and communicating clearly, I can overcome these challenges.

What will I do if I get stuck or need help?

I can ask my teachers to help me review before quiz, and create notecards to help me review keypoints.

Jack.Zheng.8C2.Robotics.pdf

This project documents the full engineering process behind designing, building, and testing a robot for three competitive tasks in Design Technology: the Controller Race, the Wall Racer autonomous test, and the Stacking Challenge. Throughout the project, multiple iterations were made to improve speed, stability, power distribution, and functional performance. The work included constructing and adjusting different gear ratios, reinforcing the robot’s frame, optimizing wheel placement for stability, and developing functional mechanisms such as a front claw for block-pushing. Coding improvements—most notably the use of the inertial sensor—were also introduced to ensure the autonomous wall-racing robot could travel in a straight and consistent path. Each challenge required targeted design changes, systematic testing, and analysis of failures and successes. The final robot demonstrated mixed performance: it completed the required tasks but showed limitations in speed, alignment, and stacking capability, which were later evaluated through a functional test, SWOT analysis, and reflection. Overall, the project highlights the iterative nature of robotics engineering, where performance is continuously improved through testing, redesign, and problem-solving.

Jack.Zheng.8C2.Thebox.V1.pdf

I am excited to present our Grade 8 Design class project at Shanghai American School (SAS) Puxi, where we are designing functional tissue boxes. Under the guidance of Jack Zheng, our project emphasizes innovation and addresses important community needs while also reflecting global design movements.

In this project, we are applying design principles in a practical context. We are using Inkscape for digital design and laser cutting technology for production. Our process includes thorough research, prototyping, and refinement to ensure our designs are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. We are working with materials such as plywood, acrylic, paper, cork, and spray paint to create tissue boxes that are durable and environmentally sustainable.

Our design inspiration comes from Modernism, which emphasizes simplicity and the idea that “form follows function.” This means we focus on clean lines and practical shapes, avoiding unnecessary decoration. Our goal is to create tissue boxes that not only prevent the spread of germs but also promote hygiene in communal spaces.

Through this project, we aim to demonstrate how thoughtful design can enhance daily life and contribute to health and environmental sustainability. I look forward to sharing our designs and the impact they can have on our community!