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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Undergraduate

  • Assignment 3

    The third phase of our first lab consists of six parts: 

    1. Submit your estimate of your elf-house temperatures for the first test period.
    2. Download data.
    3. Modify your elf house as needed to keep the indoor temperature closer to the target value of 20°C. 
    4. Re-install the Hobo loggers and again deploy your house on the roof.
    5. Estimate the impact of solar energy absorbed on walls and the roof.  
    6. Use Solar Calculator 2 to design a full-size dwelling (single room is fine), subject to the same goal of a constant 20°C indoor temperature under February weather. 
    Read more: Assignment 3

  • Assignment 2

    The second phase of our first lab consists of three parts: 

    1.  Please calculate the thermal time constant, in minutes, from your experimental data, using the three methods to be given in lab this week.
    2. Construction of solar building. Please complete the construction of your solar building, using the design specifications given in lab last week.
    3. Estimation of air temperature inside your house.
    Read more: Assignment 2

  • Assignment 1

    While you are free to construct your house entirely on the basis of your design and modeling skills and your physical intuition, please consider making use of provided software to guide you in choices about windows and insulation. We will use several versions of this software throughout the lab to compare prediction with performance. The elf house should be ready next week to be placed on the roof for an initial, one-week test period. Please come to lab next week prepared to finish the construction during the first half of our session. We’ll then activate and insert the temperature loggers and place the houses on the roof . We’ll also work with the data from the potatoes and continue to work with the software. 

    Read more: Assignment 1

  • Quiz 2

    This is a quiz, with open-ended questions from D-Lab I: Development.

    Read more: Quiz 2

  • Living with AIDS

    If you can't make it to the evening film screening, view DVD of Living with AIDS (On the Frontlines of AIDS) on your own time prior to class in Ses #30.

    Read more: Living with AIDS

  • Practicing Poverty

    For the next week, limit your spending to $2 per day. Try to minimize your reliance on pre-existing resources (such as using food that is in the pantry, eating your room-mates leftovers etc.).

    Read more: Practicing Poverty

  • Sector Paper

    Write a five-page paper (double-spaced, not including figures, tables or pictures) describing the current state of affairs in your country in one of the sectors that we have studied in class:

    Read more: Sector Paper

  • Drowned Out

    If you can't make it to the evening film screening, view DVD of Drowned Out on your own time prior to class on Ses #25.

    Read more: Drowned Out

  • Discussion Questions: Mastering the Machine 3

    See [Smillie], pp. 44-66. Please answer the following questions (maximum 2 single-spaced pages), using examples from the book where applicable.

    1. According to the reading, what are some of the major reasons why NGOs and the Third Sector developed such an important role in what we call 'international development'?
    2. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of NGO organizational structure? Use some examples from the reading.
    3. What is meant by 'civil society'? In what ways might the concepts described by this term influenced the development of D-Lab philosophy?
    Read more: Discussion Questions: Mastering the Machine 3

  • Trip Project Proposal

    This form will allow the D-Lab staff to provide feedback and help you prepare for your project. You should fill in a form for each project you are working on, but only one of them will be turned in to be graded. You should continue to refine the proposals throughout the semester.

    Read more: Trip Project Proposal

Notice something that doesn’t seem right? Want to make a suggestion or provide feedback about how something is classified? 
Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.