I built a lantern

This project was overwhelming in the beginning because I didn't feel like I was given enough direction, but, but eventually I worked it out and thought it through with some help.
I had no experience building anything like this so it's pretty awesome. Difficult, but pretty awesome once completed. It required a new way of problem solving and thinking. One that I'm not used to as a humanities major at Wellesley. Scavenging was a good way to get innovative ideas so I used lots of what I found.

Materials:
1 9Volt battery
1 270 ohm resistor
1 LED
Paper clips
Gift wrap tissue
Paper clips
Duct tape
Floss
Magnet
Velcro
Plastic cup

Here is a sketch of my lantern, the circuit diagram and the calculations to select the right resistor:

I linked a chain of paper clips together for handles. I then made slits on the sides of the plastic cup with scissors. Then by hooking the clips into the slits, I created a handle for the lantern. Inside the cup I had my battery with the LED and resistor connected. I held the battery in place with velcro. 

I created the switch by tying a string of floss to the resistor and making it dangle from of the bottom of the cup. Then I tied a circle magnet to the bottom of the floss adding a weight. My switch functions because the weight of the magnet pulls the wires of the resistor and the LED together, thus turning on the lantern light. When you want to turn off the lantern, you lift the magnet and attach it to the side of the cup on top of the battery. Magnetic force attaches it to the battery inside the cup. And since there is no weight pulling the resistor and LED wires together, the magnet is off. 

I covered the body of my lantern with orange gift tissue wrap to improve aesthetics and because it maximized the light given off and creating a brighter light. Here is my lantern shining in the dark!