Engineering Design Lab
Engineering, Electronics and Design
OVERVIEW:
Our Engineering curriculum challenges students with hands-on learning experiences and problem solving using the Engineering Design Process. Students are also introduced to the usage of computer science & software engineering with the goal of paving the way for students to pursue a career in the Engineering Sciences. Our curriculum is supplemented with partnerships with TREP$ Ed as well as Project Lead The Way.
GRADE LEVEL CONTENT:
Fifth grade students will explore the principles of Engineering Design, exploring how engineers identify problems and create solutions. Our fifth graders then move on to our Project Lead The Way Curriculum, learning skills such as, writing algorithms & programs, debugging programs. Students then move on to the Principles of Structural design where students learn about various structures in history, structural elements and construct 1 of 3 projects. Finally culminating in the famous Paper Roller Coaster Project!
In sixth grade the students will begin to expand their knowledge from 5th grade with a curriculum partnered with TREP$ Ed. Students will create a product and learn how to market, price and advertise their product. Students then move onto Tools & machines, students develop an understanding of the physics behind basic tools and the intricate moving parts of mechanical systems. Students then move onto the 2nd half of the year with a curriculum that has a very heavy technological presence. Students will explore Project Lead The Way and learn about advanced input & output systems in computers, followed by an intense unit on AutoCad & 3D Printing.
Seventh grade students spend their last year with us taking everything from 5th & 6th grade and learning to create “that which has never been done before”. In 7th grade students follow the motto “Create not Consume”. Our curriculum is rich with programs such as Robotics, where students develop a robot to navigate an obstacle course. Game Development, students explore exactly what makes a video game and create their own. Junior Solar Sprints, where students will create a solar powered race car to compete against other schools, ending off with the final unit of our Project Lead The Way curriculum to develop 1 of 4 project choices.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:
Outside the classroom, students are enriched with opportunities to participate in several competitions and after school activities such as; Our TREP$ Marketplace, students in grades 6 & 7 have the chance to design a product and sell it for a profit. Junior Solar Sprints (JSS), Students in 7th grade participate in the competition which is run by TransOptions, students have to develop a race car that runs on solar energy and compete against other schools. Last but not least, our FIRST Lego League (FLL) Robotics Team: Students develop a robot that will complete a wide variety of tasks and compete against other schools. Our Robotics Team is sponsored by the U.S. Dept of Defense's DoD STEM Program.