509 Home Repair and Maintenance/Skills
Credit: .5
This course is a study of the many skills and systems involved in repairing and maintaining a home, troubleshooting and repair procedures for appliances and step-by-step instructions for common repairs. Course content will include roof repair, gutters, walls, floors, concrete, furniture, heating and cooling, insulation and many other topics.
516 PLTW INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN (IED/DDP) Recommended for 9th grade
Credit: 1
This course emphasizes the development of a design. Students use computer software to produce, analyze and evaluate models of project solutions. They study the design concepts of form and function, use state of the art technology to translate conceptual design into reproducible products. This course teaches students to:
- Understand and apply the design process to solve various problems in a team setting;
- Apply adaptive design concepts in developing sketches, features, parts and assemblies;
- Interpret their own sketches in using computer software to design models;
- Understand mass property calculations-such as volume, density, mass, surface area, moment of inertia, product of inertia, radii of gyration, principal axis and principle moments-and how they are used to evaluate a parametric model;
- Understand cost analysis, quality control, staffing needs, packing and product marketing;
- Explore career opportunities in design engineering and understand what skills and education these jobs require; and
- Develop portfolios to display their designs and present them properly to peers, instructors and professionals.
Civil Engineering: The course includes an introduction to many of the varied factors involved in building and site design and construction including building components and systems, structural design, stormwater management, site design, utilities and services, cost estimation, energy efficiency, and careers in the design and construction industry. The major focus of the CEA course is to expose students to the design and construction practices of residential and commercial building projects, design teams and teamwork, communication methods, building codes and ordinances, engineering design calculations, and technical documentation
513 PLTW DIGITAL ELECTRONICS (DE) Recommended for 10th grade
Credit: 1
Pre-Req: IED or permission from instructor. This course introduces students to applied digital logic, a key element of careers in engineering and engineering technology. This course explores the smart circuits found in watches, calculators, video games, and computers. Students use industry standard computer software in testing and analyzing digital circuitry. They design circuits to solve problems, export their designs to a printed circuit auto-routing program that generates printed circuit boards, and use appropriate components to build their designs. Students use mathematics and science in solving real-world engineering problems. This course covers several topics including:
- Analog and digital fundamentals;
- Number systems and binary addition;
- Logic gates and functions;
- Boolean algebra and circuit design;
- Decoders, multiplexers and de-multiplexers.
514 PLTW PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING (POE) Recommended for 11th grade
Credit: 1
Pre-Req: Digital Electronics or permission from instructor. This course provides an overview of engineering and engineering technology. Students develop problem-solving skills by tackling real-world engineering problems. Through theory and practical hands-on experiences, students address the emerging social and political consequences of technological change. The course of study includes:
- Overview and Perspective of Engineering. Students learn about the types of engineers and their contributions to society.
- Design Process. Students learn about problem-solving and how products are developed to include how engineers work in teams.
- Communication and Documentation. Students collect and categorize data, produce graphic representations, keep and engineer’s notebook and make written and oral presentations.
Engineering Systems. Students learn about the mechanical, electrical, fluid and pneumatic and control systems. - Statics. Students learn about measurement, scalars and vectors, equilibrium, structural analysis, and strength of materials.
- Materials and Materials Testing. Students learn the categories and properties of materials, how materials are shaped and joined, and material testing.
- Thermodynamics. Students will learn about units and forms of energy, energy conversion, cycles, efficiency and energy loss, and conservation techniques.
- Engineering Quality and Reliability. Students will use precision measurement tools to gather and apply statistics for quality and process control. Students will also learn about reliability, redundancy, risk analysis, factors of safety, and liability and ethics.
- Dynamics. Students will be introduced to linear and trajectory motion.
515 PLTW ENGINEERING DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT (EDD) Recommended for 12th grade
Credit: 1
Minimum Pre-Req: IED, DE or POE and be a senior with permission from instructor. This course allows students to apply what they have learned in academic and pre-engineering courses as they complete challenging, self-directed projects. Students work in teams to design and build solutions to authentic engineering problems. An engineer from the school’s partnership team mentors each student team. Students keep journals of notes, sketches, mathematical calculations and scientific research. Student teams make progress reports to their peers, mentor and instructor and exchange constructive criticism and consultation. At the end of the course, teams present their research paper and defend their projects to a panel of engineers, business leaders and engineering college educators for professional review and feedback. This course equips students with the independent study skills that they will need in postsecondary education and careers in engineering and engineering technology.