Course Syllabus

Pre-Engineering

Teacher: Tim Harris                                        Contact Info: tharris@bisd303.org, (206)780-4546

School: Woodward Middle School - Room 304

Year: 2023-2024                                        Semester: 2/Spring

In Pre-Engineering, students will utilize the Engineering Design Process as they work through a variety of hands-on design/build challenges. Students will use a variety of tools and materials and learn about key STEM concepts as they complete the project challenges. Projects will center around energy, motion, and work. Physics will be a focus...

Engineering & the Engineering Design Process

Students will develop a general understanding of engineering and learn about the process that engineers use to solve engineering challenges - the Engineering Design Process. Through the  exploration of context, students will see how engineers apply their understanding of scientific and mathematical concepts using technology to solve problems. Students will apply what they have learned about the engineering design process to design a simple bridge out of cardboard to meet specific criteria. The engineering design process will be used in their work for the rest of the course.

Digital Design & Modeling

Students will learn how to use digital design tools - computer aided design (CAD)/computer aided modeling (CAM). These tools can be used to represent objects that exist in the physical world, or to design, prototype, and iterate new objects of the engineer’s design. Through tutorials, students will learn several (free) digital tools; these skills can be applied to making components to help solve engineering challenges in future units.

Simple Machines

Students will investigate and learn about simple machines. Through hands-on activities, students will learn how simple machines help make work simpler, and will learn how to calculate the mechanical advantage of different simple machines. We will also look at how simple machines are combined into more complex devices in order to solve engineering challenges. Based on what they learned about simple machines, students will work together in teams to complete more and more complex Rube Goldberg machines based on set criteria. Students will use everyday objects to complete progressively more complex Rube Goldberg machines based on set criteria. At the end of the unit - time allowing - we will combine projects to build a full-class contraption.

Robotics

Students will learn about robots and their construction as they build and modify robots to meet a variety of design challenges. Beginning with basic structures, movements, and actions, students will begin designing and building simple robots. Students will have the opportunity to program and remotely control their robots. Building on the simple robotics challenges along the way, students will design and build their own custom-designed robots.

Other Projects - To Be Determined!! :-)

Necessary Materials

Students will need to provide their own earbuds/headphones (inexpensive - <$5 - is perfect) and should bring them, along with a Chromebook and a pencil, to class each day. All other necessary materials, including access to tools, hardware and software, will be provided.

Course Procedures and Expectations

Most of the work in Pre-Engineering revolves around the Engineering Design Process. A core element  of this course is working together in pairs or small teams. All guiding questions, process documentation, and reflection will be kept in an Engineering Notebook, which will be shared with the teacher along with finished projects via Google Classroom. The course utilizes technology tools which represent a significant monetary investment; because all equipment and work areas are shared, it is imperative that everything is returned to a “ready state” when students are finished using it. Safety is of paramount importance, and as such students are expected to conduct themselves in a responsible and respectful manner at all times.

Make-up Work

The course is geared towards daily attendance. All work is project based, relies on partner or team collaboration, and is completed in class; when students are absent, it impacts this dynamic. If at all possible, students should maintain contact via email or shared Google applications during an absence in order to help sustain team progress. Students can make up work or complete/revise projects at any time up until the gradebook closes at the end of the semester.

Assessments

Although there may be several traditional assessments designed to check student learning, the primary means of assessment in this course will be the completed projects and challenge performance. Rubrics will be shared with students as they start a project.

Grading

Student grades will be based on three elements: engagement, documentation, and project completion. Each student will start the week with 10 engagement points (2 points per day); points will be deducted for excessive off-task behavior during work time. Upon completion of a project, students will receive two grades: one for documentation and one for the project itself. The documentation grade will be based upon teacher observation and the student’s work in their Engineering Notebook; the project grade will be based on the student’s project challenge completion (How well did it meet the design criteria? Was the Engineering Design Process used? How well did it perform on the challenge?). Any grade found unsatisfactory can be improved with my approval.