ENGINEERING Courses. WHOLE-CLASS SOLUTIONS for Grades 9-12

Transcription

1 ENGINEERING Courses WHOLE-CLASS SOLUTIONS for Grades 9-12

2 ENGINEERING Courses En gineerin g nce Mat h Sci e Techn olo gy Essentially, engineering is the intersection of science, technology, and math.

3 Leading the Way Toward Student Success in Engineering The path to an engineering career doesn t start at college enrollment. For many, it begins when they first stack blocks or spend an afternoon with construction toys. For others, it begins with the wonderment of seeing their first skyscraper. The inspiration to become an engineer often comes early the education necessary to transform the inspiration into career knowledge should also start early. Through the Engineering Courses, Pitsco Education provides high school students opportunities to apply science, technology, math, and communication skills as they delve into the different fields of pre-engineering and engineering concepts and principles. Designed as a whole class solution, the Engineering Courses offer three years of curriculum to enable student exploration of careers in engineering. So what sets the Engineering Courses apart from other high school engineering programs? Flexible courses can be taken in a recommended order or to accommodate school schedules and requirements. The nine- to 18-week Engineering courses can be implemented as an individual course or as a one-, two-, or three-year program. And rather than replacing traditional science and math curricula, the Engineering Courses complement them with hands-on projects with real-world applications. Students learn the importance of science and math principles by applying them to engineering concepts. 1

4 ENGINEERING Courses Curriculum The Engineering Courses curriculum combines Pitsco Education s own engineering teacher guides with the Contextual Engineering series developed by Celeste Baine, and both use hands-on activities to introduce students to STEM concepts critical to understanding the principles of engineering. We recommend Engineering Principles & Problem Solving as the first course, and there is a suggested order for robotics courses that provides students maximum benefit from the courses. We also suggest offering Senior Engineering Project during the senior year due to the course s self-directed nature and the need for the students to be experienced in engineering methods that are learned through other Engineering Courses. The only prerequisite is Design Applications & Programming, which must be completed before beginning Robotic Engineering Autonomous. While construction of the project is a major component of the activities, it is just the beginning. In the water rocket activities in Aerospace Engineering, for example, students investigate the effect of fuel pressure and fuel volume, compute rocket apogees, design fins, and complete an engineering challenge to design and build a water rocket that travels to the highest apogee possible. In the process, students measure, compute, collect and graph data, observe, record, hypothesize, brainstorm, design, redesign, and communicate the results. Engineering Course titles can be implemented as individual courses or as a one-, two-, or three-year program. Add additional titles as demand increases or class schedules allow. Courses are nine weeks except the Design Applications & Programming course and the Senior Engineering Project, which are both 18 weeks. A Scope & Sequence document for each course provides a road map of planned activities it details reading assignments, assessments, activities, and more. Core content teachers can monitor what activities are being done in the Engineering Courses and provide correlations to those activities within their classes, if desired. STEM instructors could also provide content-related material during class time. 2

5 SAMPLE SCHEDULES 1st year 2nd year 1st year 2nd year 3rd year 1-year Introduction to Engineering Course Schedule 1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Engineering Design & Drafting Green Engineering 2-year Advanced Engineering Course Schedule Civil Engineering 1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled Mechanical Engineering Aerospace Engineering Green Engineering 3-year Engineering Course Schedule Civil Engineering Senior Engineering Project 1st quarter 2nd quarter 3rd quarter 4th quarter Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Robotic Engineering Autonomous Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled Mechanical Engineering Civil Engineering Aerospace Engineering * Design Applications & Programming Aeronautical Engineering Green Engineering Senior Engineering Project Engineering Course titles can be offered in a recommended order or combined in a sequence that accommodates school schedules and requirements. Teachers can modify course content to meet student needs. Engineering Course Titles Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace Engineering Civil Engineering Design Applications & Programming Engineering Design & CAD Engineering Design & Drafting Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Green Engineering Mechanical Engineering Robotic Engineering Autonomous Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled Senior Engineering Project * Prerequisite 3

6 ENGINEERING Courses Standards & Assessments The curriculum in the Engineering Courses includes hard copy pretests and posttests that can be photocopied by the teacher. An optional online pre- or post-assessment is available. This online program enables teachers and administrators to monitor student success in the program and to compare data from other schools enrolled in the service. Individual student data is available only to the teacher class scores and data are available above the classroom level. A small per-student fee is charged for this feature. All the activities within the Engineering Courses are correlated to national standards: NSTA Science Standards, ITEEA Technology Standards, and NCTM Math Standards. While some states have implemented engineering standards, there is currently no set of national engineering standards available for K-12. Standards Addressed by Activity Activity 1 Electric Cars NSTA 5-8 Students develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. Students identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations. Students use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data. Students think critically and logically to make the relationships between evidence and explanations. Students communicate scientific procedures and explanations. Students use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry. NSTA 9-12 Students develop the abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry. Students identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations. Students design and conduct scientific investigations. Students use technology and mathematics to improve investigations and communications. Students formulate and revise scientific explanations and models using logic and evidence. NCTM 6-8 Students understand numbers, ways of representing numbers, relationships among numbers, and number systems. Students work flexibly with fractions, decimals, and percents to solve problems. Standards Addressed Students understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another. Students understand the meaning and effects of arithmetic operations with fractions, decimals, and integers. Students compute fluently and make reasonable estimates. Students select appropriate methods and tools for computing with fractions and decimals from among mental computation, estimation, calculators or computers, and paper and pencil, depending on the situation, and apply the selected methods. Students analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships. Students understand relationships among the angles, side lengths, perimeters, areas, and volumes of similar objects. Students understand measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement. Students understand, select, and use units of appropriate size and type to measure angles, perimeter, area, surface area, and volume. Students apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements. Students select and apply techniques and tools to accurately find length, area, volume, and angle measures to appropriate levels or precision. 57 4

7 59813 V0809 Classroom Management The information listed in the Scope & Sequence document is recommended but flexible. If needed, certain activities can be shortened or deleted. Or if students have extra time, other activities may be added from the included Contextual Engineering guides or the teacher guides. The courses are flexible enough to meet changes that occur due to student pace, class schedules, or other issues that can occur in the school environment. The course package of equipment, supplies, and curriculum is based on a recommended class size of 20 students. Adequate storage facilities are needed for the materials and equipment used. Lab tables for teams of two and sometimes four students are ideal. If the optional online assessment is used, students will need computer access. Materials come prepackaged in stackable custom containers. Shelving in a storage room would be ideal for the placement of these containers but is not a requirement. Scope & Sequence Engineering Academy Aeronautical Engineering 2009 Pitsco, Inc., 915 E. Jefferson, Pittsburg, KS All rights reserved. This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and are distributed under licenses restricting their use, copying, and distribution. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Pitsco, Inc. All other product names mentioned herein might be the trademarks of their respective owners. 5

8 ENGINEERING Courses Tools and Equipment The Engineering Courses are packaged with the necessary equipment needed for the activities. Each team will have its own tools and equipment. However, certain activities will require teams to share equipment. For the initial order of an Engineering Course (dependent upon the courses), there will be a Start-up Package that provides the tools and common supplies needed for most courses. Tools such as pliers and tape measures are not duplicated if more than one course is ordered. This applies to glue, waxed paper, and other materials and supplies as well. The Start-up Package is not required for all courses. See course information for details. As with most hands-on activities, some project materials need to be renewed after each course. Consumable materials packages are available to restock supplies for each course. With some courses, such as the robotic courses, many of the materials can be reused. The curriculum guides, including resource pages, student procedures, vocabulary, and assessments, are teacher reproducible for use in the classroom. Some courses, such as Engineering Design & CAD, Design Applications & Programming, and Robotic Engineering Autonomous require computers. For these courses, one computer per team of two students is adequate. If the online assessment option is purchased by the school, the assessments must be completed online and would require computer access for each student. 6

9 Teacher Enablement Engineering Courses use a traditional style of teaching and classroom management. Teachers readily adapt to these activities. Included in the courses are DVDs that provide video instruction detailing most of the construction components of the activities. The how-to DVDs can be used as a primary source, or they can be used as a supplement for students who may not be as adept at hands-on activities. It would be advantageous for a teacher using Engineering Courses to have a strong background in physical science, technology, or mathematics. Any experiences with hands-on activities would also be a plus. Those teachers who have an engineering education background of any kind would be good candidates for using Engineering Courses, but it is not a requirement. Pitsco Education s great customer support is legendary. When you call during office hours, you will be talking to a real person not a machine. The activities within the courses are well-established and proven, and our customer service personnel provide knowledgeable support to help you with any challenge. 7

10 ENGINEERING Courses Course Overview The purpose of Engineering Courses is to provide students with the opportunity to learn about various engineering disciplines and experience and complete the types of projects and research on which engineers work. Engineering Courses provide the hands-on component that is critical, but missing, in many STEM programs. Designed to offer optimum flexibility, Engineering Courses can be incorporated in support of existing curriculum or as an entire course on its own. It fits easily into existing labs or classrooms and is easy for teachers to use and store. The Engineering Courses provide appropriate content; however, the courses focus is to provide engineering experiences. The Engineering Courses are not a replacement for rigorous science, technology, engineering, or math classes. Students take traditional core courses in conjunction with the Engineering Courses to be more adequately prepared should they choose to enter an engineering school or any other postsecondary education. ADVANTAGES: Deliver contextual STEM learning opportunities Provide students with engineering experiences to promote enrollment and achievement in core science, technology, and mathematics classes Reach students early in their secondary education with experiences that could influence their career choices Create student excitement about hands-on activities to promote positive feelings about education Aid in meeting the coming need for engineers in the workplace 160,000 more engineering positions between 2006 and 2016, according to projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Note: Pitsco Education Engineering Courses are designed to complement a rigorous program of math and science courses. Our courses do not eliminate the need for these courses. Elements of Engineering Courses Teacher guides provide the courses structure. They contain teacher and student procedures, career information, a glossary, and more. Standard paper assessments are included whether or not schools choose the online option. Optional online assessments are included with 50 standards-correlated test questions per course. Teachers can generate various reports to track student progress. National standards correlations are compiled for lessons and challenges. Hands-on activities are integrated into every lesson to provide students ample opportunity to apply engineering skills. Competitive engineering challenges are open ended to motivate students. Consumable kits and materials are included so students have everything they need for activities. Supplemental texts and resources add depth of content and interest. A storage solution enables teachers to organize and facilitate the activities while organizing material and equipment. 8

11 Course Titles Aeronautical Engineering Aerospace Engineering Civil Engineering Design Applications & Programming Engineering Design & CAD Engineering Design & Drafting Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Green Engineering Mechanical Engineering Robotic Engineering Autonomous Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled Senior Engineering Project Icon Key Length of course in weeks. Uses tools from the Start-up Package. Uses resources from the Curriculum Resource Package. Requires computers. Prerequisite(s) required. 9

12 ENGINEERING Course Titles Aeronautical Engineering OVERVIEW In Aeronautical Engineering, hot-air balloons and various types of model airplanes are used to illustrate key principles of aeronautics and to develop associated skills. By constructing and launching hot-air balloons, engineering students learn about and understand the significance of surface area, volume, radius, and lifting force of the balloons as well as the gas laws and what forces act on the balloons. They also learn how to make logic-based predictions. Then, students move on to airplanes the basic paper airplane, balsa glider, foam wing glider, and rubber band-powered airplane. They learn about aspect ratio, stability, thrust, drag, lift, gravity, initial velocity, control surfaces, and more. SAMPLE ACTIVITY In the Surface Area and Volume activity, students use the hot-air balloons they constructed in the previous activity. Applying area estimation methods and formulas, they find the surface area of the tissue paper used to build each balloon and of the gores cut from the tissue paper. Using this information, they estimate the surface area of the assembled balloon. Modeling the hot-air balloons as spheres, students then calculate the volume in cubic units. They launch the balloons, recording the wind speed, outside temperature, and flight time. All the data is recorded, graphed, and evaluated. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Inflation Station balloon launcher Foam Wing Cutter Wing Tester Balance or scale Various small tools such as a hobby knife, scissors, and ruler Assorted kits and materials Aeronautical Engineering Teacher s Guide Model Airplanes Teacher s Guide Hot-Air Balloons Teacher s Guide Balsa Gliders Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Aeronautical Engineering Scope & Sequence 10

13 Aerospace Engineering OVERVIEW An excellent activity for experimentation, rocketry is thoroughly explored in Aerospace Engineering. In this course, students build and launch rockets and record results from activities with four different types of rockets: fun-and-easy straw rockets, air-powered tube rockets, water-fueled bottle rockets, and solid-fuel rockets. With straw rockets, they understand center of gravity and independent, dependent, and control variables. Using air-powered (AP) tube rockets, students learn how to design a rocket experiment to achieve specific results and how to measure apogee using an altimeter. Water-bottle rocket activities help students understand how to apply basic trigonometry and to calculate apogee. Finally, students build and launch solid-fuel rockets to explore energy, ascending and descending velocity, and the process of design and documentation. SAMPLE ACTIVITY For the Computing Apogee II activity, students learn ways to calculate the apogee of a water bottle rocket. They launch a rocket built in a previous activity several times as they stand 10, 20, 30, and finally 40 meters from the launchpad while recording the altimeter angle of each launch. Using the recorded launch data and trigonometric functions, students calculate the height of apogee for each rocket launch. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Straw Rocket Launcher AP Launcher with tire pump AquaPort II Launcher with tire pump LaunchGuard System Balance or scale Altimeter Various small tools such as a hobby knife, scissors, and ruler Assorted kits and materials Aerospace Engineering Teacher s Guide Water Rockets Teacher s Guide Solid-Fuel Rockets Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Aerospace Engineering Scope & Sequence 11

14 ENGINEERING Course Titles Civil Engineering OVERVIEW One of the most prominent forms of engineering, civil engineering, is the cornerstone of modern society. In this course, students learn the principles important to building strong and stable structures. The first unit focuses on foundational elements such as material strength, the strength of different joints and shapes, load, compression, and tension. Students apply this information in the following units where they build and test balsa wood bridges and towers. They experiment to see how the structures stand up to strength, mass distribution, and wave frequency testing and gain an understanding of efficiency, load, wave forms, and more. SAMPLE ACTIVITY Students take on the role of civil engineers by designing a bridge for the state transportation department in the Designing for Efficiency activity. Given a list of specifications for the roadbed, height, span, substructures, and construction techniques, students brainstorm and create sketches of several design options. This includes thorough labeling and providing a scale. After selecting the best design, students explain why the chosen design is the best option. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Structure Tester EQ s Tremor Table and hardware Digital scale or balance Weights or masses Calculator Various small tools such as a hobby knife, scissors, clamps, and a ruler Assorted kits and materials Civil Engineering Teacher s Guide Balsa Bridges Teacher s Guide Earthquake Towers Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Civil Engineering Scope & Sequence 12

15 Design Applications & Programming OVERVIEW Working in teams, students build a fully functioning robot, use motors and sensors to control it, and program it using National Instruments Engineeringbased icon language that s easy to learn and used widely in industry. As they work with the latest in educational robotics, students learn about energy, force, speed, power, simple machines, complex mechanisms, coordinate systems, measuring, and more. Behaving like scientists and engineers to create solutions to challenges, they test and refine their problem-solving, teamwork, and creative-thinking skills. SAMPLE ACTIVITY In the Obstacle Detection activity of the Robotics Engineering I curriculum, students learn that the ultrasonic sensor can be used to recognize and avoid objects. They build a robot with the touch sensor following step-by-step instructions and then program it to move around obstacles it comes across. The next phase has students learning how to incorporate the ultrasonic sensor to avoid coming into contact with the obstacles. Finally, they answer a series of questions to help them analyze the different sensors. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Windows-based or Macintosh computer NXT Intelligent Brick, servo motors, assorted sensors, converter cables, connector cables, lamps, and Technic building elements LEGO MINDSTORMS Education software, site license, and posters Rechargeable batteries and charger, storage bin, and USB cable NXT Robotics Engineering I: Introduction to Mobile Robotics NXT Robotics Engineering II: Guided Research Engineering the Future textbook Design Applications & Programming Scope & Sequence 13

16 ENGINEERING Course Titles Engineering Design & CAD OVERVIEW In the Engineering Design & CAD course, students are introduced to computer-aided drafting and learn how to use it to design engineering projects. Working through the Introduction to Engineering Design with SolidWorks guide, students build a solid foundation in how to use the SolidWorks CAD program. They become familiar with the interface, understand the software s function and how to draw and create parts and assemblies, and complete several exercises and projects. In Unit 2, students model a TETRIX part and then use it to build and model a motorized chassis with wheels. Then, they design and build a robot that moves billiard balls to goals and another that completes a timed maze challenge. These activities help students understand how to apply the SolidWorks concepts and skills they have learned. Builders Guide SAMPLE ACTIVITY After learning how to design with the SolidWorks computer-aided drafting program in Unit 1, students make use of these practical skills in the Model TX activity. Here, young designers create a digital version of a physical model they built earlier using the TETRIX building system. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Windows-based computer SolidWorks software site license TETRIX Base Set R/C controller Pliers and hobby knives Assorted kits and materials TETRIX Builder s Guide Introduction to Engineering Design with SolidWorks TETRIX Robotics video Engineering the Future textbook Engineering Design & CAD Scope & Sequence

17 Engineering Design & Drafting OVERVIEW First, students learn about drafting tools and instruments and basic concepts for using them, such as lettering, measuring, and line conventions. After they master these basics, they move on to dimensioning including holes and drawing techniques. Throughout the course, students learn techniques common to all areas of drafting. In both units, students are challenged with drawing exercises. These help teachers assess students on their knowledge of the material by allowing them to demonstrate the drafting concepts and techniques they have learned. Scope & Sequence Engineering Academy Engineering Design & Drafting Pitsco, Inc., 915 E. Jefferson, Pittsburg, KS All rights reserved. This product and related documentation are protected by copyright and are distributed under licenses restricting their use, copying, and distribution. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Pitsco, Inc. SAMPLE ACTIVITY Students prepare to start drafting as they learn about the tools of the trade in the Drafting Equipment activity. One at a time, students learn about and then learn to use the following items: triangles, protractors, compasses, dividers, erasers and eraser shields, French curves, technical pens, templates, scales, and drafting machines. Students utilize these tools in the production of both full-scale and scaled technical drawings. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Student Drafting Kit (contains drawing board, instruments, and equipment) Vertical Lettering Template Geometric Designer Template Instructional Workbook for Drafting Level I Instructional Workbook for Drafting Level I Instructor s Guide Exploring Drafting book Engineering Design & Drafting Scope & Sequence All other product names mentioned herein might be the trademarks of their respective owners. Engineering Design & Drafting Scope & Sequence V V

18 ENGINEERING Course Titles Engineering Principles & Problem Solving OVERVIEW Designed to give students the essential skills to succeed in the Engineering Courses, the Engineering Principles & Problem Solving course delves into measurement, force and motion, and energy. This is the suggested first course for the Engineering Courses. By working with and making rulers, students learn about linear measurement and fractions. As they create a Rube Goldberg-inspired machine, students discover how to use simple machines together to create mechanical advantage. And they apply concepts such as kinetic and potential energies, velocity, and designing for efficiency and to specifications by building and experimenting with mousetrap and egg-drop vehicles. SAMPLE ACTIVIT Y The Simple Machines: Pulleys activity provides students the opportunity to learn about the mechanical advantage gained by using a pulley. Experimenting with a Forces & Simple Machines Kit, students create fixed and movable pulley systems. They use spring scales and hooked masses to determine the force required to hold up each mass with each pulley system, recording the data as they go. Students evaluate the data to answer questions about mechanical advantage, angle of effort, and which system would be best to lift a large load. 16 P R I M A R Y E Q U I P M E N T, M AT E R I A L S, A N D R E S O U R C E S Linear measuring tools Digital scale and balance Cool-melt glue gun Small tools such as a hobby knife and scissors Assorted kits and materials Engineering Principles Teacher s Guide Mousetrap Vehicles Teacher s Guide Egg-Drop Vehicles Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Engineering Principles & Problem Solving Scope & Sequence

19 Green Engineering OVERVIEW Green careers are predicted to have exponential growth, making green engineering skills not only important for the future of the environment but also for future career potential. In Green Engineering, students learn how to become energy conscious and to assess the environmental impact of products. Then, they delve into green technologies by experimenting with solar vehicles, solar cookers, wind turbines, maglev technology, and fuel cell vehicles. Plus, they learn about recycling and watersheds. Throughout the course, students are challenged to apply what they learn to assess and offer suggestions to make their school and homes more energy efficient, to design an offthe-grid house, and to create a water-filtration system. SAMPLE ACTIVITY The culminating activity for Unit 1 is the Sustainable School Challenge, which encourages students to utilize the knowledge they gained about alternative energy and energy consciousness in earlier activities. To complete the challenge, students work in teams of four to evaluate their own school s sustainability. Using an electrical watt meter and a careful physical examination of the school building, they collect data regarding the building s construction, water heating, heating and cooling systems, lighting, and more. Each team makes recommendations for ways the school can become more energy efficient and use alternative energies. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Wind turbine model Solar and fuel cell vehicles Solar cooker Various small tools such as a hobby knife and scissors Watt meter, stopwatch, ruler, and protractor Computer with Internet access and PowerPoint Sustainable Energy Engineering Teacher s Guide SunEzoon Cars Teacher s Guide and Wind Energy Teacher s Guide Environmental Engineering Teacher s Guide Maglev Vehicles Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Green Engineering Scope & Sequence 17

20 ENGINEERING Course Titles Mechanical Engineering OVERVIEW What would our world be like without cranes for building, vehicles for traveling, or machines for production? None of these would be possible without mechanical engineering understanding energy and forces and applying them to create solutions. By building electric, solar, and mousetrap vehicles in the first unit, students understand performance, energy, and other concepts relating to vehicles. In the second unit, students use cranes to learn about the correlation between load and angles and experiment with catapults and trebuchets to learn about force, initial velocity, and potential and kinetic energy. Finally, they build and modify a hydraulic robotic arm to learn how to calculate mechanical advantage and create an electromagnet. SAMPLE ACTIVITY In the Trebuchets activity, students construct a model trebuchet and experiment with it to learn about variables, prediction, and potential and kinetic energies. Using projectiles of various masses, students launch the projectiles and try to hit a bucket. Considering the launch outcome of each mass and a possible redesign of the trebuchet and its counterweight, they predict the outcome for two different masses. They launch these projectiles and see if their predictions were accurate. In the process, students learn about trajectory and how to calculate potential energy. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Solar and mousetrap vehicles Model catapult, trebuchet, and robotic arm Tape measure and ruler Calculator Various small tools such as scissors and needle-nose pliers Assorted materials Solar Vehicles Teacher s Guide Mechanical Engineering Teacher s Guide Catapults Teacher s Guide Trebuchets Teacher s Guide T-Bot II Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Mechanical Engineering Scope & Sequence 18

21 Robotic Engineering Autonomous OVERVIEW From a Roomba cleaning floors to driverless vehicles racing through a desert, autonomous robots are in the news and our lives. Using the flexible TETRIX building system with the LEGO NXT Intelligent Brick, students learn to design and program basic autonomous robots. They create robots to perform gymnastics and dance maneuvers as well as learn how to use sensors and to adjust the speed, turning radius, and travel distance of the robots. After the introductory activities, students choose two TETRIX-NXT challenges to complete. These challenges are designed to push their design and programming knowledge beyond the basics while encouraging them to create and explore their own robotic imaginings. SAMPLE ACTIVITY Students start this course with the fun Robot Gymnastics activity. After following step-by-step instructions for building a kip bar and a robot gymnast that spins on it, students learn how to program the robot s gymnastics routine. They use the LEGO MINDSTORMS components, software, and a computer along with an understanding of pivots and range of motion to create a program with as many tricks and spins as possible in a 20-second routine. Design Applications & Programming and Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled are prerequisites for this course. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES TETRIX Base Set TETRIX Resource Set NXT Intelligent Brick, servo motors, assorted sensors, converter cables, connector cables, lamps, and Technic building elements LEGO MINDSTORMS Education software, site license, and posters Windows-based or Macintosh computer Hard Point Connectors ChallengePak TETRIX Autonomous Robotics Engineering Teacher s Guide TETRIX-NXT Challenges TETRIX Robotics video Engineering the Future textbook Robotic Engineering Autonomous Scope & Sequence 19

22 ENGINEERING Course Titles Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled OVERVIEW Robots are everywhere in manufacturing plants, helping bomb squads disable explosives, in underwater explorations, and even surveying the Mars landscape. And there is no better way to build excitement for engineering than to have students build and operate their own robots. Using the flexible TETRIX building system and other available materials, Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled provides an exciting exploration into robotic design, construction, and operation. This course is designed to introduce students to the engineering concept of robotics in a fun and creative way. They learn the basics of building a robot and then stretch their imaginations to design robots that dance, herd, crush Ping- Pong balls, and more. Plus, they become proficient at operating the remote control to make their robots go through mazes and other activities. SAMPLE ACTIVITY After learning the basics of robot construction, students focus on creative problem solving using the TETRIX building system. In the Robot Artist activity, they design and build a robot that can hold markers to draw on a paper canvas on the floor. First, students apply their knowledge of end effectors and robot maneuverability to create a robot design. After building the design, they hone their skills as remote-control operators to create a pattern, design, or image on the canvas. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES TETRIX Base Set Motor Speed Controller Remote control Digital scale Small tools such as screwdrivers and markers Various common materials such as tape and paper Assorted items to be moved by robots TETRIX R/C Robotics Engineering Teacher s Guide Engineering the Future textbook Robotic Engineering Remote Controlled Scope & Sequence 20

23 Senior Engineering Project OVERVIEW After working through several semesters of the Engineering Courses, some students are well-served by experiencing a real-life project like the one outlined in the Senior Engineering Project course. During this semester, students develop their own engineering project and go through the same processes as a professional engineer. The Teacher and Student Outlines detail the necessary parts and processes of the project from the initial spark and gathering resources to the final construction and project presentation. Each student, in consultation with the instructor, determines the scale and detail of his or her project. The course includes a PowerPoint presentation to kick off the project. The Senior Engineering Project course materials are free with the purchase of four Engineering Courses. Activity Title Senior Engineering Project Senior Engineering Project Guide & CD Engineering Academy SAMPLE ACTIVITY The open-ended nature of this course means that almost any activity is possible; however, the components of the project are the same no matter if they are designing a rocket or a robot. Students begin by developing a project proposal with a detailed written description and sketches. Next, they determine what resources they need and have available, followed by creating a budget. The design and experimentation stage begins the hands-on element of the course, and students follow this by completing the final version of their project. To end the course, each student delivers a project presentation. PRIMARY EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, AND RESOURCES Digital projector Student equipment needs vary depending on project Assorted materials as required by the chosen project Senior Engineering Project Teacher and Student Outlines Senior Engineering Project Introduction on PowerPoint V V Pitsco, Inc. 915 E. Jefferson, Pittsburg, KS All rights reserved. This product and related documents are protected by copyright and are distributed under licenses restricting their use, copying, and distribution. No part of this product or related documentation may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent of Pitsco, Inc. All photos courtesy of Morguefile.com or Pitsco, Inc. 21

24 Pitsco Education. All rights reserved. Pitsco Education P.O. Box 1708, Pittsburg, KS HS