Tanglewood Middle School
Course Syllabus
for
Gateway To Technology – 6th Grade
2025-26
Instructor: Mr. George Gardner
Location: Room 102 Classroom & Project Lab
Planning/Lunch: 7:45-8:55a and 10:36-11:33a
Phone: 355-4517, e-mail: district - ggardner@greenville.k12.sc.us
gmail - ggardner@greenvilleschools.us
Website: sites.greenvilleschools.us/ggardner
Course Schedule: Semester course
Periods: 6th & 7th
Course Description: Gateway To Technology’s (GTT) cutting-edge program addresses the interest and energy of middle school students, while incorporating national standards in ELA, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Technology. GTT is “activity oriented” to show how technology is used in engineering to solve everyday problems. There are currently five instructional units that excite and motivate students to use their imaginations and teach them to be creative and innovative, while gaining the skills they need to develop, produce, and use products and services. The units presented in GTT6 are: Design & Modeling, Structural Engineering, Career Exploration, General Safety, and Beginning Woodworking.
The GTT curriculum provides an Activities-Project-Problem-Based (APPB) learning approach that relates technology to daily lives. It also promotes communication and collaboration by emphasizing a teaming approach in the instructional units. This approach utilizes the strengths of each team member to accomplish the goals of the project, while offering learning challenges at all ability levels.
The Mathematics, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Technology-integrated GTT program will help students develop and hone skills in middle school that will enable them to enter the high school program with the foundational knowledge and skills for success in pre-engineering.
Course Objectives/Competencies: Students who successfully complete Gateway To Technology with a passing grade of 60% or higher will have demonstrated the abilities, concepts, knowledge, and skills required to:
1) demonstrate a basic understanding of different careers and technologies
2) develop skills in research and design
3) demonstrate safe and proper techniques in manufacturing
4) test solutions and analyze results of problem-solving solutions
5) work individually, in pairs, and in small groups to achieve a common goal
6) become more technologically and career literate
Required Text/Resources: Rogers, George, et. al. Gateway To Engineering, Cengage Learning. New York. 2010
Course Outline: This course outline is intended as a guide only in assisting the teacher in planning units of instruction. Units may not be taught in the sequence shown due to time of year and available resources.
Course Outline
Unit Topic Timeframe Reading
Unit A. General Safety 2 days Handouts
1. Lab Rules, & Student Safety Contract
Unit B. Design and Modeling 20 days Handouts
1. Introduction
2. Alphanumeric Characters (A-Z, 0-9)
3. Linear Measurement (English & Metric)
4. Freehand Technical Sketching
5. 3-D Parametric Solid Modeling (Onshape)
Unit C. Structural Engineering - Model Truss Bridge building 20 days Handouts
1. Introduction video “Bridges”
2. West Point Bridge Designer (Computer program) On-Going
3. Design sketches & drawings of model truss bridge
4. Bridge construction & load testing (Metric & English dry measurement)
5. NOVA’s “Super Bridge”
6. DISCOVERY CHANNEL’s “Extreme Engineering – Cooper River Bridge”
Unit D. Flight & Space 15 days Handouts
1. Design sketches of paper towel holder
2. Measurement & Layout tools
3. Hand Tools, Power Hand Tools, Machines
4. Construction of wooden paper towel holder
Unit E. Career Exploration (on-going) 5 days Handouts
1. Internet Career Searches
2. Typed summaries
3. TED Talks (ted.com)
Unit F. Gateway To Engineering (Selected chapters) 10 days Study Guide
Unit G. Extreme Machine Videos Series Optional Study Guide
Unit H. “Invention” Video Series (Discovery Channel) Optional Study Guide
Semester 90 days
Grading, Assessment, Student Records, and Homework:
Student progress is assessed during each nine-week period over the semester. It is reported as a grade based on the South Carolina grade reporting system:
A student must earn a minimum grade of 60% in order to receive credit for this course. Student progress is cumulatively assessed each nine weeks in the following areas:
Item Weight Description
Major Assessment 50% 3-5 assessments: Tests, Projects, Presentations
Minor Assessment 50% 9-15 assessments: Notebook, quizzes, labwork
Students will utilize the Computer Design Lab for the Design & Modeling Unit and to research class activities and write papers. Students may also receive instruction in Technical Writing skills to describe the step-by-step process of class activities. These papers will be scored and can be used as unit test grades.Written tests generally consist of true/false, matching, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer.
Engineering Notebooks are routinely checked for completed work and organization throughout each quarter and will assist the instructor in assessment of student activity and comprehension.
Incomplete/missing assignments will receive an ( NHI ) and will be scored 50%. An "NHI" is waiting for the assignment to be completed or submitted. Every effort is made to allow students time to complete all assignments. However, if students do not make any effort to complete an assignment, then the assignment will be assessed as is.
Student Records: A record of each student’s grade performance on all class work, tests, and notebook is maintained in the teacher’s grade book and/or computer. All currently entered grades are available 24/7 to students/parents in PowerSchool.
Homework Policy: Typically, homework is not assigned. Regular classroom paperwork may become homework, if not completed during class time.
Make-Up Policy: Due to the nature of technical courses, students generally have until the end of the grading period to make up incomplete/missing lab work. However, the longer students delay in completing assignments, the less credit they may receive, and more chance of losing their work. This may not extended to students consistently choose not to work.
Class Procedures and Class and School Rules: During the first week of classes, students are advised of expectations, rules, and procedures for this course. In addition, students receive an orientation by grade level from school administrators about district/school rules, dress code, and consequences. Information about the operation and procedures used daily at our middle school are consistently reinforced.
Communication: Instructors are required to issue progress reports in the middle of each grading period, but may send additional reports as needed. Students and parents may call me anytime @ 355-4517 and leave a voicemail. Please leave a message, other callback number, or email where you can be reached. My email is ggardner@greenville.k12.sc.us or ggardner@greenvilleschools.us.
Non-Instructional Routines: At the bell, students are to go directly to their assigned seat and begin their jumpstart assignment. Attendance, announcements, and instructions will be completed before moving to other activities. Students are to have their notebook, pencil, inch/cm ruler, and will only be permitted to leave class for emergent needs. Students are to work the entire period, to not disturb others trying to work, and to clean work areas before leaving.
Attendance/Tardy Policy: Students must attend school regularly for meaningful instruction to occur. Please refer to the GCS Attendance Policy for more information.
CLASS TARDY POLICY: Students are expected to be out of the halls and in their classrooms when the bells ring. Individual issues can then be handled by the teacher. The classroom door will be closed when the bell rings. Students entering after that time will be marked tardy. Consequences will follow for students who continue to arrive late to class without a pass.
Social Contracts/Student Behavior: Each class will create its own social contract, which will be posted in the classroom for everyone to see. These contracts are agreements for behavior, and provide guidelines for how we are going to treat one another. Many students do not need social contracts, but they provide us all a visual reminder of our social expectations.
Each student is unique and special, and is encouraged to develop their individuality. However, individuality cannot be permitted to infringe on another person's rights. Consequences for inappropriate behavior attempt to follow a logical progression of correction and are never intended to embarrass, or to humiliate the student. In each case, the objective is to modify negative behavior. However, abusive, threatening, non-compliant, or dangerous conduct by any student may necessitate a Discipline Referral and removal from class. Everyone’s safety is my primary concern. Safety rules and regulations are not up for debate. Horseplay in the GTT labs cannot be tolerated. As a machine/tool lab instructor, I must make critical assessments concerning individual student behavior. If I must choose between a student’s privilege to work and the safety of everyone else in the room, I will always choose safety. A second chance for some is another opportunity to continue. If a student continually threatens the safe/smooth operation of the lab, they will be moved to another class.
Overarching rule: If someone chooses to create a problem for anyone else, I will do something. For normal class disruptions, I always try to give students the opportunity to correct their own behavior.
Students: Recovery and referrals do not replace required assignments or obligations. Those who persist in disturbing the class and/or committing unsafe acts will be suspended from class activities and recommended for removal from the course. Administrators and parents will be informed when student behavior interferes with the class or creates a safety hazard. Although the course is designed to be enjoyable, it is rigorous and challenging, and requires students to apply what they have learned in their core academic courses. Therefore, GTT presents different challenges for each student.
School Rules/Policies: The district rules/policies, as well as our school, clearly outline acceptable student behavior and dress. The parent/guardian will be notified when inappropriate student behavior persists. The student may be referred to the school administration when dress or behavior cause disruption, interferes with the rights of other students, or threatens personal safety.