PLTW Curriculum

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Swigert International School has partnered with Project Lead the Way to offer STEM classes to all grade levels. This is our fourth year using PLTW Launch. We were one of the first elementary schools in the district to receive a grant from Lockheed Martin to implement PLTW Launch. Elementary school is the perfect time for students to explore and learn that there is more than one way to reach a solution.

The program empowers students to adopt a design-thinking mindset through compelling activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the world around them. And as students engage in hands-on activities in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, they become creative, collaborative problem solvers ready to take on any challenge.

Each PLTW Launch module engages students in cross-disciplinary activities that spark a lifelong love of learning and build knowledge and skills in areas including computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. In addition, each module empowers students to develop essential skills such as problem solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and perseverance. Click here to see how PLTW aligns to Next Generation Science Standards.

To learn more visit: https://www.pltw.org/launch

PLTW Mission

Empower students to thrive in an evolving world

APB: The Building Blocks of PLTW's Curriculum

The activity-, project-, and problem-based (APB) instructional design centers on hands-on, real-world activities, projects, and problems that help students understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom may be applied in everyday life.

The APB approach scaffolds student learning through structured activities and projects that empower students to become independent in the classroom and help them build skill sets to apply to an open-ended design problem.

This approach provides students with unique opportunities to work collaboratively, identify problems, apply what they know, persevere through challenges, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning.

Why STEM @ Swigert uses Project Lead the Way to guide students to build their 21st century skills:

  • PLTW creates an engaging classroom environment unlike any other.
  • PLTW empowers students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.
  • Through PLTW pathways in computer science, engineering, and biomedical science, students not only learn technical skills, but also learn to solve problems, think critically and creatively, communicate, and collaborate.
  • PLTW provides teachers with the training, resources, and support needed to engage students in real-world learning.

Learn more about Project Lead the Way's Approach and its Philosophy here