Course Topics

POE Unit Summary

Unit 1: Energy and Power (30%)

Unit 2: Materials and Structures (24%)

Unit 3: Control Systems (28%)

Unit 4: Statistics and Kinematics (18%)

Unit 1: Energy and Power

The goal of Unit 1 is to introduce students to mechanisms, energy sources, and alternative energy applications. Students will gain an understanding of mechanisms through the application of theory-based calculations accompanied by lab experimentation. They will also learn that as energy and power are transferred and transformed, losses to friction in the system will occur. Students will understand that such losses affect the overall efficiency of the system. They will have an opportunity to investigate thermal energy and alternative energy applications. Students will explore and gain experiences relating to solar hydrogen systems and thermal energy transfer through materials. The unit concludes with students working in teams to solve a design problem that focuses on energy and power. They will use the knowledge and understanding built through the previous learning events to create a solution to the problem. It is important for students to understand that an acceptable solution is one that fits the criteria and constraints of the design brief.

Unit 2: Materials and Structures

The goal of Unit 2 is for students to have a more concrete understanding of engineering through materials properties and statics. Students begin by learning about beam deflection and then forces on truss structures. They learn to identify forces acting on those structures and then gain the ability to calculate internal and external forces acting on those structures. The students learn about material properties, which lead students to the ability to properly select a material for a given task. Creating new products to meet a given need or want is not the only concern in this area of study. How to reuse/recycle materials for continued and unique uses is also learned. The primary way of studying materials properties in this unit is through destructive and non-destructive material testing on various materials. Tensile testing is the major destructive test. Students are engaged in how machines perform these tests and use either a classroom machine or a simulation to further their understanding of these processes. This unit concludes with a design problem whereby students, working in teams, follow the design process to solve a design problem.

Unit 3: Control Systems

The goal of Unit 3 is for students to recognize the abundance of and infinite variety of computer use in our daily lives. Students learn to control mechanical systems by recognizing computer outputs and gaining an understanding of how to write code to control them. They additionally experiment with various input devices and learn how they can adapt computer code to control computer outputs. Furthermore students gain an understanding of fluid power, both hydraulic and pneumatic. They begin to recognize the power and control advantages of fluid power. The unit concludes with students working in teams to solve a design problem that focuses on using control systems. They will integrate their prior knowledge, skills, and understandings from Unit 1: Simple Machines, Unit 2: Material Properties, and this unit. Students will decide what input devices to use, how to code their use, and the various output devices necessary to create a solution to the problem.

Unit 4: Statistics and Kinematics

In Unit 4 students are engaged in learning to use statistics to evaluate an experiment. Later they begin a study of dynamics, specifically kinematics, and apply statistical skills to study free-fall motion. Students use theoretical and experimental data as a basis for learning statistical analysis. By collecting, organizing, and interpreting the data, students build the skills needed to understand data results. They further use these new skills and knowledge to design a vehicle that will propel itself. Later, students will address the problem of designing a machine to accurately launch an object a specified distance. Examining projectile motion is at the core of this design problem.

Keys to Success

Be Respectful.

Treat yourself and your teammates equally.

FAIL OFTEN so you can SUCCEED SOONER.

You will fail A LOT when designing. Develop a thick skin, always learn from your mistakes, and redesign with this in mind.

The only dumb question is a question not asked.

If you have questions, ask your team manager, reference your resources, then ask the teacher.

Work outside of class to meet deadlines and due dates.

Homework is not assigned, BUT you will definitely do better if you schedule time outside of class to work as a team/independently or with a teacher.

Know your grade.

Check your PowerSchool account weekly. Check for missing assignments, compare it to your record of scores (CNB table of contents). Employees should inform their parents AND parents should touch base with their employees scores regularly.

Collaboration is essential.

BUT...Do your own work; don't cheat, it's not worth it WHEN you are caught.

Follow the design process.

Define the problem, brainstorm solutions and act on the best one, evaluate the solution, and present the results.

Don't try to brainstorm and analyze at the same time. They're different steps in the same Design Process.

Be prompt, be prepared, and ALWAYS participate.

Showing up late, with your necessary materials/supplies, or not being involved in your teamwork or class discussions WILL produce negative results.

Have fun!

Enjoy the work you do and always learn something in the process.