2025-2026
Jason Spodick WHS 512.732-9280 x 34103
Robotics Building rm. 116 - email: jspodick@eanesisd.net
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
― Winston Churchill
Syllabus
This class is designed to introduce the fundamentals of Engineering Design and Presentation. Engineering design is the creative process of solving problems by identifying needs and then devising solutions. This solution may be a product, technique, structure, process, or many other things depending on the problem. Science aims to understand the natural world, while engineering seeks to shape this world to meet human needs and wants. Engineering design takes into consideration limiting factors or "design under constraint." Various engineering disciplines address a broad spectrum of design problems using specific concepts from the sciences and mathematics to derive a solution. The design process and problem solving are inherent to all engineering disciplines. Due to pandemic, certification may not be possible for all students this year. The expectation of the class is for students to pass SolidWorks industry certification tests including Additive Manufacturing and Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA) or OnShape if it is available.
This course aligns to the following college and career cluster: STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The course assumes no prior knowledge, but students should be concurrently enrolled in postsecondary preparatory mathematics and science. Engineering Design and Problem Solving reinforces and integrates skills learned in previous engineering courses. These skills are combined with work from previous mathematics and science courses. This course emphasizes solving problems, moving from well defined toward more open ended, with real-world application. Students apply critical-thinking skills to justify a solution from multiple design options. Additionally, the course promotes interest in and understanding of career opportunities in engineering.Students use the engineering design process cycle to investigate, design, plan, create, and evaluate solutions. At the same time, this course fosters awareness of the social and ethical implications of technological development.
The course of study includes:
Design Process
Modeling
Sketching
Presentation Design and Delivery
Engineering Drawing Standards
CAD Solid Modeling Certification - SolidWorks
Reverse Engineering
Consumer Product Design Innovation
Marketing
Graphic Design
Engineering Ethics
Design Teams
If you are afraid of failure, you will never allow yourself to be creative. Be willing to seek out knowledge and information.
Textbooks:
There are no assigned textbooks for this course, however, assignments may require that students research and report on assigned reading from books, handouts, and/or periodicals. Students will utilize video study outside of class for preparation. Notes will be taken from the videos and evaluated as documentation.
Materials:
iPAD (you may want to have a digital pencil such similar to Apple Pencil)
Pen
Pencil
Isometric line and dot graphing paper (may be printed from pdf)
Graph paper (may be printed from pdf)
Solidworks Software
Nine-weeks grade is weighted as follows:
Daily Active Participation 40%
Journal, Documentation and Quiz grade average: 30%
Projects/Tests grade: 30%
Each assignment completed will be given a grade of 10 points. Some assignments will be assigned more than one grade of 10 points for different aspects of the assignment. A point scale will also be used for assignments, for instance, a scale of 10 points will be used for weekly grades.
Each three, six or nine week grading period will be a deadline for previous grades for UIL eligibility. Mastery of material can be attained up until a grading period closes. Students are encouraged to master material or rework before moving on but a certain progress should be attained each grading period.
Students will be given a weekly grade based on daily classroom/performance grade checks of student progress and effort. Each negative daily performance check is a minus 1 pt. (i.e. A student who received no negative daily performance checks would get a 10 for the weekly grade. A student who had three performance checks would get a 7 for the weekly grade).
I am available for conferences from 1:33 – 2:23 PM upon appointment. Parents and students with concerns or questions over the course and expectations are encouraged to contact me with your concerns.