EA1 ⚙︎ Career Prep - Engineering

• In our first engineering course, students will develop expertise in creating three-dimensional models using SolidWorks, an industry-standard Computer-Aided Design (CAD) package.

• Students are also introduced to the engineering design process and apply what they learn in the context of several open-ended design projects, including developing CAD models of their designs. Students bring them to life with laser-cut and 3D-printed models. Most students pass the CAD certification exam (CSWA) at the end of the academic year. Students who complete the course will also meet the Career Preparedness graduation requirement for the State of Alabama.

EA2 ⚙︎ Applications of Engineering and Technology

• Our second course exposes students to several engineering disciplines through longer-term individual and group projects.

• These projects combine engineering design, theoretical expectations (modeling), and practical design outcomes. Students compare theoretical expectations with actual observations and measurements. One of these projects includes designing, modeling, and constructing an original truss bridge. Once students build the bridge model, they apply interpretation skills to examine project variables, such as load-bearing capacity and compare the results to the predictions. In another project, students perform a theoretical, computational, and experimental analysis of electrical circuits they design and build. In this course, students gain confidence in data analysis using spreadsheets, technical writing, and public speaking skills as they present the outcomes of every project.

EA3 ⚙︎ Basic Programming for Engineers

• Programming skills allow engineers to integrate innovative technologies into their everyday work and make it more efficient. In our third elective course, students learn programming principles and logic common to all programming languages.

• During the first semester, they apply what they learn using MATLAB, a text-based programming language. MATLAB is also an industry-standard environment for modeling engineering systems and is taught at most engineering colleges. Students explore programming Arduino and Micro:bit mini-computers in the second semester. Finally, they learn and apply basic programming concepts (control structures, variables, functions, etc.) to control a physical device, including LEDs, motors, and sensors, to see how computer programming gives physical devices the ability to interact with their environment.

EA4 ⚙︎ Capstone of Engineering and Technology

• The pinnacle of our Engineering Academy is the Capstone of Engineering and Technology course students take in their senior year. Students are immersed in a course combining what they previously learned with essential business and entrepreneurship principles, project management tools, and agile product development. These concepts are then integrated into a long-term engineering design project in which students work in teams to design and prototype new products.

• In what the students usually describe as the most enjoyable and exciting final exam, they pitch their company and design idea, showcase the MVP and its functions, and present their marketing plans in a “Shark Tank” format presentation.

( ) = Optional

Freshman

• (Advanced) Geometry

• (Advanced) Biology

Sophomore

• (Advanced) Alg. II w/ Trig

• (Advanced) Chemistry

Junior

• (Advanced) Pre-Calculus

• (AP) Physics C Mechanics or General Physics

Senior

• (AP) Calculus (AB or BC)

• AP Physics C Mechanics *if not taken in junior year* or AP Physics Electricity & Magnetism