Kevin Jaenke

6th Grade:

Students will get an introduction to electric circuits through online simulators and hands-on experiments.  This is an introduction to a 7th-grade class called Magic of Electrons.  Students will also get an introduction to the mechanical mechanisms and simple programming of a virtual robot used in the 8th-grade exploratory class, Automation and Robotics.  

7th Grade:

Magic of Electrons is a nine-week STEM unit of study. Students explore electricity, the behavior and structure of atoms, and the design of sensor devices. They learn knowledge and skills in basic circuitry design and examine the impact of electricity on the world around them. Students will propose designs such as a burglar alarm for an art museum. Magic of Electrons uses the PLTW activity, project, and problem-based (APB) instructional design approach, which centers on hands-on, real-world activities, projects, and problems that help students understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom can 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, real-world 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. The student learning progression starts with basic concepts and practices and moves to more advanced concepts and practices. Students learn and add more tools to their tool belts as they progress through the units and prepare to take on the challenge of creating a design solution for one of nine logic problems. 

8th Grade:

Automation and Robotics is a semester-long STEM unit of study. The focus of this unit is the development of automation and robotics and their use to improve daily life. Students investigate mechanical systems, motion transfer, machine automation, and computer control systems. Using the VEX® Robotics platform, students design, build, and program real-world devices, such as a food dispenser, a robot pet companion, and a transport system. Automation and Robotics uses the PLTW activity-, project-, and problem-based (APB) instructional design approach, which centers on hands-on, real-world activities, projects, and problems that help students understand how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom can 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, real-world problem. This approach provides students unique opportunities to work collaboratively, identify problems, apply what they know, persevere through challenges, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning. The student learning progression starts with basic concepts and practices in Lesson 1 and moves to more advanced concepts and practices in Lesson 2. Students learn and add more tools to their tool belts as they progress through the unit and prepare to take on the challenge of designing and developing solutions that meet the needs of users. The following is an overview of the lessons in the PLTW Automation and Robotics unit. The lessons scaffold the students’ knowledge and skills in basic mechanisms and computer science concepts and practices. 

Lesson 1: Automating Mechanisms

 Students explore how gear trains and other mechanisms transfer movement in mechanical systems and design, build, and program automated systems to meet the needs of clients. In the end-of-lesson project, students can choose to design an interactive device to keep pets physically and mentally active, a spinning street sign to warn drivers to slow down and stop, or a high-speed dragster. 

Lesson 2: Sensors and Systems

 Students investigate the versatility of an optical sensor as a programmed input device. Students extend their knowledge of mechanisms as they design increasingly complex prototypes to serve the needs of users. In the PLTW Professional Development Automation and Robotics © 2023 Project Lead The Way, Inc. 3 end-of-lesson project, students connect inputs to outputs through programming to create effective solutions that help their communities 

Lesson 3: Create and Automate

 Students design solutions using an automated mechanical system and the programming necessary for communication between the sensors, motors, and building components. Students pick their own problems or select problems that highlight their creativity and are of service to others. Throughout the unit, students reflect on their growing skills and interests and explore careers in the field.