In addition to the courses required to obtain a High School Diploma, the courses listed below are recommended for pursuing a career in Engineering.
Robotics
Corequisite(s): STEAM
Robotics designed to expose, foster, and grow students' STEAM proficiency in the context of building and programming autonomous robots. On this path, students will learn many engineering principles including mechanical advantage, basic electronics, sensors, design, and the design process. Important habits-of-being include personal responsibility, teamwork, problem-solving, grit, and leadership skills will all play a vital role in this course.
Engineering Physics
Prerequisite(s): Physics & Robotics or STEAM
This is an advanced course for students who are considering careers in a STEM related field, or for those who just love physics and have a desire to design and create electric circuits, coding, and using arduino microcontrollers.
For a portion of the class, we will be in “physics mode”. The physics part of the course will be based on constructing models developed through experimental investigations, and refined through representing physical phenomena using multiple representations (graphs, diagrams, mathematically, as well as descriptively). Students will also be taught the calculus concepts and skills needed for handling problems on par with those in an AP Physics C course. In addition to a paradigm lab at the beginning of each unit, multiple hands-on activities and computer simulations will be employed to develop and refine understanding. Students write formal lab reports approximately once each marking period, and maintain a portfolio including informal reports in their science notebooks. For another portion of the class, we will be in “engineer mode”. There will be a lot of overlap with physics mode! Students will learn about electric circuits, physical computing, computer programming, and the engineering design process through project-based learning that incorporate microcontrollers and a variety of sensors and other electrical components.
PreCalculus & PreCalculus Honors
Prerequisite(s): Algebra 2
The study of pre-calculus includes real numbers, exponents and radicals, polynomials and factoring, fractional expressions, solving equations and inequalities, functions and their graphs, polynomial and rational functions, complex numbers, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions, analytic trigonometry, analytic geometry/conic sections, series and sequences, probability, statistics and data analysis, linear algebra and 16 matrix mathematics and determinants. Connections between algebra, geometry, and trigonometry will be made. These topics form the foundation for the successful study of calculus. PreCalculus is a rigorous course with an emphasis on developing problem-solving and reasoning abilities, the use of graphing calculators (occasionally), communicating mathematically in both written and oral form, and solving real-life problems.
AP Calculus
College Credit Available
Prerequisite(s): PreCalculus
AP Calculus AB is an introductory college-level calculus course. Students cultivate their understanding of differential and integral calculus through engaging with real-world problems represented graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally and using definitions and theorems to build arguments and justify conclusions as they explore concepts like change, limits, and the analysis of functions.