Engineering Technology

Science and Technology/Engineering Overview

Engineering Technology Overview

Engineering Technology students develop their problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills through the lens of the Engineering Design Process.  Presented with authentic problems, criteria, and constraints, students brainstorm solutions and develop working prototypes, using design software and a variety of tools. 

The goal of our program is to build an ‘Engineer’s Mindset.’ Using a project-based learning model, students nurture their creativity, build solutions with their own hands, and understand the dynamic nature of the problem solving process.  In doing so, students collaborate with fellow Engineering Technology students to solve problems and present solutions. These skills are directly transferable to developed applications that relate to the medical, agricultural, communication, transportation, manufacturing, and construction technologies.

Engineering Technology classes are part of the Science and Technology/Engineering Department. They build upon the standards addressed in Science classes, focusing on the Engineering and Technology standards described in the 2016 MA Science and Technology/Engineering Curriculum Framework. While all students will take Engineering Technology classes in middle school, the scheduling and structure of the courses differ across the district.

Engineering Technology Learning Targets

• Analyze and compare properties of materials, including flexibility, ductility, hardness, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and melting point. 
• Select materials appropriate for a design task based on specific properties of the material. 
• Choose and safely use appropriate measuring tools, hand tools, fasteners, and common hand-held power tools to construct a prototype. 
• Evaluate solutions to a given design problem given a set of criteria and constraints. 
• Construct a prototype of a solution to a given design problem. 
• Show how components of a structural system work together to serve a structural function. 
• Use concepts of systems engineering to model inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback among components of a given system. 
• Describe examples of physical processing of materials, and examples of changes in materials properties. 
• Illustrate how a product can be created, using basic processes in manufacturing systems. 

Engineering Technology Projects