Design & Engineering

Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) is a high school level course that is appropriate for students who are interested in design and engineering. The major focus of the IED course is to expose students to design process, research and analysis, teamwork, communication methods, global and human impacts, engineering standards, and technical documentation. IED gives students the opportunity to develop skills and understanding of course concepts through activity-, project-, and problem-based (APPB) learning. Used in combination with a teaming approach, APPB-learning challenges students to continually hone their interpersonal skills, creative abilities and understanding of the design process. It also allows students to develop strategies to enable and direct their own learning, which is the ultimate goal of education.

The course assumes no previous knowledge, but students should be concurrently enrolled in college preparatory mathematics and science. Students will employ engineering and scientific concepts in the solution of engineering design problems. In addition, students use the most current issued 3D solid modeling design software package to help them design solutions to solve proposed problems. Students will develop problem-solving skills and apply their knowledge of research and design to create solutions to various challenges that increase in difficulty throughout the course. Students will also learn how to document their work, and communicate their solutions to their peers and members of the professional community.

This course is designed to introduce students to the fields of Architecture and Civil Engineering. Students will use both traditional methods and CAD software to create functional sets of working drawings for residential and civic projects. Scale models of student designed structures will be built. Students are encouraged to use their personal interests and perspectives to influence their designs and solutions.

Principles of Engineering is a nationally recognized engineering program used by many schools across the country. This course integrates advanced math and science principles, while also giving students experience in a real-world engineering environment. Students will develop problem solving and critical thinking skills required in STEM fields. Students also learn how engineers address concerns about the social and political consequences of technological changes. Through theory, guest speakers, field trips, and hands-on problem-solving activities, students experience firsthand what engineering is all about. The units of study are the following: Energy and Power, Materials and Structures, as well as Controls and Systems. This honors course is paced rigorously and intended for highly motivated students who are interested in pursuing careers in an engineering field. The coursework will include an additional unit of study focused in statics and kinematics.