Technology Education Department

Mission Statement

Technology Education is a program area within the CTE/Applied Arts and Sciences Department. The curriculum enables the student to acquire the awareness, problem solving abilities and technical skills necessary to succeed in a highly industrial and technological society.

Students who have career plans which may include a four-year college, technical or vocational training, or employment after high school are encouraged to enroll in the basic and advanced courses. When selecting technology education courses, students should note that all basic courses are introductory in nature and have no recommendations. These courses survey the subjects, allowing the students ample opportunities to sample the numerous topics within each respective area. Advanced courses require the completion of basic level courses and emphasize content areas to build skills and enhance techniques.

Expectations for Student Learning in Technology Education:

The curricula utilized are aligned with Portsmouth High School’s School Mission and Expectations for Student Learning. The courses provide the students with the opportunity to:

Utilize print, audio and visual materials and human resources to access technological information
Create art that reflects researching/accessing and gathering information through reading and a variety of media
Use the Internet efficiently for research purposes
Demonstrate evidence of analysis, synthesis and evaluation through the creative process
Design and create a product, service or system to meet an identified need
Create artwork that represents divergent problem solving strategies
Demonstrate proper techniques and strategies, utilizing technology, for effective problem solving
Demonstrate responsible social behavior in physically active settings
Effectively present and explain the process, planning and problem solving techniques used in the creation of a technology based project

School-wide Learning Expectations Highlighted in Technology Education:

Expectation 5: Interpret and design visual messages for specific purposes.
Expectation 7: Use technology to discover and demonstrate knowledge.

The Career & Technical Education (CTE) Academy for Engineering Design

The CTE Academy of Engineering Design provides students with the opportunity for hands-on learning through the Project Lead the Way (PLTW) series of courses. The program includes two foundational courses: Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. It also includes several optional/specialized courses that provide students with instruction in specific fields of engineering. The program will culminate with the Engineering Capstone course that the students will take during their senior year.

Students who enroll in these courses will be exposed to the engineering design process as well as engineering strategies, methods, calculations, and visual representation of design that are used in various engineering fields. The courses and activities are designed to challenge students with a wide variety of hands-on labs and projects where they will apply the strategies that they have learned to solve problems. This exposure prepares students for future careers in engineering or for the next level of education in the engineering field.

In order to fulfill the requirements for the CTE program, students must complete the following four (4) courses with a B- or better:

Level One: Engineering Essentials- PLTW
Level Two: Introduction to Engineering Design- PLTW
Level Three: Principles of Engineering Honors- PLTW
Level Four: Engineering Capstone Honors- PLTW

* Students in the CTE program are recommended to take one additional on top of the four required courses to be prepared for a career in the field of engineering and design.

Students who are enrolled in the CTE Engineering and Design Academy will receive preferred status when registering for CTE courses.

Engineering Essentials- PLTW

(CTE Level 1)

(1379) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 Sample Syllabus

The first course in the PLTW engineering curriculum, Engineering Essentials, offers a multidisciplinary approach to teaching and learning foundational concepts of engineering practice, providing students opportunities to explore the breadth of engineering career opportunities, and experiences, and solve engaging and challenging real-world problems through engineering essentials.

Recommendation: Open to all students. This course may be used to fulfill the technology graduation requirement.

Introduction to Engineering Design- PLTW

(CTE Level 2)

(1380) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 📚 Sample Syllabus

This PLTW engineering course is an inquiry based, project centered course where students will be introduced to the design process, applying math, science and engineering standards to hands-on projects. Students work both individually and in teams to design solutions to a variety of problems using 3D modeling software and utilize strategies used by engineers in industry and in the field. This is an introduction to engineering design through a process which will open students’ minds about how to approach scientific and engineering problems.

Recommendation: Open to all 10th, 11th and 12th grade students and it may be used to fulfill the technology graduation requirement.

Principles of Engineering Honors- PLTW

(CTE Level 3)

(1381) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 📚 Sample Syllabus

This Project Lead the Way (PTLW) course is project based. Students engage and challenge themselves with problem solving related to specific disciplines of engineering. Students explore a broad range of engineering topics, including mechanisms, the strength of structures and materials, and automation. Students develop skills in problem solving, research, and design while learning strategies for design process documentation, collaboration, and presentation.

Recommendation: Open to 11th and 12th grade students who have successfully completed Introduction to Engineering Design, Principles of Earth Space and Physics and Geometry.

Engineering Capstone Honors- PLTW

(CTE Level 4)

(1382) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 🎓 Sample Syllabus

The knowledge and skills students acquire throughout the PLTW engineering program come together in this capstone course. Students will identify an issue and then research, design, and test a solution, ultimately presenting their solution to a panel of engineers. Students apply the professional skills they have developed to document a design process to standards, completing Engineering Design and Development ready to take on any post-secondary program or career.

Recommendation: Open to 12th grade students who have completed Introduction to Engineering, Principles of Engineering, and qualify for completion of the Engineering CTE program.

Digital Electronics- PLTW

(CTE Eligible)

(1390) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 Sample Syllabus

From smartphones to appliances, digital circuits are all around us. This PLTW course provides a foundation for students who are interested in electrical engineering, electronics, or circuit design. Students study topics such as combinational and sequential logic and are exposed to circuit design tools used in industry, including logic gates, integrated circuits, and programmable logic devices.

Recommendation: Open to all students and it may be used to fulfill the technology graduation requirement.

Civil Engineering & Architecture Honors- PLTW

(CTE Eligible)

(1391) 1 credit

Full Year ⚙️ 🌐 Sample Syllabus

Students will learn the fundamentals of building and site design and development. In this PLTW course, they will apply math, science, and standard engineering practices to design both residential and commercial projects and document their work using 3-D architectural design software.

Recommendation: Open to all 10th, 11th and 12th who have completed Geometry. This course may be used to fulfill the technology graduation requirement.

Technology Education Courses

Computer Aided Design (CAD I)

(1631) 0.5 credit

Semester 🌐 Sample Syllabus

This is an introductory course, which explores the basic concepts and principles of communicating in the technical world. This foundation course is designed to build technical communication skills needed by engineers, scientists, designers, architects, builders, technicians and others interested in technical or scientific careers. Students will be using CAD software. This course may be used to fulfill the Technology graduation requirement.

Computer Aided Design (CAD) Advanced

(CTE Eligible)

(1633) 0.5 credit

Semester ⚙️ 🌐 Sample Syllabus

This course will focus on building CAD and Autodesk Inventor skills in preparation to meet the RIDE requirement for an industry certification that demonstrates an aptitude in an industry relevant computer-aided design tool. Autodesk Inventor is a 3D modeling software program that is used in the engineering field to design solutions to engineering problems. This course will expand upon the Autodesk Inventor curriculum that students were introduced to in the course Introduction to Engineering. This course culminates with the Autodesk Inventor certification test.

Recommendation: Open to students who have completed Introduction to Engineering Design or CAD I with a minimum grade of B

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