Engineering
Affordable housing design. Biofuel production. App development. These are all hands-on, real-world challenges students face in their PLTW Engineering courses. Throughout the program, students step into the varied roles engineers play in our society, discover new career paths and possibilities, and develop engineering knowledge and skills. In addition, as students work in teams to design and test solutions, they’re empowered to develop in-demand, transportable skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication.
PLTW Engineering students are eligible to earn college credit through Missouri S&T. Please visit https://pltw.mst.edu/undergraduate-credit/ for more information.
903765—Engineering Essentials (EE)
Prerequisite: None
Grade Placement: 9, 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: 1 year
Credit: 1/2 per semester
Have you ever thought about becoming an Engineer? Want to explore all the ways Engineers impact the world? Engineering Essentials offers students of all backgrounds the opportunity to experience this important field. This course will focus on exploring global engineering challenges and sustainability goals, as well as personal, societal, environmental, and economic impacts of engineering solutions. Examples of topics covered in the course include disaster relief and recovery, worker health and well-being, modern medical devices and procedures, and sustainable cities and communities.
903711—Introduction to Engineering Design (IED)
Prerequisite: “C” or better in Algebra I or Teacher Recommendation.
Grade Placement: 9, 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: 1 year
Credit: 1/2 per semester (Honors)
Are you creative, inventive, imaginative? Do you have an eye for design? Introduction to Engineering Design is a hands-on, technology-rich course where students work through a typical design process to brainstorm, sketch, and build products for the world marketplace. After students sketch their ideas on paper, they will actually “build” their product using a 3-D computer software program!
903721—Principles of Engineering (POE)
Prerequisite: Introduction to Engineering Design or Engineering Teacher Signature.
Grade Placement: 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: 1 year
Credit: 1/2 per semester (Honors)
This course builds on the skills students learn in Introduction to Engineering Design, but takes it one step further; in addition to building with the 3-D modeling software, students will also be able to manufacture their designs and create working prototypes. Students will be using common household tools and materials, in addition to VEX robotics components, to create their design. Some of the exciting projects this course will cover will include: a projectile launcher, a mini-bridge, and a working robot! As a reminder to students and parents, this is an honors course with weighted credit that is challenging and fast paced.
903761—Capstone Course: Engineering Design and Development
Prerequisite: POE
Grade Placement: 12
Length of Course: 1 year
Credit: 1/2 per semester (Honors)
This is the senior capstone course for Project Lead the Way. Students will work in design teams to research, design, and develop a product for consumer use. Imagine being able to design a product that might actually be the next million-dollar idea! This course is a research course that requires students to formulate the solution to an open-ended engineering question. With a community mentor and skills gained in their previous courses, students create written reports on their applications, defend the reports, and submit them to a panel of outside reviewers at the end of the school year.