[August 31, 2011] Middle schools embrace PLTW Tweet DOBSON, Aug 31, 2011 (The Mount Airy News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Surry County Schools middle school students are participating in a new curriculum this year with an emphasis on STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Project Lead the Way is a hands-on, project-based program which challenges students to work together to design and create new inventions and innovations. They will use the same technology as companies such as Lockheed Martin during the nine-week units. Sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at all four middle schools are starting the curriculum this year with the design and modeling phase. This will introduce them to the field of engineering and allow them to practice using some of the main tools of the industry. They will take a look at inventions and innovations and use software such as Autodesk Inventor to make modifications and design their own products. "The kids will learn to sketch in Inventor and then turn their sketches into 3-D models," said Karen Hodges, PLTW teacher at Gentry Middle. "The kids are going to go through the design process to come up with a design, maybe take some surveys to see if the product is needed, create the product, do some tests to see if it works and if it doesn't, go back to the drawing board to fix it." To prepare for this new curriculum, the teacher from each of the middle school attended an intensive two-week training seminar at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering. Danny Bibb is the instructor at Meadowview Middle, Lisha High is the instructor at Central Middle and Wes Evans teaches the classes at Pilot Mountain Middle. During the seminar, they went through all three curriculums offered in Project Lead the Way including design and modeling, automation and robotics and energy and the environment. During the session, the teachers went through many of the same projects their students will be completing in the program. They started in the design and modeling curriculum and focused on measurements by making their own skimmers. They also had to design their own playgrounds as three-dimensional models. They also worked to make their own windmills using Vex Robotics and create a tollbooth with a working arm and light. The final project of the seminar came following a tour of AW North Carolina, the sole North American producer of Toyota transmissions. They worked in seven teams to create one section of an assembly line. Conveyor belts had to move a wooden block from one section to the next without aid which means each team had to communicate with the others. "Collaboration is the biggest thing with these kids. Everything we did, we did as a team. We experienced everything these kids are going to do," said Hodges. The Project Lead the Way curriculum also will tie into the curriculum of the core classes, particularly math and science. The modules have been designed and ordered to correspond with what is happening in the core classrooms. "They're going to hear the same terms and be able to relate what's happening in one classroom with what's happening in another," said Hodges. "We've tried to plan which one works best with each curriculum to make sure we're reinforcing concepts. They're going to be in this classroom and use what they've done in math class and not even realize it." Hodges said all three curriculums lead into each other. Students have to learn about design and modeling to learn how to use the software and design their products. With a focus on energy and the environment, including the impact using energy has on the environment, students will take a critical look at inventions and innovations and how to efficiently use energy. From there, students move into automation and robotics where they use Vex Robotics to actually bring their models to life. "It's going to take critical thinking, it's going to take hands-on activities and it's problem-based," said Hodges of the program. She said students are already excited about the classes which have only been going on for a couple of weeks. Students attend the class every other day. "The ideas are so cool for these kids. They're already asking their core teachers if its their day to go to Project Lead the Way. I keep telling them we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet," said Hodges. This program is designed to continue into high school with an introduction to engineering. Contact Morgan Wall at [email protected] or 719-1929. ___ (c)2011 The Mount Airy News (Mount Airy, N.C.) Visit The Mount Airy News (Mount Airy, N.C.) at www.mtairynews.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]