Academics: Technology Education

Sixth and Seventh Grades
Technology is changing our lives. Humans have been using technology since the Stone Age in the form of primitive tools. The advances that have been made in the last 50 years have been amazing. The objective of this program is to introduce students to technology; its purpose, definition, processes, areas, and its impact on our lives and the environment. In our Technology Education curriculum, the students will learn the importance of technology and how it affects their lives.

In sixth grade, all students will be introduced to all five major areas of Technology Education in the Tech-Core format, Model Bridge Building, and the Computer Aided Drafting (CAD). Tech-Core is an interactive, self paced, multimedia curriculum that introduces students to technology. It is designed for the student who has no prior knowledge of technology systems. This course introduces the five major technology areas. These five areas will include: Manufacturing, Communication, Construction, Transportation, Bio-Related Technologies.

Students will rotate through the five technology modules, Computer Aided Drafting, and Bridge Building. During each rotation the student receives an overview of the technology's history, principles, methods, concepts, and career opportunities. Reinforcement of this knowledge is achieved through simple activities using problem solving, homework, and vocabulary exercises.

In seventh grade all students will study the role of transportation in our society using problem solving methods to design a vehicle. Many different kinds of vehicles will be used from year to year to gain valuable learning experience in design, research, production, and testing. The project takes the student from the raw materials into the design stage using Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), testing aerodynamics with the wind tunnel, and finally racing the car for speed. Students also complete a research paper or a timeline using transportation as their major topic.

Throughout the Technology Education Curriculum, math, and science principles are integrated to form a strong bond with technology.