Project Lead The Way Laboratory

Gateway To Technology

The following Project Lead The Way laboratory design was developed by technology education majors at Purdue University as part of their IT: 471 course “Managing the Technology Education Laboratory” instructed by Dr. George E. Rogers

Gateway to Technology

Facility Design Proposal

Amanda McCammon and Drew Markley

Gateway to Technology

• A pre-engineering course created for middle school students in which they are introduced to the ways in which technology is used in engineering to solve everyday problems.

Records show that currently there is a critical shortage of engineers and engineering technologists in our nation and around the world.

We will help our students prepare themselves for higher education and a possible future career in engineering

Why should our school promote a Project Lead the Way curriculum and facility?

The PLTW mission directly relates to our school mission.

Project Lead the Way Mission - to create dynamic partnerships with our nation’s schools to prepare an increasing and more diverse group of students to be successful in engineering and engineering technology programs.

Our school mission - to provide an environment in which all students are encouraged to reach their academic, artistic, social and physical potential. As well as sharing with the parents and community the commitment to prepare the students for their roles in an ever-changing democratic society.

Relationship to our School Mission

Here are a few ways our students will benefit….

• Receive training in current technology using the latest computer software and equipment in use in industry.

• Receive experience as part of a team.

• Reinforce their study of math and science.

• Explore a major career path and, if they wish to continue, they will be prepared for the high school PLTW Program and further education at a college.

Here are a few ways our school will benefit….

• Develop partnerships with other school districts, colleges and universities and industry to offer pre-engineering programs for their students.

• Support efforts to raise learning standards.

• Be involved in a program that applies and reinforces concepts in math and science.

• Be involved in an organization that is committed to continuous improvement.

Who will be involved in the facility design and

overall process?

School PrincipalBoard of Education Members

State Department of Education Members Technology Teachers from other PLTW Schools

School Parents Community Partners

Local Architects

Our Advisory Committee

What are the course objectives?

•Develop an understanding of the characteristics and scope of technology.

•Develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.

•Develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.

After completing the middle school Gateway to Technology experience, the students should be able to:

•Develop an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and political effects of technology.

•Develop an understanding of the role of society in the development and use of technology.

•Develop an understanding of the attributes of design.

•Develop an understanding of engineering design.

•Develop an understanding of the role of troubleshooting, research and development, invention and innovation, and experimentation in problem solving.

•Develop the abilities to apply the design process.

•Develop an understanding of and be able to select and use energy and power technologies.

•Use algebra concepts to reason and solve problems.

•Use laboratory and technology experiences to learn scientific concepts in physical, life and earth/space sciences.

•Use language correctly and effectively to find, organize and report information through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

•Describe their heritage, their government, their world and economic principles through the study of key issues of the past, present and future

•Explain and use problem-solving processes to develop technological artifacts.

•Describe and apply the principles of responsible use of technological devices and systems.

•Describe the impact technology has on individuals, society, and the environment and how individuals, society, and the environment impact technology.

The Curriculum

The curriculum is created to motivate students to use their imaginations and teach them to be creative, while gaining the skills they need to develop, create and utilize products and services.

This curriculum promotes communication and collaboration by emphasizing a teaming approach in the instructional units. This approach utilizes the strengths of each team member to accomplish the goals of the project, while offering students learning challenges at all ability levels.

The Units

The PLTW Middle School Program, Gateway to Technology includes the following four independent instructional units:

Design and ModelingThe Magic of Electrons

The Science of TechnologyAutomation and Robotics

Design and Modeling Unit

• Uses solid modeling to introduce students to the design process.  

• Students will learn to understand how solid modeling has influenced their lives. 

• Students also learn sketching techniques, and use descriptive geometry as a component of design, measurement, and computer modeling. 

• Using design briefs or abstracts, students create models and documentation to solve problems.

• Through hands-on projects, students explore the science of electricity, the movement of atoms, circuit design, and sensing devices.

• Students acquire knowledge and skills in basic circuitry design and explore the impact of electricity on our lives.

The Magic of Electrons Unit

• This unit traces how science has affected technology throughout history.

• Students learn about the mechanics of motion, the conversion of energy, and the use of science to improve communication.

The Science of Technology Unit

• Students trace the history and development of automation and robotics.

• They learn about structures, energy transfer, machine automation, and computer control systems.

• Students acquire knowledge and skills in engineering problem solving and explore requirements for careers in

engineering.

Automation and Robotics Unit

Needed Equipment

1. Band Saw and Scroll Saw – Both of these tools will be used by the students to cut small pieces of wood. They will use these tools when working on their dragsters and Rube Goldberg projects. They will be located within the laboratory.

2. Drill Press – This piece of equipment will be used by the students to drill holes in their wood pieces. This will be used in the units on the dragster and Rube Goldberg. This piece of equipment will be located within the laboratory.

3. Hand Tools – These tools will be used during the dragster and Rube Goldberg units. They will be used to work on small pieces of wood and to connect two or more pieces of wood. Examples of hand tools that will be needed include the following: Hammer/nails, screwdriver/screws, sandpaper, and chisel. They will be located within the laboratory in cabinets and on a pegboard when needed.

Needed Equipment

4. Vices – This tool will be used to help hold two pieces of material together. Students will use these when they glue pieces together on their Rube Goldberg projects. There will be one vise attached to each of the four work tables within the lab area.

5. Overhead Projector - This would be used by the teacher in the classroom portion of the room, but could be moved to where ever it was needed. This will be located within the classroom.

6. Computers/Printers – Ten student computers and one teacher computer would be needed for use in the classroom. The students would use the computers to complete research as well as for the fishertekniks and the dragster projects. The teacher will utilize the computer to prepare lesson plans and to record grades as well as attendance. We will also need 2 printers. These computers will be located on the sidewalls of the classroom.

Needed Equipment

7. Whiteboard and Smart board – These boards would be used by the teacher during the time within the main classroom. The smart board would allow for the use of different media throughout the school year. Also, it would allow the teacher to be away from their computer if they were using it within their lesson. The whiteboard would let the teacher use a media other than chalk and would allow them to more complex graphics. This will be located at the front of the classroom on the wall.

8. LCD Projector – This would be stationary within the classroom and would be used to project images from the computer or television for educational purposes.

9. Fishertecniks Kit – This includes all parts needed for assembly of the Fishertecniks project. We would need one kit per class. This would be used within the automation and robotics unit of this course. This kit would be broken down into separate bins and placed in a cabinet within the classroom area.

Needed Equipment

10. Breadboards/LED’s/Wires/Soldering Iron – These would be used within the magic of electrons unit to build a nightlight breadboard. We would need enough for each student and one iron. These supplies would be located within the lab area in bins in a storage cabinet.

11. Safety Glasses – We will need 25 safety glasses, one per student plus a few extras. These will be located in a bin on a table next to the entrance of the laboratory.

12. Axel Rods and Wheels – We will need 2 axel rods and 4 wheels per student for the dragster project. These supplies will be located in a bin in the storage cabinet.

Needed Equipment

13. Student Tables - We will need 13 tables that will be used as student desks, classroom work areas and computer workstations.

14. Teachers Desk - We will need one teacher’s desk to be used within the classroom area.

15. Chairs/Stools – We will need 20 student chairs and 1 teacher chair. The students will move their chairs around the classroom as needed. We will also need 10 stools to be moved around as needed within the lab area.

Needed Equipment

16. Lab Work Tables – We will need 4 lab tables for the students to work on their projects within the laboratory.

17. Multi-meters - We will need 5 multi-meters for the students to use during the Electronics Unit. These will be stored with the electronics kits within the storage unit in the lab.

Classroom Atmosphere

Within the new PLTW classroom, we would like to create a creative, healthy, motivating, and overall positive learning environment.

To do this, we must take several components into consideration including acoustics, electrical supply, coloring, illumination, and ventilation.

Acoustics

• We plan on having built in speakers within the classroom that will be used for the LCD projector.

• Each computer will also have its own sound system.

• Our walls and ceiling within both rooms will be insulated

in order to prevent echoing.

Electrical Supply

• We will have several overhead electrical supplies that will be easily accessible from all work areas within the lab.

• All major equipment will run off of wall mounted electrical units.

• Within the classroom we will use electrical wall units as well as surge protector strips.

Coloring

• Blue and Yellow

• The color blue is known to create a calming affect while the color yellow creates a feeling of happiness.

• We chose the two contrasting colors at an attempt to reflect an appealing atmosphere full of cheerfulness and tranquility. This way the students will be at ease within our classroom, yet have a positive overall energy.

Illumination

• Our lab will have several exterior windows which will allow for natural sunlight to come into the classroom.

• We will have overhead lights running the length of workspaces and lab tables.

• The laboratory work areas will be measured to approximately 70 foot candles.

• Lighting in the classroom will be separated into sections, one for the computer areas, one for the lecture area, and one for the front of the classroom for use with the overhead and LCD projectors.

• Running the classroom lights on different switches will allow for use of particular lighting when needed in certain areas.

• The lighting for the work areas within the classroom will be a standard 70 foot candles while the computer lighting will be at less than 50 foot candles in order to prevent overhead glare

Ventilation

• Our ventilation system will be connected to the main heating and central air unit for the school for our heating and cooling needs.

• We will have an ambient air filtration system installed within our lab and classroom to help remove dust particles from the air.

• We will use a portable dust collection system by Delta within the lab area.

A Functional Layout

• We are ensuring that we have a functional classroom with the placement of the equipment, workspaces, and storage units.

• We are also color coding our work areas for the separate units in order to help our students stay focused and

organized.

A Flexible Layout

• We are using movable tables within the classroom instead of desks in order to provide the students with more workspace. These tables could easily be moved around the room as needed.

• This classroom will be equipped with an overhead exterior door and a double interior door. These will be used for delivery of equipment and supplies as well as used for

entrance and exits.

A Safe Layout

• We are creating a safe environment by ensuring that our traffic lanes are clear of obstructions and clutter.

• This classroom will have two fire extinguishers in each room, one which will be for ordinary combustibles and the other will be for flammable liquids such as cleaner.

• We will also have two first aid kits, one in the lab and one in the classroom. (All color coding will be according to OSHA standards)

• Our lab area will have an eye washing station in case any eye injuries occur.

• To prevent slips and falls, our flooring will have sand added to the paint to add a gritty texture.

• There will be an emergency exit located within the lab area.

• All needed MSDS’s will be posted on a bulletin board within the classroom and lab along with other safety reminders.

Leading the Way In K-12 Engagement