Project Lead the Way added to Weyauwega-Fremont’s curriculum

By Angie Landsverk

Three engineering classes will now be added to Weyauwega-Fremont High School’s course offerings.

The W-F School Board approved the addition of the courses during its Nov. 23 meeting.

The three new courses are Introduction to Engineering and Design, Principles of Engineering and Aerospace Engineering.

This board decision will result in Project Lead the Way (PLTW) being added to the high school curriculum.

Project Lead the Way is a nonprofit which provides K-12 science, technology education and math (STEM) programs.

A team which includes Kandi Martin, the district’s director of pupil services/curriculum, and several teachers researched the idea before proposing it to the board.

Martin said partial funding for the courses and their needed equipment was acquired through Carl Perkins Grant funds.

The next step in the process is for W-F High School Counselor Joann Miller to add the courses to the course selection book in the high school, Martin said.

This means students will be able to register for the new courses and begin taking them as early as next September, she said.

Aerospace Engineering has a pre-requisite of one of the other two courses, so students will first be able to enroll in that course in 2017, Martin said.

The length of each of the three courses will be one year.

Introduction to Engineering and Design, for students in 9-12 grades, will be designed for students to learn the engineering design process. Topics will include defining and justifying a design problem, generating multiple ideas or solution paths and constructing test prototypes of a problem solution.

Physical models, drawings and diagrams will be created during the course.

Students will also be able to identify and differentiate between the mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical engineering fields.

Students who take this course will be eligible for college credit and PLTW recognition on their transcript.

Principles of Engineering, also for students in grades 9-12, is designed for those who want to apply math, science and discipline-specific skills to solve problems.

Students will be exposed to engineering technology careers with a variety of backgrounds.

They will test design and mechanical systems and study energy, power, mechanics, design, control systems, fluid power and kinematics. Students in this course will also be eligible for college credit and PLTW recognition on their transcript.
Aerospace Engineering, for students in grades 10-12, is designed for students who will be continuing their education with post-high school studies.

In this course students will study the evolution of flight, physics of flight, flight planning and navigation, aerospace design, flight physiology, space travel, orbital mechanics and remote systems.

They will again be eligible for college credit and PLTW recognition on their transcript.

The addition of the classes will also require additional training for some teachers.

Martin said several instructors will attend training next summer at the Milwaukee School of Engineering to receive certification to teach the courses.

The instructors who have been involved in this process include Joe Gruentzel, Mike Hansen, Jason Liegl, Patrick Martin and Connie Peterson. Miller has also been involved in the process.