Seamus Joyce is a PLTW teacher at the Cleveland School of Architecture and Design.
We at the Cleveland School of Architecture and Design wanted to start an engineering program. We decided to implement Project Lead The Way and chose the following coursework: Introduction to Engineering Design (IED), Principles of Engineering (POE), and Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA).
Project Lead The Way classes directly align with state and national standards and support curriculum in core subjects like science, math, and English. Our program begins in the sophomore year with IED. Students in this course are introduced to the design process and apply math, science, and engineering standards to hands-on projects. They work individually – and sometimes, in teams – to solve a variety of design problems using 3-D modeling software.
Our program continues in the junior year with POE. This is a course that utilizes problem-based instruction to explore a variety of engineering topics including mechanisms, material structure and strength, fluid dynamics, automation with ROBOTC programming, kinematics, and statistical analysis. Students work in teams to design solutions to given problems, conduct research, document their design process, and present the design solutions they construct.
For students’ senior year, we offer CEA. In this course, students learn about important aspects of building and site design. They utilize mathematics, science, and standard engineering practices to design both residential and commercial projects and document their work using 3-D architectural design software.
Our students arrive with varying interests including the design process, construction, architecture, and engineering. We are able to meet their needs while providing support to core subjects with PLTW classes.
All of this was made possible by the generosity of ArcelorMittal. We can’t thank them enough for the grant we received to implement PLTW.
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