Recently Added Curriculum

Students use the engineering design process to engage in a hands-on investigation of how atmospheric conditions impact learning while connecting their findings to real-world sustainability goals. By constructing and using an Arduino air quality monitor, students collect and analyze data on factors such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide levels, and air particulates. Through this process, they explore how these environmental properties influence cognitive function, concentration, and overall well-being. Students then interpret their data, draw evidence-based conclusions, and relate their findings to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, education, and sustainable cities. Finally, they apply their knowledge by proposing actionable improvements to optimize classroom air quality, fostering healthier, more effective learning environments.

Students use the engineering design process as they work in groups to research one of five genetic disorders and learn about CRISPR-Cas9 using a paper model and an online interactive tool. They adapt the paper model to simulate how CRISPR-Cas9 could potentially cure their assigned disorder. Using their research and models, they create a pitch for research funding in the form of a trifold poster. Finally, the entire class debates and discusses which disease should receive the most funding to develop a CRISPR-based cure, considering humanity’s need for a cure (number of cases, disease severity, availability of other treatments, etc.) and the feasibility of targeting their disease with CRISPR.

Students discover how electric and magnetic fields exert forces on objects by using the engineering design process to design and build a small model maglev train. Students add weight, such as pennies, to test how much their model can hold. Through this hands-on activity, students gain a deeper understanding of magnetic repulsion and attraction. They identify and describe contact and non-contact forces by investigating the properties of magnets and their interactions.

Students use Microsoft Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot to master writing functions in Python, actively assessing the effectiveness of these tools to define future success criteria for engineers developing similar technologies. Through hands-on coding activities, they explore the significance of functions, enhancing code readability and enabling more innovative programming approaches. Additionally, students examine the impact of these technologies in programming, offering valuable suggestions to refine and advance engineering tools.

Students learn the basic principles of the humoral immune response and use a model to understand how antibodies and antigens interact in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA is a laboratory diagnostic tool used to identify and quantify antigens. Through this model, students discover how the interactions between antigens and antibodies can aid in disease diagnosis and provide valuable information for disease management.

Students explore density through hands-on experimentation and collaborative problem-solving. They design and test mixtures using everyday substances, aiming to create the densest solution. Students brainstorm, plan, create, and test their mixtures, recording observations and analyzing results. They then refine their designs and retest to improve outcomes. A final discussion connects the experiment to real-world concepts, such as how density impacts environmental and global challenges.

Students participate in hands-on activities that introduce them to chemical engineering and sustainability. They explore various separation methods, such as distillation, crystallization, and adsorption, and apply these techniques in real-world scenarios. The activity concludes with an engineering design challenge, where students must design a system to separate the components of potting soil and develop strategies to recycle the separated materials, applying their understanding of sustainability and separation processes.

Students explore Young’s Modulus by investigating how materials respond to stress and strain, measuring their stiffness and flexibility using Arduino technology. Through hands-on experimentation, students learn how variations in force application can affect the accuracy of their measurements. Building on this knowledge, they apply the engineering design process to create a device that ensures a consistent pressure and angle during testing, improving the reliability of their results.

Students act as environmental engineers to solve a problem using carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars and wildfires. Wildfires are a timely topic because every year they cause people in many areas to face poor air quality. Students use Microsoft Excel to investigate CO2 emitted from two sources: highway traffic and forest fires. They estimate and graph the CO2 emitted by forest fires and from U.S. highway driving annually from 2004 to 2021. After they analyze these two pieces of data, they analyze a specific fire and evacuation that happened in Saratoga Springs in June 2020, named the Knolls Fire. Finally, using the Excel data and the Knolls Fire data, students decide whether the U.S. should spend money on reducing the number and severity of wildfires, or on reducing CO2 emissions from driving cars. The students design and create a poster based on their decision and present it to the class.

Students use common household items to demonstrate different manufacturing processes, such as a blender for milling, a frosting bag for injection molding and extrusion, and their hands for forging. As they complete these tasks, students learn about mass production, bonding of materials, and the factors and components that go into manufacturing, such as cleaning, heat, production, and application in real life. Using three of the four manufacturing methods, students design a habitat for their very own creatures.

Students explore the concept of specific heat capacity by comparing how water and oil respond to heating. Through hands-on experimentation, students measure the temperature changes of both substances over time, graphing their results to determine which has the higher specific heat capacity. Building on this knowledge, students then engage in an engineering design challenge, where they work in teams to design and test a more energy-efficient cooking system. By considering factors such as material type, insulation, and surface area, students create prototypes that minimize heat loss and optimize energy use when heating liquids. After testing and analyzing their designs, students reflect on how different materials and designs affect thermal efficiency and propose improvements to their systems.

Students use an Arduino kit and infrared (IR) sensors to calculate the speed of a moving object. Using kinematic equations, they determine the distance the object travels before hitting the ground. Building on this knowledge, students compete to design and build the most effective projectile launcher. As they refine their launcher designs through the engineering design process, they connect its performance to the principles of projectile motion, incorporating the varying speeds measured by the Arduino.

Students learn how an optical telescope works before designing and building their own telescope to image the moon. Once they design and build their telescope, students test their telescopes by imaging the moon with and without the telescope using their smartphones. This is an excellent way for students to better understand, by doing, the engineering required to make a good telescope and observe the night sky.

Students engage in a hands-on exploration of vision and light reflection by creating a program that simulates light intensity and how our eyes perceive images using the LED display on the micro: bits and its radio feature. After creating a model of an eye, students simulate the light intensity and reflection processes before they work in groups to identify and solve real-world problems related to sunlight and vision. Students utilize the engineering design process to research, imagine, plan, create, test, and improve their solutions, such as reminders for when to wear sunglasses or sunscreen, displays of current sunlight intensity, or determining which materials block light/UV rays.

Students work collaboratively to create a low-cost, easy-to-use device that helps individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) securely hold a pencil, addressing difficulties with fine motor skills. After learning about MS and discussing how biomedical engineers develop assistive devices, students establish criteria and constraints for their designs. They brainstorm, sketch, and select materials, then build and test their prototypes within a set time. Following testing, they evaluate and improve their designs, ultimately presenting their final devices to the class.