Design Technology
Philosophy
The study of Technology in the Middle School encourages and supports the design, implementation and assessment of learning experiences to investigate the natural world. Students’ use a hands-on approach to analyze, inquire, explore and problem solve, through the use and development of various technologies, while learning skills that prepare them to work, live and contribute to society.
Design Technology Grades 6, 7, & 8
Students will be given the opportunity to create original products using tools and materials. Skills of measuring, marking-out, and cutting accurately will be developed. They will shape, assemble and finish material according to their own original designs. The design process will be used to develop their planning and organizational skills for developing an accurate solution to a problem involving a mechanism with a structural frame. Throughout the course students will be encouraged to use appropriate techniques and ensure a safe working environment for themselves and others.
Length of Course: Six weeks for Grade 6. One trimester for Grade7 & 8
THE 6TH SENSE (ELECTRONICS) GRADES 7 & 8
Electronic sensors that cause physical events are all around us. When your car beeps to say “stop before you back up into the wall” a proximity sensor has detected the wall. If the lights come on when you enter a room àmotion sensor. The AC turns on when it gets hot àtemperature sensor. The automated lawn sprinklers do not turn on when it rains àmoisture sensor. And on and on and on….
In electronics, students will begin to learn about sensors like these and output devices such as LEDs, AC and DC motors, and LCD screens. Approximately ½ the course is used to build fundamental skills and knowledge about building electrical circuits and programming specific sensors. Students will learn to read and modify computer code but they are not expected to write entire programs.
In the second half of the course students collaborate with a partner to build and program a sensor/output device of their choice.
Note: Grade 8 students who took Grade 7 electronics will follow a more advanced program than those new to the topic.
Length of Course: One trimester
DOMO ARIGATO MR. ROBOTO (ROBOTICS) GRADES 7 & 8
Not all robots are evil terminators. Most are quite helpful and increasingly becoming common place. In this course students will investigate the principles of robotics by constructing and programming Lego EV-3 robots. Their creations will interact with the world using different sensors and applied math to perform specific tasks. Understanding both the structural aspects of robots and programming them will be developed by means of a series of challenges similar to those of Lego League and the World Robotic Olympiad. Design thinking will be utilize to analyse problems, break them into smaller steps, develop an initial possible solution, then use iterative designs to complete the challenges.
Note: Grade 8 students who took Grade 7 Robotics will follow a more advanced program than those new to the topic.
Length of Course: One trimester
DESIGN TECH OPEN STUDIO - GRADE 8.
In this course, students will be able to choose their own projects and use more of the advanced tools.
Note: This course has a prerequisite. Students interested in enrolling in this class must have taken Design Tech in G7 and G8. If they are new in G8, they must have taken Design Tech in G8
Length of Course: One trimester