Engineering

Approved by the NCAA
Girls-Only & ​All-Gender Course; Prerequisite - Completion of one year of high school laboratory science or permission from the administration; Fall semester or Full-year course
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Engineers create things. They are the designers of the modern world. The works they create drive society forward. This course will introduce students to many engineering disciplines including civil, architectural, mechanical, electrical, aerospace, chemical, and biomedical engineering. Students will learn the engineering design process used by practicing engineers, create authentic engineering drawings, conduct a variety of hands-on projects, and consider the ethical issues within the field of engineering. Students will develop an array of specific skills including: applying the engineering design process to a specific problem, demonstrating originality and resourcefulness in their work, reflecting critically to improve creative efforts in problem solving, and viewing success as a cyclical process. Students wishing to pursue an engineering research or design project in Semester II may enroll in the Research/Design Seminar. 
 
For students continuing into Semester II, the course shifts into personalized, project-based work, where students engage in deep, sustained inquiry, authentic and iterative research, critical analysis, and rigorous reflection, revision, and assessment  as they journey through a self-designed, long-term research or design project on the topic of their choosing.  Guided by their One Schoolhouse teacher, students pursue individual study/self-assessment or collaborative seminar/peer-review.  Pathway options from which students might choose include:
  • Spring Design Seminar:  In this seminar, students design a solution to a real-world problem.  Through the engineering design process/scientific method, students gather and analyze data to determine the effectiveness of their model or the accuracy of their hypothesis.  Students may prototype and produce a public product in this seminar. 
  • Spring Research Seminar:  In this seminar, students answer a theoretical or ethical question.  Utilizing the social science/humanities tools for source evaluation, students collect, critique, and evaluate artifacts or primary source documents to explore their thesis.  Students may create a written, multimedia, or artistic product in this seminar. 
Upon completion of their inquiry-driven project, students will have gained academic maturity and expanded their ability to engage in a diverse and changing world.  They will be able to draw and defend conclusions from theoretical underpinnings, contextual background, and mathematical analysis or source evaluation.  Finally, they will have created and tested something useful of their own design or will be able to defend a position based on their own research.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY

"Unlike any other course, I have never been more efficient on time and creativity than in this one. My teacher's positive and encouraging words and attitude pushed me to do even greater things!"

WHAT STUDENTS DO
Learning is an active process at One Schoolhouse. Students design, create and apply. And, they engage with classmates and connect with their teachers through discussions, video conferences, and projects. Specifically, in this class students will:
  • Set goals that drive their learning. Students reflect regularly on their growth, and meet on video chat with their online teacher to review progress towards their goals.
  • Have choice in how they learn new content and practice new skills. Students are given agency to determine the best ways for them to learn.
  • Apply what they are learning to the real world. Learning is meaningful and connects to concepts outside the classroom.
  • Practice constructive engagement in a diverse and changing world. Students interact with classmates from across the country and around the world.
  • Gain academic maturity. Online learning takes greater discipline and independence than a traditional face-to-face classroom. Teachers support students to build this skill.
MEET A TEACHER FOR THIS COURSE
SIGNATURE ACTIVITIES
Examples of signature activities and projects for this course are:
  • Create a variety of artifacts such as infographics, videos, and drawings that demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the major engineering disciplines. 
  • Engage in hands-on projects such as building a solar-driven car, assembling a Rube Goldberg machine, programming a virtual robot, producing a variety of engineering drawings, and sewing an electrical circuit.​
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SECOND SEMESTER?
One Schoolhouse is proud to expanded our semester course offerings! These nine courses give students the opportunity to enroll in a project-based second semester research or design seminar. Just like our full-year courses, fall semester courses and the optional second semester seminars are created and taught by dedicated, experienced teachers in the field. The spring seminars give students the opportunity to engage in a self-designed, long-term project on the topic of their choosing. Check out the video below to hear from the facilitators and learn more about your seminar project!
Evelyn Zayas
Computer Science Teacher
BA Thomas Edison State College
MS Monmouth University
PhD Nova Southeastern University