• Introduction to the Seventh Grade Automation and Robotics Curriculum.    

    Automation and Robotics is a hand-on activity based class designed to provide each student with an opportunity to develop and expand their basic scientific, mathematical, and engineering skills. The mission of the Automation and Robotics curriculum is:

    1. Have students develop an insight and an understanding of our technological society and the current and emerging trends that will affect them.
    2. Help students develop technological problem solving and decision-making abilities utilizing critical, ethical, and creative thinking skills.
    3. Reinforce the students’ basic skills that interrelate technology with other school subjects and prepare students for lifelong learning in a technological society.
    4. Have students develop attitudes and abilities in the proper use of tools, processes, and resources of technological and industrial systems.
    5. Have students explore and develop human potential related to responsible work, and citizenship roles in a technological society.

    The Automation and Robotics course is a forty-five period curriculum that is designed to promote the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards for Science, Technology, and Engineering.  The forty-five period curriculum is composed of three interrelated experiences in technology and engineering.  The three areas included in the Automation and Robotics curriculum are: Electrical Energy, Mechanical Energy, and Robotics.  

    The Electrical Energy portion of the Automation and Robotics curriculum is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to use basic scientific, mathematical, and engineering skills to construct, test, analyze, and operate a selected number of electrical circuits and equipment.  The two primary areas of study are: voltage and current.  Students construct simple series circuits that include: cells, lamps, a switch, and a motor.  Students use test equipment such as a voltmeter and an ammeter to measure the voltage and current within each of the circuits.  Upon the completion of this portion of the course the students should have developed a basic understanding of how voltage, and current interact in a series circuit.  In addition the students should also have developed a conceptual idea of how electrical energy is an important component in automation. 

    In the Mechanical Energy portion of Automation and Robotics curriculum students are also provided with an opportunity to expand and apply basic scientific and engineering skills.  Students utilize these skills as they design and construct machines to solve various problems.  These machines are composed of simple machines.  The simple machines include the lever, wheel & axle, pulley, incline plane, wedge, and screw.  Once the students have designed a machine, the students will follow their plan through the construction process.  Upon the completion of the construction process, the students will test the operation of the machine then analyze, synthesize, and evaluate its effectiveness and make adjustments if necessary.  This part of the Automation and Robotics curriculum provides the students with an opportunity to see how electrical energy and mechanical energy can be integrated in the automation of machines. 

    Upon the completion of the Electrical Energy and the Mechanical Energy segments of the curriculum, the students should have a basic understanding of how electrical and mechanical systems are integrated into the Automation processes.  As the students progress into the topic of Robotics, they learn about how programming can be used to control the actions of a machine. Robotics expands the topic of Automation as students have the opportunity to write their own computer program using the programming language entitled RobotC.  As the students learn how to structure the code for their program, they learn how the code within the program controls the electrical energy, which is used to control the mechanical energy produced by the motors of the machine.  As students progress through the programming segment, they learn how to incorporate the input from basic sensors located on the machine into their program.  All of these experiences provide each student with the basic concepts utilized by many professional engineers.

     

    Instructional Approach

    The instructional approach is based upon Project Lead the Way and Learning Focus Solutions initiatives.  In addition, a variety of instructional strategies will be used. These instructional strategies include but are not limited to: teacher directed lessons, hands-on demonstrations, integration of technology, cooperative learning, inquiry based learning, and discovery learning.  The instructional strategies will vary with the type of activity being conducted and the needs of the students.

     

    Assessment

    Student assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all projects.   Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

     

    Electrical Energy Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon the evaluation of all circuits.  Additional assessment factors may include:  teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    Voltage Circuit #3 10 points
    Voltage Circuit #6 15 points
    Current Circuit #3 22 points
    Current Circuit #5 26 points
    Current Circuit #6 20  points
         

     

    Mechanical Energy Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all machines and upon the completion of the activity the organization of the kit is also part of the assessment.  Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    Automated Machine for UPS 30 points
    Kit Organization 15 points

     

    Robotics Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all programs.   Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    RobotC Challenge #1   10 points
    RobotC Challenge #2  15 points
    RobotC Challenge #3  20 points
         

      

     

  • Introduction to the Seventh Grade Automation and Robotics Curriculum.    

    Automation and Robotics is a hand-on activity based class designed to provide each student with an opportunity to develop and expand their basic scientific, mathematical, and engineering skills. The mission of the Automation and Robotics curriculum is:

    1. Have students develop an insight and an understanding of our technological society and the current and emerging trends that will affect them.
    2. Help students develop technological problem solving and decision-making abilities utilizing critical, ethical, and creative thinking skills.
    3. Reinforce the students’ basic skills that interrelate technology with other school subjects and prepare students for lifelong learning in a technological society.
    4. Have students develop attitudes and abilities in the proper use of tools, processes, and resources of technological and industrial systems.
    5. Have students explore and develop human potential related to responsible work, and citizenship roles in a technological society.

    The Automation and Robotics course is a forty-five period curriculum that is designed to promote the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards for Science, Technology, and Engineering.  The forty-five period curriculum is composed of three interrelated experiences in technology and engineering.  The three areas included in the Automation and Robotics curriculum are: Electrical Energy, Mechanical Energy, and Robotics.  

    The Electrical Energy portion of the Automation and Robotics curriculum is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to use basic scientific, mathematical, and engineering skills to construct, test, analyze, and operate a selected number of electrical circuits and equipment.  The two primary areas of study are: voltage and current.  Students construct simple series circuits that include: cells, lamps, a switch, and a motor.  Students use test equipment such as a voltmeter and an ammeter to measure the voltage and current within each of the circuits.  Upon the completion of this portion of the course the students should have developed a basic understanding of how voltage, and current interact in a series circuit.  In addition the students should also have developed a conceptual idea of how electrical energy is an important component in automation. 

    In the Mechanical Energy portion of Automation and Robotics curriculum students are also provided with an opportunity to expand and apply basic scientific and engineering skills.  Students utilize these skills as they design and construct machines to solve various problems.  These machines are composed of simple machines.  The simple machines include the lever, wheel & axle, pulley, incline plane, wedge, and screw.  Once the students have designed a machine, the students will follow their plan through the construction process.  Upon the completion of the construction process, the students will test the operation of the machine then analyze, synthesize, and evaluate its effectiveness and make adjustments if necessary.  This part of the Automation and Robotics curriculum provides the students with an opportunity to see how electrical energy and mechanical energy can be integrated in the automation of machines. 

    Upon the completion of the Electrical Energy and the Mechanical Energy segments of the curriculum, the students should have a basic understanding of how electrical and mechanical systems are integrated into the Automation processes.  As the students progress into the topic of Robotics, they learn about how programming can be used to control the actions of a machine. Robotics expands the topic of Automation as students have the opportunity to write their own computer program using the programming language entitled RobotC.  As the students learn how to structure the code for their program, they learn how the code within the program controls the electrical energy, which is used to control the mechanical energy produced by the motors of the machine.  As students progress through the programming segment, they learn how to incorporate the input from basic sensors located on the machine into their program.  All of these experiences provide each student with the basic concepts utilized by many professional engineers.

     

    Instructional Approach

    The instructional approach is based upon Project Lead the Way and Learning Focus Solutions initiatives.  In addition, a variety of instructional strategies will be used. These instructional strategies include but are not limited to: teacher directed lessons, hands-on demonstrations, integration of technology, cooperative learning, inquiry based learning, and discovery learning.  The instructional strategies will vary with the type of activity being conducted and the needs of the students.

     

    Assessment

    Student assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all projects.   Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

     

    Electrical Energy Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon the evaluation of all circuits.  Additional assessment factors may include:  teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    Voltage Circuit #3 10 points
    Voltage Circuit #6 15 points
    Current Circuit #3 22 points
    Current Circuit #5 26 points
    Current Circuit #6 20  points
         

     

    Mechanical Energy Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all machines and upon the completion of the activity the organization of the kit is also part of the assessment.  Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    Automated Machine for UPS 30 points
    Kit Organization 15 points

     

    Robotics Assessment

    Assessment is primarily based upon rubric evaluations of all programs.   Additional assessment factors may include: teacher observation of classroom performance, class participation, and cooperative work with other students.

    RobotC Challenge #1   10 points
    RobotC Challenge #2  15 points
    RobotC Challenge #3  20 points