Engineering & Computer Science Pathways

Engineering and Technology informational video

Students! Not sure what elective to take next year? Parents, not sure where to help your student look for classes? Need to satisfy your F or G requirements? Come learn about some of the cool Engineering and Media Arts courses available in the Technology department! Design and create elements of your own video game in Media Arts in Gaming. Be a part of AHS’s first ever Broadcasting class! See how strong you can make a bridge in Principles of Engineering. Design and 3D print your own creations in Intro to Design. Learn how to build your own web server in Engineering Essentials. Order a robotic arm around in Computer Integrated Manufacturing!  

American High School's Technology (PLTW) Course of Study

American High School Technology Course Descriptions

 

Media Arts in Gaming

This technology-focused career readiness course prepares students for many career paths and teaches about mental health, gaming history, and technological skills. Gaming Concepts provides students an introduction to marketing, graphic design, personal brand development, digital media and other potential fields of interest through a gaming and esports lens.

Broadcast Media Arts in Gaming

This class teaches skills such as public speaking, script and story writing, broadcast hardware and software, revenue analysis, brand development and more all through the gaming and esports lens. Students will learn about and take on the roles of streamers, shoutcasters, broadcast producers, and more in this project-focused broadcast course. Students interested in online broadcast, videography, and many other aspects of the broadcasting and gaming/esports fields will enjoy this fun, collaborative course. Students can take this class whether or not they have completed or are enrolled in Gaming Concepts: Interactive Media

 

Engineering Essentials

This primarily 9th grade class introduces engineering through introducing basic skills in electronics, 3D printing, hydraulics, and open source architecture to give students a better understanding of the engineering world and how it affects society and culture. It’s a survey course that covers different subjects than PoE.

 

Intro to Engineering and Design/Intro to Design: IED

This class focuses on every aspect of the engineering design cycle, teaching students the elements of problem solving, requirements analysis, construction through prototyping, and testing. Students analyze simple constructions (paper airplanes, catapults) and engage in iterative design cycles to improve their prototypes. Students also learn sketching and computer-assisted design (CAD) using Autodesk Fusion and become experienced designers and 3d printers. Students also analyze military and space history to see real-life design cycles in action, as well as understand how human factors can affect outcomes in engineering design.

(Students can delay Health and Ethnic Studies to take IED or Engineering Essentials in 9th grade)

Principles of Engineering: POE

This class surveys a wide range of engineering applications and exposes students to diverse engineering practices. Students define and build products of their own design to address real-world problems. They gain expertise in electronics, programming, robotics, and other modern engineering technologies.

(Students can delay 10th grade PE to take POE in 10th grade)

Principles of Engineering Honors: POE H

POE H is a survey course of Engineering, covering Mechanical, Electrical, Civil Engineering and  Machine Control. Students should have an excellent understanding of Algebra. This class is hands-on Project-based learning where students will develop their time management and group collaboration skills while preparing them for AP Physics.

(Students can delay 10th grade PE to take POE Honors in 10th grade)

Digital Electronics: DE (Honors & CP)

Digital Electronics (DE) is the study of electronic circuits that are used to process and control digital signals. The major focus of the DE course is to expose students to the design process of combinational and sequential logic design, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards, and technical documentation. Students will use Circuit Design Software and protoboards to build and test Logic Expressions. The Honors will have an additional Arduino based project.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing: CIM (Honors & CP)

Manufacturing transforms ideas into products. This course provides an opportunity for students to develop a better understanding of this innovative and exciting industry.

Students learn about manufacturing processes, product design, robotics, and automation. Students develop their knowledge and skills of Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing to produce products using a Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) mill. Students apply the knowledge and skills gained in this course as they collaborate to design, build, and program factory system models.Manufacturing provides products we use daily. How can a student become part of it?

Engineering Tech

Students will learn the skills needed to maintain the lab and maker space. Students will also support Engineering students and teachers. Students should have completed IED or POE and be skilled in 3D printing or willing to learn. This is a TA style class. Students should plan to be available one FLEX a week to support students with tutoring and 3D printers, as needed.

AP Computer Science Principles

AP Computer Science Principles is an introductory college-level computing course that introduces students to the breadth of the field of computer science. Students learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs. They incorporate abstraction into programs and use data to discover new knowledge. Students also explain how computing innovations and computing systems—including the internet—work, explore their potential impacts, and contribute to a computing culture that is collaborative and ethical.

AP Computer Science A 

AP Computer Science A is equivalent to an introductory college course in computer science and introduces students to computer science through programming. It is a course for potential computer science majors and a foundation course for students planning to study in any STEM field. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large datasets, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The course emphasizes object-oriented programming and design in Java. See the AP Computer Science A Course and Exam Description from the College Board for more information. Students are expected to work at least 2-3 hours per week outside of class hours on their computers. They will have access to school PCs. Students can also run and debug their programs on their personal computers. The computers must be able to compile and run Java code.

Sample pathways below, but it does not matter which order you take Engineering classes 

9th grade: IED 10th grade: POE Honors 11th grade: DE Honors & AP CSP 12th grade: CIM & AP CSA &/or Engineering Tech

9th grade: Engineering Essentials 10th grade: Principles of Engineering 11th grade: Intro to Engineering & Design 12th grade: Engineering Tech

10th grade: Media Arts in Gaming 11th grade: Broadcast Media arts in Gaming