Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools

K-8 STEM Programming Overview 2018-19

“ENCOURAGING EXPLORATION OF THE UNKNOWN, WHILE IGNITING STUDENTS’ INTEREST AND CONFIDENCE IN STEM”

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What is PLTW?

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a non-profit national organization designed to provide STEM education for students across grades K-12. PLTW has created a STEM Problem-Based curriculum which correlates to the CCSS and the ODE Standards in Science. Ohio PLTW provides local teacher training and support within Ohio.

What led to the identification of PLTW?

• Success of school-wide STEM Problem-Based Learning activities at Gurney, success of STEM Problem-Based Learning activities at CFIS and CFMS via I/E periods • K-8 principal interest in identifying a STEM curriculum • 1:1 Chromebook environment has drastically changed Tech Education needs of students, prompting less focus upon tech skill development and more focus upon application and integration of technology • High-performing districts across Ohio have found success in using PLTW • PLTW Ohio provides local training and a support network for teachers

As a part of our district commitment to provide rigorous and relevant curriculum to maximize student potential, as evidenced within our Strategic Plan, PLTW was researched and identified during the 201516 school year for initial implementation in 2016-17. This problembased STEM program provides hands-on learning opportunities which will engage students in critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world application of skills.

How was PLTW funded?

Through our district’s ODE Competency-Based Grant funds, our district was able to purchase PLTW K-8 instructional modules and resources for all students and provide PLTW training for 3 of our K-8 teachers.

Why is PLTW important?

Today’s students need to possess certain knowledge and skills to thrive, no matter their chosen life and career paths. Being comfortable taking intellectual risks, adept at collaboration, confident in the face of challenges, and skilled at devising solutions are just a few of these essential skills. With access to PLTW across grades K-8, our students are immersed in a hands-on, project-based STEM curriculum that emphasizes critical and creative thinking, helping all students to maximize their potential. Who teaches PLTW and how do K-8 students access it?

All K-8 students within Chagrin Falls Schools access PLTW via the Tech elective course rotation each school year. Sally Gallik at Gurney, Gary Dole at CFIS, and Michael Wujnovich at CFMS have received training via PLTW and serve as our K-8 PLTW teachers. How does PLTW in grades K-8 prepare students for STEM pathways at CFHS and beyond?

PLTW has articulated 3 STEM pathways to extend learning within the K-8 program through Advanced Placement (AP) coursework. CFHS offers the following AP courses within these pathways: Engineering: AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based, AP Physics 2: Algebra-Based, AP Statistics Biomedical Science: AP Biology, AP Chemistry Computer Science: AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles CFHS also provides additional related coursework in Business/ Entrepreneurship, Computer Science, Math, and Science which supports the continuation of STEM pathways. See the CFHS Course Selection Guide for additional information about course offerings.

PLTW Launch Modules - Gurney K-1 Structure and Function: Exploring Design – Students discover the design process & how engineers influence their lives Pushes & Pulls – Students investigate pushed & pulls on the motion of an object & develop knowledge & skills related to forces of differing strengths & directions Structure & Function: Human Body – Students explore the relationship between function in the human body Animals & Algorithms – Students explore the nature of computers & the ways humans control & use technology; starting w/ an “unplugged” activity, students learn about the sequential nature of computer programs Light & Sound – Students investigate the properties of light & sound, vibration from sound waves & the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light Light: Observing the Sun, Moon, & Stars – After observing the Sun, Moon, & stars, students identify & describe patterns in their recorded data Animal Adaptations – Students explore animal adaptations for protection, camouflage, food obtainment, & locomotion, learn what it means for an organism to be adapted to its environment, & learn how different adaptations can be categorized Animated Storytelling – Students explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities, both w/ & w/out a computer

PLTW Launch Modules - Gurney 2-3 Materials Science: Properties of Matter – Students investigate & classify materials by observable properties, including color & texture, & learn about states of matter & properties of materials, including insulators & conductors Materials Science: Form & Function - Students research the variety of ways animals disperse seeds & pollinate plants, expanding understanding of properties of matter as they consider the form & function in seed dispersal & pollination The Changing Earth – Students explore how the Earth’s surface is always changing & are introduced to different types of maps – exploring how they convey different information about the world Grids & Games – Students investigate numerical relationships & learn about sequence/structure in computer programs Stability & Motion: Science of Flight – Students learn about forces involved in flight, as well as Newton’s Laws of Motion, & design build, & test an experimental model glider to find out how air & other forces affect flight Stability & Motion: Forces & Interactions – Students explore simple machines such as wheel & axles, levers, inclined plane, etc. & investigate the effects of balanced & unbalanced forces on the motion of an object Variation of Traits – Students investigate differences between inherited genetic traits learned it influenced by the environment & explore the phenomena that offspring may express different traits than parents Programming Patterns – Introduces student to the power of modularity & abstraction – starting w/ computer-free activities & progressing to programming in a blocks-based language on a tablet

PLTW Launch Modules – CFIS 4-6 Energy: Collisions – Students explore properties of mechanisms & how they change energy by transferring direction, speed, type of movement, & force, discover ways potential energy can be stored & released as kinetic energy, explain the relationship between object speed & energy of the object, & predict transfer of energy from a collision Energy: Conversion – Students identify conversion of energy between forms, energy transfer required to move energy from place to place, & identify & explain how energy can be converted to meet a human need or want Input/Output: Computer Systems – Students explore how a computer works, make analogies between parts of the human body & computer parts, & investigate reaction time as a measure of nervous system function Input/Output: Human Brain – Students discover how signals passing between cells allow us to receive stimuli from the world, transmit this information to the brain for processing, & send out a signal to generate a response Robotics & Automation – Students explore ways robots are used, the impact of robots on society & the environment, & robotic components; students build & test mobile robots that may be controlled remotely Robotics & Automation: Challenge – Students expand robotics understanding as they explore mechanical design & computer programming, focusing upon development of skills needed to build & program autonomous robots Infection: Detection – Students explore transmission of infection, agents of disease, & mechanisms the body uses to stay healthy Infection: Modeling & Simulation – Students investigate models & simulations & discover ideas about computing which aid problem-solving

PLTW Gateway Foundation Modules – CFMS 7-8 Design & Modeling

Foot Orthosis: Students follow the design process to create, test, and build a foot orthosis for a patient w/ Cerebral Palsy, describing &/or analyzing moments w/in a problem-solving process where persistence, iteration, & failure yield greater understanding about a problem or unexpected observation A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: Students use building blocks to sketch &/or interpret perspective, isometric, & multi-view drawings w/ attention to standards & critical annotations Investigate the Inside: Students use mechanical dissection to understand the functionality of an artifact, component, assembly, or system, & dissect a toy puzzle to work through the mechanical dissection process & apply sketching skills Building Blocks: Given constraints, students follow the design process to create, test, & build block puzzles, use 123D Design to generate a 3D model of their puzzle prior to constructing/testing, & test puzzles to determine design effectiveness Therapeutic Toy Design: Students apply knowledge gained via previous investigations & follow the design process to create, test, & build a therapeutic toy for a therapist treating a child with Cerebral Palsy – developing computer-generated & 3D models

Automation & Robotics Engineering Careers: Students study various engineering careers & present findings via various modes Design Process: Students follow the design process to brainstorm ideas for furniture design or hobby organizers, review/practice design processes, & apply different drawing forms from Design & Modeling Observing Mechanisms: Students explore robotics importance, operation, & build/explore various parts to understand how robots use groups of mechanisms to perform tasks – i.e. gear drives, chain drives, rack & pinions, etc.; students use mechanisms to explore how speed/torque can be changed using various techniques & combinations of mechanisms, gaining basic understanding of Vex robotics terms – eventually building different windmills that change speed/torque of overall system Survival Challenge: Students pick 1 of 4 Survival Challenges, creating robots to perform needs for a civilization ravaged by wars and pollution Automated Systems: Students enhance mechanisms built in previous activities, learning ROBOTC, a C++ coding program, to program mechanisms, & create automated systems – including building a chair lift, a tollbooth, elevator, etc.

For additional information, please contact:

PLTW K-8 Teachers Sally Gallik, Gurney Elementary PLTW Teacher (K-3) sally.gallik@chagrinschools.org Gary Dole, Chagrin Falls Intermediate PLTW Teacher (4-6) gary.dole@chagrinschools.org Michael Wujnovich, Chagrin Falls Intermediate PLTW Teacher (7-8) michael.wujnovich@chagrinschools.org

Administration Becky Quinn, Director of Curriculum (K-12) becky.quinn@chagrinschools.org