C O V I N G T O N C AT H O L I C H I G H S C H O O L
STEM Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Program
What sets us apart?
STEM
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TEM Many schools have introduced or enhanced curriculum programs focused on STEM (the coordinated integration of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math learning) over the past decade since the U.S. Department of Education declared the advancement of STEM education a priority. It’s no secret that these skills are considered critical to technological innovation and vital to economic progress in all fields.
Covington Catholic has made big commitments to STEM over recent years, including the adoption of Project Lead The Way’s (PLTW) curriculum program and the construction of a new academic wing with STEM program-specific facilities (completed Fall of 2018). This booklet explains what STEM is, why it is integral to 21st-century education, and how Covington Catholic’s STEM program is unique, distinguished and complimentary to the overall curriculum for students at CCH.
WHAT IS
STEM ? STEM is the integration of math, science, and technology skills applied to the process of problem-solving, within an engineering framework.
Project Lead The Way (PLTW) PLTW is a nonprofit organization and industry leader that provides STEM curriculum and in-depth professional development (and certification) of teachers for over 11,500 schools nationwide. CovCath has partnered with PLTW since 2015 and now has four PLTW certified instructors, including PLTW Master Teacher and CCH STEM Director, Mr. Bob Lind. CCH is 1 of only 133 high schools (1 of 3 in Kentucky) to be named a PLTW Distinguished School. PLTW’s curriculum provides students with unique opportunities to work collaboratively, identify problems, apply what they know, persevere through challenges, find unique solutions, and lead their own learning, with an emphasis on hands-on activity, projects and problem-based learning.
The four core STEM courses offered are: • Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) – uses math, science and engineering standards to design solutions for a variety of problems with 3-D modeling software, while documenting findings in an engineering notebook. • Principles of Engineering (POE) – applies problem solving, research and collaborative design to a variety of engineering topics, including mechanisms, the strength of structures and materials, and automation. • Aerospace Engineering – explores the physics of flight, basic orbital mechanics and robot systems. • Engineering Design and Development – a “capstone” course which brings previous learnings into the development of a solution to a complex issue which is then presented to a panel of professional engineers. Robotics I and Robotics II are new general electives in 2018-19. See more about CCH Robotics on page 9.
Additional CCH courses are closely related to the STEM program: • • • • •
Computer Science – Programming Computer Aided Design (CAD) Computer Aided Design II – Architecture Graphic Design Animation
The strength of CovCath’s Science and Math departments is foundational to STEM learning. Students who intend to pursue STEM majors in college are advised to complete as much as possible in these areas (e.g., AP Physics and Calculus). CovCath regards other academic subjects as complimentary to STEM learning, such as our excellent fine art and English departments. We continue to seek and pursue ways to integrate multiple disciplines in meaningful ways, such as design sketching instruction and technical writing fluency.
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Hands-on PROBLEM SOLVING! The goal of the PLTW Engineering program is to empower students to step into the role of engineer through problem-based learning…in short, learning occurs via hands-on projects! 4 examples are: 1. Principles of Engineering (POE) – The compound machine project utilizes scientific principles of simple machines (wheel and axle, levers, incline planes, screws, pulleys, wedges, and gears/sprockets) combined together into a compound machine to generate enough force to complete a task. For example, a group built a gear train along with a pulley and wheel and axle to make a simple machine that could lift a cinder block with minimal effort on a crank handle. Utilizing the knowledge gained about simple machines and mathematic principles they are able to calculate the mechanical advantage and gear ratios required to complete the task. 2. POE – In the hydraulic pop can crusher project, students utilize fluid dynamic principles coupled with mathematics to create a machine with enough force (approx. 100 lbs.) to crush a pop can longways with water-filled medical grade syringes connected to one 10 cc syringe as an input. 3. Aerospace Engineering – Students use physics and algebraic principles to design an airfoil with sufficient lift to overcome the weight of a plane coupled with the aerodynamic generated drag on a plane. 4. Engineering Design & Development – EDD is about following a process to do design projects. The class learns prototype skills since most haven’t spent a lot of time “in the garage or shop” learning these skills. Eventually, the class will have a “portfolio” of projects. Last year’s included an innovative project on Variable Compression Ratios for vehicle engine efficiency which the students discovered is being similarly investigated by a major car manufacturer.
T H I N G S YO U S H O U L D K N O
NOW ABOUT CCH STEM •
Covington Catholic has very seriously and deliberately built the STEM program, under the expert guidance of an Advisory Board consisting of teachers, students, professional engineers, tech sales personnel, and a chemist. The board has guided decisions about new course additions and equipment procurement, and helped in judging projects, presentations and robotics competitions.
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CCH is the ONLY Catholic high school in the state of KY (in 2017-18) to have the PLTW Engineering program.
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152 (about 1 in 4) are enrolled in the STEM courses in 2018-19. An additional 79 take Computer Science and Computer Aided Design (CAD) Classes. These are all electives within our students’ busy college preparatory schedules.
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As a Catholic high school, we emphasize ethical decision making within the process of innovation. Ethics is a specific instructional unit within the IED course.
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College credit is available at some universities (including University of Kentucky and Purdue University), based on PLTW’s End of Course Assessment exam performance.
Class of 2019 student Michael Kessans, who completed both STEM and Art electives during 2017-18, was accepted to both the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and the Kentucky Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs. As a senior, he will take the capstone STEM EDD course as well as Computer Aided Design. His classmate Adam Fortner also demonstrates balance by taking the EDD course but also AP Calculus and AP English plus Chamber Choir, while participating in clubs, service and athletics.
VEX ROBOTICS
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Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering and science that includes mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, computer science, and others. Covington Catholic has a very successful and expanding robotics program based on the VEX platform.
The VEX platform is aligned with the PLTW program and is the largest and fasting growing high school robotics competition in the world. Competitions are a great opportunity for students to develop skills in teamwork, leadership, and project management. Teams of students design, build, and code robots each year to play a brand-new game. Thousands of competition events are held annually in all 50 US states and over 40 countries.
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Applying basic STEM concepts to a competitive atmosphere increases student engagement and makes lessons feel more “realâ€?. Based on strong participation during the ďŹ rst three years of the program, Robotics I and Robotics II were added as general electives to the CCH curriculum in 2018-19.
NEW
STEM
M B U I LD ING A new, $3.5 million, 16,585 square foot academic wing with STEM program-speciďŹ c attributes will house the CCH STEM program. State-of-the-art features of the building include: 3-D printers, a laser cutter, saws, drills, a 3-D scanner to build engineering prototypes and art or science projects, a welding room and paint room, and a robotics ring. The building also includes a 200-person auditorium for academic lectures and arts performances.
S T E M FA S T FA C T S
Since 1990, STEM employment has Grown 79% (from 9.7 million to 17.3 million), far outpacing overall job growth of 34%
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STEM students become: Better problem solvers Innovators Self-reliant Logical thinkers
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Of
million Engineeringeducated workers in the U.S.,
a quarter are in management, business and ďŹ nance occupations, with a median income of $97,000.
PLTW
Project Lead The Way is the leader in providing STEM curriculum to over 2.4 million K-12 students and 37,000 teachers in over 11,500 schools nationwide
The typical STEM worker earns about 2/3 more, on average, than the typical worker in a non-STEM occupation ($71,000 versus $43,000 in 2016) and the earnings gap has been widening since 1990. STEM-educated workers in occupations outside of STEM earn 18% more than workers with non-STEM degrees.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2018
THE ENGINEERING PROCESS The Engineering, Design and Development (EDD) course is a capstone to the STEM curriculum at CovCath. The course begins with a mini-project to introduce the engineering design process, a methodical series of steps that engineers use to create functional products and processes. This year’s students were required to design and build a musical instrument to meet multiple performance criteria. Steps and tasks included: brainstorm options; research existing designs and prior attempts; sketch designs and create a design choice matrix; plan, schedule, and revise; create 3-D design in CAD software; construct a prototype (some involved 3-D printing of components); test and redesign; and document in a detailed report. Recorders, harps, a saxophone, and even an electric guitar were created. Here are some images from the projects.
Michael Kessan’s design was a 3-string guitar. It features a body made out of pine and a license plate to resonate the sound as well as an electronic pickup for an amplifier. The neck is constructed of ¾ inch hardwood and has metal frets inserted in order to change the pitch of the note.
Michael Kessan’s final product
“I learned that our plans don’t always go as we want. I wanted to cut out a box on the side of my xylophone for guitar strings and only planned for it to be 5 keys. However, I realized this was impossible, so I diverted and made 8 keys and no guitar strings. I should’ve designed it differently from the beginning so I could have avoided this road block. Other than changing from my prototype once I started building, the rest of the build went smoothly and I was able to build it just as planned.” Grant Neltner
Multiple attempts and redesigns to channel the air better and minimize air loss led to Adam Fortner’s final recorder, produced with a 3-D printer.
R E A L -W O R L D S T E M A P P L I C AT I O N Experiences beyond the classroom are a valued part of CovCath’s approach. Examples include: •
Field trips to the CVG Air Traffic Control Tower, FANUC (global Automation Solutions company), a manufacturing plant, the University of Cincinnati DAAP college, and Rumpke Recycling.
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“Breakfast with a Professional” informal, small-group question and answer sessions with professionals in Engineering, Technology, Business and Math, with over 50 students attending the sessions.
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Sharing projects with the community at the CCH STEM Night.
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Over 50 teams competed in the Kentucky Lieutenant Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge (LGEC) competition.
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Students presented to the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers.
STEM
A PPLICAT
CCH STEM faculty are united in the belief that a student need not be an aspiring engineer to beneďŹ t from the problem-solving, critical thinking, and innovation skills fostered in STEM courses.
ATION
1600 Dixie Highway Park Hills, Ky 41011 (859) 491-2247
www.covcath.org Catholic Diocese of Covington