Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is an innovative educational program that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning. It offers hands-on, project-based curriculum designed to ignite curiosity and passion for problem-solving. Through engaging and practical activities, PLTW helps students develop critical thinking skills, teamwork abilities, and adaptability, preparing them for future success in a rapidly changing world. All District 35 students Kindergarten through 8th grade participate in one Unit of PLTW each school year.
Young learners are naturally wired for discovery. The PLTW Launch curriculum is designed with activities that let them see what they can be and build skills to discover what they can do. South School students are immersed in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the real world. They experience learning opportunities that blend computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. As students work through the Project Lead the Way units, they apply their math and English Language Arts (ELA) skills, learn science standards, and adopt skills that are foundational across disciplines. South School students join our Project Lead the Way teacher three times a week for approximately 4 weeks. Below are the project lead the way units for South School.
Kindergarten: Structure & Function: Exploring Design
Students discover the design process and how engineers influence their lives. They explore the elements of structure and function by identifying products around them designed by engineers and asking questions engineers might ask. They are introduced to a design problem through a story in which Angelina wants to design a paintbrush. Students apply their knowledge from the module to design their own paintbrushes.
1st Grade: Light & Sound
Students investigate the properties of light and sound, including vibration from sound waves and the effect of different materials on the path of a beam of light. After students develop an understanding of light and sound, they are challenged to solve a design problem Mylo, Suzi, and Angelina face. In the story, the characters are lost and must use only the materials in their backpack to communicate over a distance by using light and/or sound. Students use the design process to sketch, build, test, and reflect on a device that solves this design problem.
2nd Grade: Grids & Games
In this module, students explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities, both with and without a digital device. In a life-size board game, students write a program using directional cards and repeat loops to program Rosie the Robotic Dog to move through a maze. Then, students develop an understanding of computer science, computer scientists, and the impacts of computing.
After building an understanding of computer science, students create programs using a block-based programming language. Students follow the Use-Modify-Create Framework to write programs with sequences, loops, and triggers. Applying skills and knowledge learned from the activities and project, students work together to design and program a game that can be played on a digital device.
The PLTW Launch Curriculum is designed with activities that let them see what they can be and build skills to discover what they can do. West School students are immersed in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the real world. They experience learning opportunities that blend computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. As students work through the Project Lead the Way units, they apply their math and English Language Arts (ELA) skills, learn science standards, and adopt skills that are foundational across disciplines. West School students join our Project Lead the Way teacher twice a week for approximately 7 weeks. Below are the project lead the way units for South School.
3rd Grade: Stability & Motion: Forces & Interactions
Students explore simple machines such as wheel and axles, levers, the inclined plane, and more. They investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object. Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi go on a field trip to the zoo and are faced with the design problem of how to rescue a trapped tiger. Students then apply their knowledge of forces and devise a way to rescue a heavy zoo animal while keeping it safe throughout the process.
4th Grade: Energy Exploration
Students engage in explorations of energy-related phenomena. They make observations, pose questions, and make connections as they investigate energy transfers. Throughout the module, students explore connections to careers and to the necessity of energy in real-life as they visit multiple business owners through the Main Street interactive experience. To deepen their understanding of energy, students design an investigation to test what happens when marbles collide on a track. Each business owner presents a problem that needs to be solved. Students select a problem and use the design process to apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
The PLTW Gateway curriculum for middle school fuels students’ passion for discovery. As they engage in hands-on, collaborative problem solving focused on real-world challenges, students use and stretch their imaginations in brand-new ways and connect their learning to life. All the while, students step into roles spanning multiple career pathways – a crucial experience during this transitional time in their lives. Each year, all Central School students participate in one quarter of Project Lead the Way.
5th Grade: Design & Modeling
Students discover the design process and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. They are then challenged and empowered to use and apply what they’ve learned throughout the unit to design a therapeutic toy for a child who has cerebral palsy.
6th Grade: Flight & Space
The exciting world of aerospace comes alive through the Flight and Space (FS) unit. Students become engineers as they design, prototype, and test models to learn about the science of flight and what it takes to travel and live in space. They solve real-world aviation and space challenges and plan a mission to Mars.
7th Grade: Automation & Robotics Level 1
Students are given the opportunity to combine mechanisms with input and output devices to automate the mechanisms. Construction and programming skills are layered, and projects and the problem provide students the opportunity to connect their learning throughout the lessons in the unit. Students take on the role of interns, and work in teams to identify design requirements and create prototypes to meet the needs of clients. They also explore different aspects of automation and robotics, and experience how solving real-life problems involves the teamwork of mechanical engineers, software developers, and electrical engineers.
8th Grade: Automation & Robotics Level 2
Students are given the opportunity to combine mechanisms with input and output devices to automate the mechanisms. Construction and programming skills are layered, and projects and the problem provide students the opportunity to connect their learning throughout the lessons in the unit. Students take on the role of interns, and work in teams to identify design requirements and create prototypes to meet the needs of clients. They also explore different aspects of automation and robotics, and experience how solving real-life problems involves the teamwork of mechanical engineers, software developers, and electrical engineers.
