Engineering and Design

Engineers get to put science into practice, using knowledge and skills from different fields to achieve some practical goal. In Engineering and Design, students will learn to analyze real-life problems, design solutions to those problems, and weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option to make the most effective choice. We will study critical structural concepts such as stress forces, material properties, stability, and strength. We will learn skills such as technical drawing, stress testing, and systems analysis. From a creative perspective, we will analyze the preexisting design choices found in the “built environment” around us, such as why are roads, bridges, classrooms, power lines, and stores designed the way they are and how do practical choices and decorative choices affect each other? Our long-term projects will combine what we’ve learned with the iterative design process (building a prototype, testing it, and improving it for more testing) to create a well-thought-out end result. Prerequisites: Algebra II