PLTW: Gateway to Technology Middle School Programs at McMillan
Design and Modeling:
1. Develop an engineering notebook to record original ideas and designs and to understanding
Engineering
2. Study the design process to develop solutions to problems
3. Learn both Standard and Metric systems of measurement and use precision measuring tools
needed for accuracy
4. Learn sketching and dimensioning techniques to draw two and three dimensional shapes
5. Make 3D models of objects on the computer program Revit.
Automation and Robotics:
1. Learn the purpose of automation and robotics and its effect on society
2. Learn a variety of STEM careers and the need for these professionals in our society
3. Use numerical and algebraic expressions and equations to solve real-life problems, such as
gear ratios
4. Learn the seven technological resources and how they are integrated into an open and
closed loop system
5. Design, build, wire, and program a system operated by alternative energy
Science of Technology:
1. Understand applied chemistry and nanotechnology and its impact on many aspects of
engineering
2. Identify and explain the applications of the six simple machines: the lever, pulley, wheel and
axle, inclined plane, wedge, and screw
3. Understand the three classes of levers
4. Build, test, and evaluate a model of a design problem (Rube Goldberg machine)
5. Analyze a product through testing methods and make modifications to the product
Green Architecture:
1. Learn about architectural plans including: plot plan, foundation plan, floor plan, elevations,
3-D views, and construction details.
2. Identify and use appropriate symbols in a basic floor plan for a residential home
3. Communicate, using a variety of media, the effects that daily living has on the environment.
4. Describe different house styles and how they can be built green.
5. Use Autodesk Revit Architecture to create an architectural drawing of an environmentally
friendly home
Medical Detectives:
1. Demonstrate the use of technology as an important tool in the Biomedical Sciences
2. Understand the mathematical, sequential, and logical process medical professionals use to
evaluate, diagnose, and treat patients
3. Take part in a murder mystery by using patient and ambient temperature to identify time of
death and using that information to identify suspects
4. Analyze an autopsy and use DNA gel electrophoresis to compare DNA samples
5. Defend identification of suspect using physical evidence including time of death, cause of
death, and DNA crime scene analysis