HONORS INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING DESIGN (PLTW) 1 Year 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Students should be enrolled in college preparatory mathematics and science courses.

IED exposes students to a design process, professional communication and collaboration methods, design ethics, and technical documentation. It gives students the opportunity to develop skills in research and analysis, teamwork, technical writing, engineering graphics, and problem solving through activity, project, and problem-based learning. This is a hands-on, real-world problem-solving approach to learning. Students learn and apply the design process, acquire strong teamwork and communication proficiency, and develop organizational, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. Using math, science and technology concepts, they will discover the answers to questions of how things are made and what processes go into creating products. Students will use the same industry-leading 3D design software as major companies. They will explore aerodynamics, astronautics, and space life sciences. Students will apply biological and engineering concepts related to biomechanics (robotics). Students will design, test, and construct circuits and devices such as smart phones and tablets while working collaboratively on culminating a capstone project.

HONORS PRINCIPLES OF ENGINEERING (PLTW) 1 Year 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors Introduction to Engineering Design

Through problems that engage and challenge, students explore a broad range of engineering topics, including mechanisms, the strength of structures and materials, and automation. Students develop skills in problem solving, research, and design while learning strategies for design process documentation, collaboration, and presentation. This course is the second in the series of three that is the intended path for pre-engineering students at McHenry. This series of classes not only prepares students for the rigors of college engineering curriculum and workplace expectations but also serves as a career exploration and selection tool.

HONORS ENGINEERING DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT (PLTW) 1 Year 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors Principles of Engineering

This course is the third in the series of three that is the intended path for pre-engineering students at McHenry. This series of classes not only prepares students for the rigors of college engineering curriculum and workplace expectations but also serves as a career exploration and selection tool. Through problems that engage and challenge, students explore a broad range of engineering topics, including mechanisms, the strength of structures and materials, and automation. Students develop skills in problem solving, research, and design while learning strategies for design process documentation, collaboration, and presentation.