- Westonka Public Schools
- Engineering
- Middle School Engineering
Middle School Engineering
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Among the most critical academic disciplines for success in the 21st century workforce are those involving science, technology, engineering & math (STEM).
Grandview Middle School offers a series of three STEM courses: Shark Tank, Design Squad and Gamers' Workshop.
Grade 5 STEM - Shark Tank
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Students go through the full process of creating an invention:
- brainstorming ideas
- researching using Google Patents & talking with real inventors
- drafting & building inventions or invention prototypes
- testing & revising inventions to make them marketable
- creating marketing plans
- pitching ideas to a panel of “sharks” or potential buyers
- submitting inventions to a national competition
Grade 6 STEM - Design Squad
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Students design roller coasters and manage their own theme parks:
- exploring the history of roller coaster invention & design
- identifying safety components of roller coaster design
- brainstorming, planning & drafting 2D roller coaster models
- creating, evaluating and revising scale models made with recyclable materials
- integrating roller coaster prototypes into computer design software
- building & managing digital theme parks
- presenting theme park designs to judges
Grade 7 STEM - Gamers' Workshop
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Students become gaming engineers as they develop original educational video games using Scratch Animation software:
- evaluating & summarizing gaming trends over time
- developing educational game concepts
- creating animated “sprites” multi-level game settings
- demonstrating, evaluating & revising games with marketed audience test group (primary school students)
- summarizing & justifying game elements to a judging panel
Middle School Engineering Electives
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In addition to the three-year STEM coursework, Grandview Middle School students have the opportunity to expand their STEM learning with two elective courses: Future Cities and Future Problem Solvers.