Gateway to Technology Advanced

Project Lead the Way Gateway to Technology (Advanced) University of Texas at Tyler:

Project Lead the Way Gateway to Technology (Advanced) University of Texas at Tyler Jeremy Turner J. L. Long Middle School

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles Students build and research several aerospace vehicles, Tetrahedral kite is pictured, built from straws, string, and tissue.

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles After building, different vehicles are flight tested. Some tests require extra equipment, such as a heater for hot air balloon launches or a compressed air rocket launcher.

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles Compressed Air Rocket

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles Hovercraft

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles Balloon

Aerospace Vehicles:

Aerospace Vehicles Students research the history and current and future uses of the vehicle. A 2-3 minute “infomercial” using movie making software is storyboarded, filmed, and presented.

Airfoil Design and Testing:

Airfoil Design and Testing Students study basic principles of lift such as Bernoulli’s Principle. There is a focus on the forces required for an aircraft to remain at study flight, ascend, or descend. Using Java-based software, different airfoil shapes are created and simulated. Pounds of lift are recorded.

Airfoil Design and Testing:

Airfoil Design and Testing Students design an airfoil and generate an Excel spreadsheet that gives the profile of the airfoil as coordinates. Coordinates are input into Autodesk Inventor. A profile is plotted that is used to cut an airfoil out of foam.

Airfoil Design and Testing:

Airfoil Design and Testing Lift is generated by an airstream moving past the airfoil. Weights are used to determine how many pounds of lifted are generated. When airfoil sinks, that is the maximum amount of lift generated.

Traveling and Living in Space:

Traveling and Living in Space Students investigate websites to learn about mankind’s presence in space. Research different probes and different manned space missions. Simulate living in space using AstroEngineer : Moon Rover (left).

Electric Devices:

Electric Devices Using an electromagnet and simple circuit, students create a telegraph. Telegrams can be sent between students.

Electric Devices:

Electric Devices Students name the different parts of a motor and construct a simple motor. Teaches the path of the electrons through the circuit and why the motor continues to spin.

Circuits:

Circuits Model and build series and parallel circuits Observe voltage changes throughout the circuit. Understand the flow of the current. Experiment with circuit components, such as bulbs, LEDs, diodes, and switches.

Circuits:

Circuits Transistors are used as switches in a circuit. Snap Circuits show path of current and are easily modified. Students initially build their own transistors. Shown is a circuit that responds to an input of light.

Circuits:

Circuits Using knowledge of transistors, students solder components to a circuit board to create a nightlight. Practice soldering, recognize resistors and transistors, and identify the parts of a circuit.

Chemical Engineering:

Chemical Engineering Create and test two different types of glue on different substrates. Use a mixture of flour/water and casein made from milk curds and baking soda. Differentiate between the roles of chemists and chemical engineers.

Chemical Engineering:

Chemical Engineering Students test glues using different cups of pennies. Differentiate between adhesive, cohesive, and substrate failure.

Chemical Engineering:

Chemical Engineering Build a mock beach with a paper cup “oil tanker.” Feathers represent animals while plant pickings represent flora.

Chemical Engineering:

Chemical Engineering Using given materials, students have to clean up oil spill. With a budget of $20 million, students have to purchase items for the clean up. Items include medicine dropper, detergent, a cotton balls.

Simple Machines:

Simple Machines Students calculate the mechanical advantage (MA) of several simple machines. Discover the value of having MAs less than one or equal to one, as well as the obvious benefits of having MAs greater than one.

Kinetic and Potential Energy:

Kinetic and Potential Energy A simple introductory activity is used to introduce KE and PE. Students roll a ball bearing down an inclined plane. Discover relationships between mass and height and PE and KE.

Roller Coaster Design:

Roller Coaster Design Students build a roller coaster using pipe insulation. Use knowledge of KE and PE to build loops and camelbacks into roller coaster. Design challenges encourage students to experiment with the design. This roller coaster consistently stopped within 6” of the end of the coaster by predictably dissipating all energy.

Green Car 2.0:

Green Car 2.0 Using web based CAD software, students apply the fundamentals of GTT to build a solar-powered car. Students choose solar panels, gear ratios, and materials among other variables.

Green Car 2.0:

Green Car 2.0 The software generates base profiles and cross sections of the body. Students use p apier-mâché to construct the outside of the car. Cars can be tested and raced on a virtual track before testing and racing in real life. Simulates the engineer’s experience from virtual construction to virtual testing to actual construction and testing.

Rube Goldberg Machine:

Rube Goldberg Machine Also designed as a GTT final product. Students have to design a portion of a Rube Goldberg machine. Must work with groups immediately preceding and following to be sure the contraption works.

Rube Goldberg Machine:

Rube Goldberg Machine Components must be tested and modified. Students are encouraged to bring objects from home to use in the machine.

Rube Goldberg Machine:

Rube Goldberg Machine Each machine linked to the next with specified inputs and outputs. …but it didn’t always work.

What will Gateway to Technology (Advanced) bring to J. L. Long?:

What will Gateway to Technology (Advanced) bring to J. L. Long? Most materials are consumable, but cheaply priced. Students can probably be relied upon to bring most items from home. The course encourages collaboration in teams and among teams, as happens in the engineering world. Real-world applications and simulations of engineering problems and solutions.