The Gateway to Technology (GTT) course is designed to be taught in conjunction with a rigorous academic curriculum. This course engages the students’ natural curiosity and imagination in creative problem solving to teach them how to apply math, science, technology, and engineering to their everyday lives. The GTT curriculum provides project-based learning — a hands-on approach — that relates technology to students’ daily lives. It also promotes communication and collaboration by emphasizing a teaming approach. The focus of the 7th grade course is teaching students the concepts in the two foundational units: Design and Modeling uses solid modeling to introduce students to the design process; and Automation and Robotics traces the 67 Middle School Course Offerings and Descriptions • Fall 2017 DRAFT history, development, and influence of automation and robotics. Students may also be introduced to one or more specialty courses that are selected by each school. These include: (1) Flight and Space introduces students to aeronautics, space and the use of design to help make aerospace engineering an important field; (2) Science of Technology traces how science has affected technology throughout history; (3) The Magic of Electrons, through hands-on projects, explores the science of electricity, the movement of atoms, circuit design, and sensing devices; (4) Energy and the Environment challenges students to think big and toward the future as they explore sustainable solutions to our energy needs and investigate the impact of energy on our lives and the world; (5) Green Architecture teaches students how to apply this concept to the fields of architecture and construction by exploring dimensioning, measuring, and architectural sustainability as they design affordable housing units using Autodesk’s® 3D architectural design software; and (6) Medical Detectives provides opportunities for students to play the role of real-life medical detectives as they analyze genetic testing results to diagnose disease and study DNA evidence found at a “crime scene.” They solve medical mysteries through hands-on projects and labs, investigate how to measure and interpret vital signs, and learn how the systems of the human body work together to maintain health. This course satisfies the MSDE Computational Thinking/Learning requirement.
