(Photos provided)

The design and modeling class is a gateway to technology course, part of the Project Lead the Way Program.

Designed to be a pre-engineering class, students learn what engineers do and how they use the design process to create new and improved products. In this class, students learn about STEM and how it integrates science, technology, engineering and math. Students learn about design elements, the importance of precision measuring, sketching techniques and different types of drawings.

The students learn about orthographic, isometric and perspective drawings. Students learn to do these drawings by hand first and then create them by using a CAD program on the computer called “Inventor.” They learn the importance of dimensioning and descriptive geometry. They also learn computer modeling fundamentals and geometric constraints.

This introductory course in middle school allows students to have an understanding of the possibilities open to them through STEM education.