David Zulkiewski
Lahser High School, Bloomfield Hills

Industrial Arts Shop becomes a C.A.D. classroom and hands-on applications lab

Objectives
The Engineering Department is committed to giving students a hands-on, design-based curriculum that integrates several technology topics and problem solving methods. Students receive instruction in basic drafting techniques and multiple Computer Aided Design (C.A.D.) software packages in order to design solutions to real-world problems, which they then construct and manufacture in an application shop and lab.

The Engineering Lab, housed at Lahser H.S., facilitates classes for both Bloomfield Hills High Schools and works closely with the middle school technology programs to ensure a continued curriculum for students from 6th through 12th grades. Over the course of the past six years the Engineering Department has been converted from an outdated Industrial Arts Shop into a C.A.D. classroom and hands-on applications lab. Students from all grades are given instruction in proper and safe use of computers, hand and power tools, and material processes.

All classes are introduced to real-world design problems and then work in groups to research and brainstorm possible solutions. Ideas are generated in small groups, and individual projects are then transformed into working drawings and schematics.

The ultimate goal of each project is to have a working prototype or model that can be tested, critiqued and evaluated.

Approach
There are four different classes offered through the Engineering Department: Engineering Drafting, Architectural Drafting, Design and Technology, and Engineering Applications. The two basic drafting courses use industry standards and benchmarks to introduce students to different design problems and methods for solving such problems. Students are given instruction in basic drafting and C.A.D. techniques that are applied to working drawings and finally to their manufactured parts and models.

In the past two years these basic courses have taken enormous steps to provide students with additional lab time to further their studies and research. The Design and Technology course offers students additional C.A.D. instruction to tackle more challenging projects and then creates those designs in order to test and evaluate the product. Engineering Applications is the capstone class offered by the department and uses previous knowledge to generate new and innovative products and prototypes. This course has been the model for all other courses when it comes to hands-on learning and practical applications.

Relevance
Students spend between four and six weeks working on one project, taking it from its infancy as a simple idea and culminating with a working product that is tested to answer the original problem. Each and every course uses integrated curriculum to introduce math, science, engineering and technical writing to the students’ experience.

The classes cover different topics ranging from alternative energy sources, electronics, rocketry, residential home design, civil and mechanical engineering, and several material process applications. Through these projects, and many others, students begin to associate proper use of technology and its application to real-world situations.

Measurement
The success of the program has been outstanding, with an ever-evolving curriculum students are always challenged in different technological fields and studies. Participation in the classes continues to grow and often meets their capacity, forcing students to pursue other options. Success is also seen in the district’s participation in outside opportunities and programs. There has been an increase in attendance at workshops that are offered by local universities and companies. Bloomfield Hills now leads all participating schools in attendance at the General Motors Technical Academy and sends several other students to the Oakland Schools Technical Campus.

Challenges
With the extensive amount of information provided to students comes the cost of providing the necessary materials to research, design and construct their solutions. The main obstacle for the Engineering department has been the continual upgrading of software and hardware, along with integrating new topics and projects. It has been extremely difficult to provide students with the modern tools and machines that are associated with many of the technologies being presented in the curriculum. With continued support from the district and community the Engineering Department will continue to thrive and offer students the necessary skills to be prepared for life outside of school.

With increased funding and support students will be able to expand their learning opportunities to include fuel cell vehicles and Computer-Numerically-Controlled (C.N.C.) applications. The school district and community are committed to giving students a well-rounded, technology-based curriculum to realize their dreams and goals.

Six years of hard work has brought the Engineering program up to standard with some of the surrounding schools, but the major focus is to give students an increased knowledge base to explore far beyond the classroom and into the real world.