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Goal

The goal of this project is to have middle school students involved in Technology, Engineering, and Designing (T.E.D.) in an interactive environment that will increase their understanding of how to design and produce usable items. Cypress Palm Middle School students are digital natives and are very familiar with using their devices and gaming systems! We’d like to expand their knowledge of technology through designing and building items with electricity and electronic circuitry and microprocessor based circuitry sources in a hands-on environment that engages them outside of their virtual world. To achieve this goal we have designed 3 projects that will take place in a club that meets weekly as part of our After School Club program.  

What will be done with my students

In our T.E.D. club we have 3 projects to involve students in electronic circuitry designing and the uses of small programmable computer systems to develop automated and robotic devices.

Project 1: Electrical engineering - Students will learn basic concepts about electricity and how we can control electricity with electronic components by building small electrical circuits (which will be built by the T.E.D. students) using switches, buttons, LEDs, motors and many other electronic components to demonstrate the many uses of electricity.

Project 2: Programing Computer Systems - To demonstrate the basic idea of a computer system. Students will learn that a computer system has much more than an entertainment value. Computer systems are used to perform many different tasks. In this project the students will learn to program microprocessor chips which are the heart of any computer system. The students will learn to use the chip to instruct electricity to turn on and off electronic components and how to control the amount of electricity to perform many different tasks.

Project 3: Automation and Robotics - Students will take the skills they developed from the previous projects and build automated and robotic devices. The students will learn how simple electronic components and computer systems can work together to develop devices and machinery that make life and work easier. Through this project students will gain a better understanding of higher mathematic skills, logical thinking, Scientific methods and build stronger creative thinking skills.

This club reinforces the curriculum of many middle school core academic courses. It will provide an opportunity for students to apply what they are learning in science, mathematics, and technology courses through the design and creation of the projects. Students will apply listening and speaking skills from Language Arts classes as their group works through the problem-solving necessary to complete the projects.

This club runs for 9 weeks with approximately 40 students and then repeats twice. All the kits we are ordering are reusable for each club session resulting in 120 students benefiting from this grant in this our first year. As the club continues next year these same resources can be used again. 

Benefits to my students

The benefits of our T.E.D. club are basic and far reaching. These projects will support the Business and Technology classes at Cypress Palm Middle as well as inspire students to move further in their understanding of technology. The students will be working in groups of 3 -4 so they will also learn the skills of problem-solving in a group dynamic. We believe these skills have real-world application and will prepare them for college experiences and careers in which collaboration and creative thinking are essential. We expect to see these skills transfer into the classroom as students begin to see the connection between classroom lessons and these projects.  

Budget Narrative

The items we are requesting are from online vendors and reflect the best prices available. The exact cost of the kits requested is $1917.00. We are estimating the cost of shipping and have added $25.00 to include those costs.  

Items