Scientific and Engineering Projects
Overview
The class teaches the skills and techniques required to successfully execute a research project. These skills are useful in a wide variety of fields for all types of projects and are extensible to areas outside science or engineering.
Major topics we cover are
- The Scientific Method
- The Engineering Method
- Analysis
- Documentation and Writing
- Presentations
Students may apply what they learn to the PACE Science Forum, to their high school science labs, to term papers, to college theses, and to projects they may do on the job later in life.
Students will learn the Scientific Method, which is a general method for approaching experimental type projects or projects in which the goal is to learn new principles or properties. They also learn the Engineering Method, which is a methodology for designing a product or service that meets certain criteria, such as being a certain size or weight, or meeting a specified level of performance.
Students will also get an overview of techniques for analyzing experimental results or evaluating project designs.
Nearly as important as doing a good project is effectively presenting the results. This class will cover how to do oral presentations and how to write research reports.
Permission Form
Students wishing to take this class must have parental permission. Have a parent sign the
permission form and hand in by the due date (usually the second Saturday in the fall semester).
Handouts