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Sample Techbridge Curriculum

Green Dollhouses Projects

Students construct their dream studio from start to finish - from brainstorming an idea, to creating a digital floor plan on the computer, to building with real life green materials. Students go beyond reduce, reuse, and recycle to learn about green materials: everyday things that can be used in new, novel and earth-friendly ways. Through construction and planning, students explore and reflect on their energy usage in their home, native and low-water plants, and small ways in which they can change their habits to lessen their environmental impact.

CSI

With the advent of crime-scene investigation shows, students have become captivated by this area of science. What does it mean to be a forensic scientist? Through this curriculum students analyze metal residues, footprints, blood, hair, fibers, fingerprints and other evidence. They learn different tests and use science to solve crimes. These activities require students to work in teams, practice deductive reasoning, test their observational skills, and experience what it's like to be a Crime Scene Investigator.

Cars and Engines

In this module, girls get a chance to learn about a four-stroke engine and caring for the family car. The girls construct a car that travels down a ramp using its own power, build a model 4-stroke engine, perform basic car maintenance, and reverse engineer a lawnmower engine. A PowerPoint presentation highlights careers in the automotive and engineering industries.

Toy Design

The toy design challenge combines students' love of play and creativity with the engineering design process. To get the creative process started, students study and dissect toys they are familiar with. Next, they work together in teams to brainstorm ideas, sketch their toy idea, and prototype their toy. Students even have a chance to name their toy and make a marketing plan. Through this team process, girls are inspired to create a product that gives them a sense of pride and ownership.

Circuitry and Soldering

Girls learn how to make the connection with these soldering and circuitry activities. They can observe an electric pickle, use an electronic lab box to build simple circuits and learn about the different components, learn how to solder and use the computer to build a virtual circuit.

Kite Design

The girls learn about aerodynamics using miniature kites that they build with origami or tissue paper. They also design a virtual kite using the NASA Interactive Kite Modeler on the computer and then use this design to build a kite of their own! A PowerPoint presentation highlights careers and role models in aerodynamics.

Robotics Building Kits

In this module, the girls build cool robots, such as Rockit Robots, mechanical dogs and ostriches. The girls work in teams to build a robotic kit composed of a variety of different electrical and mechanical components. Learning to troubleshoot their mistakes is also an important aspect to building kits. The girls must work together with classmates to pinpoint the problems and apply problem-solving skills to work towards a solution.

Environmental Engineering

Students explore natural and renewable resources (such as water, sun, and waste). They learn how soils are used in engineering by building a water filtration system. They explore composting and the role of worms in the decomposition of waste. They perform tests to find out what type of habitat is best suited for worms and explore the anatomy of worms through dissection. Students study solar energy and how it can be used as a source of power by building a car using LEGOs that will run using solar cells. After all of these exciting activities, students reflect on careers in renewable energy.

Digital Photography

Digital Photography has long been a part of the Techbridge curriculum, but the new digital photography unit encourages students to go beyond "point and shoot." In addition to learning how to use a digital camera, students have a chance to build their own cameras, explore the elements of digital media, and discuss photo composition. Once students have had an opportunity to take photos using their new knowledge, they can use them to make a variety of projects - t-shirts, calendars, or even digital stories!

Animation

Students learn about the basics of animation. They start making flipbooks, and once they learn about frames of animation they make a short animation using PowerPoint. Students experience the process of designing their own animation by first creating a storyboard, drawing the frames, and then photographing their frames and inserting them into QuickTime. For Bay Area schools, this module can be accompanied by a field trip to the Zeum, where students learn further animation techniques using claymation.

Building Simple Machines

This module teaches students the principles of how simple machines work through using K'NEX connector kits, the Mousetrap Game, and Rube Goldberg cartoons. Working in teams, students build devices that include simple machines such as a hand mixer, a see-saw, and an elevator. After learning about the different types of simple machines, they put this knowledge to use by identifying all the simple machines in the Mousetrap game and then designing a contraption of their own on how to stay awake in class. These activities help students learn about simple machines in a hands-on way.

Roller Coaster

Using foam pipe insulation, students design and build a roller coaster track for a marble to travel through. They also do time trials and redesign and modify their roller coasters to meet different challenges (such as adding more loops and hills). In their science class, students learn about different types of mechanical energy and about velocity. This activity gives them hands-on experience with these concepts. It allows them to apply what they have learned or intuitively arrive at these concepts while building, and even racing their marbles.

Telephone Kits

Using a schematic diagram girls assemble a working telephone from a variety of different pieces. With each step the girls learn about the basic components of a telephone, the electronics and circuitry of a phone, and how a telephone makes a call. The best part is when girls get to call home on their newly-built telephones!