Students from Dan F. Long Middle School put their innovative thinking skills to test as they built marble roller coasters and created marshmallow launchers duringExxonMobil’s annual “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” program on Feb. 24 at the Irving Convention Center. More than 50 DFW-area girls participated in interactive demos provided by presenters from The Perot Museum of Nature and Science and learned about various career paths within the engineering profession from video game designer to biomedical engineer. The event was one of many “Girl Day” programs taking place across the United States in conjunction with DiscoverE.
PLTW Engineering is more than just another high school (and in our case… middle school!) engineering program. It is about applying engineering, science, math, and technology to solve complex, open-ended problems in a real-world context. Students focus on the process of defining and solving a problem, not on getting the “right” answer. They learn how to apply STEM knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to make the world a better place through innovation.
PLTW students have said that PLTW Engineering influenced their post-secondary decisions and helped shape their future. Even for students who do not plan to pursue engineering after high school, the PLTW Engineering program provides opportunities to develop highly transferable skills in collaboration, communication, and critical thinking, which are relevant for any coursework or career.
Introduction to Engineering Design (IED, 1 year)
Students dig deep into the engineering design process, applying math, science, and engineering standards to hands-on projects. They work both individually and in teams to design solutions to a variety of problems using 3D modeling software, and use an engineering notebook to document their work.
This short video captures the visit of a Texas A&M college recruiter’s visit with students at Dan F. Long.
Mr. Ray Persons, a University of Texas system college recruiter, recently visitied with Dan F. Long students regarding the college opportunities available to them.
On Dec. 4, all six middle schools competed in the UIL One Act Play competition. Dramatic presentations included such titles as “The Beggar’s Opera,” “Antigone Now” and “Fourteen Lines.” In addition to acting, the technical crews and stage managers worked behind the scenes to present great theater within the UIL time limits.
Individual results are as follows:
Best Actor: James Teague, Polk Middle School
Best Actress: Elizabeth Stepaniak, Field Middle School.
First Place Play: ”This is a Test,” Field Middle School
Second Place Play: ”The Book of Everything,” Polk Middle School
Third Place Play: “Alice in Wonderland,” Perry Middle School
The next round of UIL Academic Competition will begin Jan. 12 at Newman Smith High School.
