Take your Python skills beyond the screen and into the real world! In Python Engineering Lab, students will apply the programming concepts learned in Python Creators Studio to solve hands-on engineering challenges through design, prototyping, and automation.

Working individually and in teams, students will build and program real engineering projects using Python, electronics, sensors, motors, and simple mechanical systems. Along the way, they'll explore the engineering design process as they brainstorm solutions, build prototypes, test their designs, troubleshoot problems, and improve their creations through iteration.

Projects may include automated railroad crossings, smart traffic systems, security devices, moving mechanisms, sensor-based inventions, and other real-world engineering challenges. Rather than following step-by-step instructions, students will learn to think like engineers by designing creative solutions to authentic problems.

Throughout the semester, students will strengthen programming, engineering, critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills while discovering how software and hardware work together to power the technology we use every day.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Python Creators Studio or equivalent Python programming experience.

I think this pairs perfectly with your fall course because the progression is obvious to parents: learn Python in the fall, apply Python in the spring. It also leaves plenty of flexibility for you to change the engineering projects from year to year without rewriting the course description.

Required Materials (Student-Provided)

• 1-inch three-ring binder or engineering notebook (for design sketches, planning, and documentation)

• Pencils and erasers

• Colored pencils or highlighters (for diagrams and circuit planning)

• USB flash drive (8 GB or larger) for saving projects (optional if cloud storage is used)