Oconomowoc High School offers Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses in biomedical science and engineering.  PLTW courses engage students in hands-on activities, projects, and problems; empower them to solve real-world challenges, and inspire them to develop in-demand, transportable skills like problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, communication, and collaboration.

PLTW Biomedical Science Courses

PLTW Principles of Biomedical Science

Analyze the evidence found at a crime scene and help the medical examiner uncover clues left on a body to solve a mystery. Students can question, diagnose, and propose treatment and care for patients in a family medical practice. Track down the source of a mysterious outbreak at a local hospital. Access and stabilize a patient during an emergency and prepare for medical surge and mobile medical care. Collaborate with professionals in other fields to innovate and design solutions to local and global medical problems.
Whether seeking a career in medicine or healthcare or merely looking for the challenge of real-world problems, students in Principles of Biomedical Science will practice how to think creatively and critically to innovate in science and will gain practical experience with experimental design and the design process.

PLTW Body Systems

Students examine the interactions of human body systems as they explore identity, power, movement, protection, and homeostasis. Exploring science in action, students build organs and tissues on a skeletal Maniken®. Students also use data acquisition software to monitor body functions such as muscle movement, reflex, voluntary action, and respiration. Real-world medical cases are researched and solved by students as they take on the roles of Biomedical professionals.

PLTW Medical Interventions

Students follow the life of a fictitious family as they investigate how to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. Students explore how to detect and fight infection; screen and evaluate the code in human DNA, evaluate cancer treatment options, and prevail when the organs of the body begin to fail. Through real-world cases, students are exposed to a range of interventions related to immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices and diagnostics.

PLTW Biomedical Innovations

In the final course of the PLTW Biomedical Science sequence, students build on the knowledge and skills gained from previous courses to design innovative solutions for the most pressing health challenges of the 21st century. Students address topics ranging from public health and biomedical engineering to clinical medicine and physiology. This course provides students the opportunity to work on an independent design project with a mentor or advisor from a university, medical facility, or research institution.

PLTW Engineering Courses

PLTW Introduction to Engineering Design

The focus of the IED course is to expose students to the design process, research and analysis, teamwork, communication methods, global and human impacts, engineering standards, and technical documentation. Students use 3D solid modeling design software to help them design solutions to solve proposed problems and learn how to document their work and communicate solutions to peers and members of the professional community.

PLTW Principles of Engineering

This course of engineering exposes students to major concepts they’ll encounter in a postsecondary engineering course of study. Students employ engineering and scientific concepts in the solution of engineering design problems. They develop problem-solving skills and apply their knowledge of research and design to create solutions to various challenges, documenting their work, and communicating solutions to peers and members of the professional community.

PLTW Digital Electronics

Digital electronics is the foundation of all modern electronic devices such as cellular phones, MP3 players, laptop computers, digital cameras, and high-definition televisions. The primary focus of the DE course is to expose students to the process of combinational and sequential logic design, teamwork, communication methods, engineering standards, and technical documentation.

PLTW Civil Engineering & Architecture

Students apply what they learn about various aspects of civil engineering and architecture to the design and development of a property. Working in teams, students explore hands-on activities and projects to learn the characteristics of civil engineering and architecture. Also, students use 3D design software to help them design solutions to solve major course projects. Students learn about documenting their projects, solving problems, and communicating their solutions to their peers and members of the professional community of civil engineering and architecture.

PLTW Computer Integrated Manufacturing

Manufactured items are part of everyday life, yet most students have not been introduced to the high-tech, innovative nature of modern manufacturing. This course illuminates the opportunities related to understanding manufacturing. At the same time, it teaches students about manufacturing processes, product design, robotics, and automation.

PLTW Engineering Design & Development

In the engineering research course, students work in teams to research, design, test, and construct a solution to an open-ended engineering problem. The product development life cycle and a design process are used to guide and help the team to reach a solution to the problem. The student team presents and defends their solution to a panel of outside reviewers. This presentation occurs at the end of the course. The EDD course allows students to apply all the skills and knowledge learned in previous Project Lead The Way courses. The use of 3D design software helps students design solutions to the problems their team has chosen. This course also engages students in time management and teamwork skills, a valuable set for students in the future.