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SolidWorks Curriculum for Educators on the SolidWorks Customer Portal

SolidWorks provides curriculum, tutorials and projects for educators on our SolidWorks Customer Portal.

This video shows how you obtain your SolidWorks serial number, create an account and access the Customer Portal right inside of the SolidWorks Education Edition.

 
 
The projects are new for the 2011-2012 Education Edition.  Now the "Instructor's Guide to Teaching SolidWorks" and the "Student Guide to Learning SolidWorks" are available in 14 languages.  20 engineering design projects for students are found on the customer portal.

Students can access the workbooks and projects from within the Resources area under Student Curriculum or in the Design Library under SolidWorks Content.



Video: Download SolidWorks Curriculum LR

 

SolidWorks Tutorial: CO2 Dragster from Team CudaCountry

 
SolidWorks Tutorials by master teacher,  Pat Haley astound me again with his lastest SolidWorks Tutorial featuring a CO2 dragster. 

Take a look at the updated CO2 Dragster Car Tutorials at Cudacountry

http://www.cudacountry.net/html/sw_co2car.html

New in the SolidWorks 2011 tutorials:

Mate References - In the assembly file parts with Mate References; wheels, axles, spacers "snap" in place on the body!

Z Component Velocityin SolidWorks Flow Simulation  calculates velocity trajectories rather than pressure. Makes it easier to see problem areas.

Rendering in PhotoView 360 - makes you want to buy the dragster right off the racetrack.

There is MasterCam and CAM Works instruction too. 

If you are looking for more engineering projects for your students of all ages try out one of the other SolidWorks Tutorials on boats, rockets, planes and springs.  Thank you Pat for your amazing work and helping so many students have fun learning.   Marie

Pumpkin Chunkin with Wright State University Team Ethos and SolidWorks Simulation

 
Can SolidWorks Simulation be used with Pumpkins?  Engineering students from Team Ethos and Wright State University say YES! They produced this video covering 5 years of their development and design changes using SolidWorks Simulation to analyze structural members and drag of  pumpkins.  Projectile motion is cool when pumpkins are invovled.

 



The world finals of this year's Pumpkin Chuckin will be televised on Discovery Channel on Thursday Nov 25 after the Mythbuster Marathon.  Check you local tv listings. 

Fun TV for the entire family and it invovles Physics - lots of Physcis!  For SolidWorks educators, you can try out the Trebuchet Curriculum located on the SolidWorks Customer Portal  for more fun with engineering, math and science.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Marie

 

Introducing The STEM Academy

  I was fortuante to meet with educators this week at the ACTE conference in Nashville.  What a great time to be in technology and engineering education with the importance of making math and science relevant for all students.  That is why I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about our latest partnership with the STEM Academy www.stem101.org .     The STEM academy is an applied for US national not-for-profit 501 c3 status education program featuring curriculum for middle school and high school students.  The STEM Academy's education program develops a technology and engineering pipeline and qualifies for ARRA Race to the Top funds.

From my perspective as a mechanical engineer and an engineering educator, the STEM Academy offers educators and administrators a flexible, cost effective, and exciting option for their students .   The inclusion of sustainable design will empower all students to understand their influence on our environment in a global economy.

With industry partners and mentors, the STEM Academy offers students an important introduction to technology to make them competent adults with an excitement for math and science.  Some students will go on to be engineers, but more importantly, all student will have an understanding of solving problems, that is a life long skill.

Marie Planchard

The STEM Academy Overview: Download The STEM Academy

Math2Go Accelerated Curriculum

Math2Go Accelerated Curriculum applies science and mathematics concepts to designing a race car. With 10th scale RC Cars, students maximize performance and drive farther, faster, and all while exploring concepts in physics. The Upside Down Wings  exercise takes  a student through the design and analysis of a spoiler on a car, creating a downward force. Three iterative  activities guide the student  through design and optimization. Contributed by Ten80Education.

Sample Parts:

Download m2g_accel_platechallenge.zip

Polygons with SolidWorks

  This exercise will assist students in visualizing and discovering how to find the formula to figure the sum of the interior angles of an n-gon.  For both algebra and geometry students for an exercise in discovery learning.  Contributed by Paul Reetz, Oregon.

Lesson Plan: SolidWorks-geometry-Lesson.DOC

Sample Parts: Download Polygons.zip

Extrusions and Extuded Cuts

This lesson examines the extrusion of a cube then removes the material from each side using different geometrical shapes.  Applications in basic math, algebra and drafting.  Contributed by Gary Mills.

Lesson Plan: solidworksextrusion_hatc2.doc

Sample Parts: Cube1.SLDPRT ; Cube2.SLDPRT   

Boe Bot Base

This lesson develops the procedure to create a mounting plate for the robot kit, Boe bot.  Applies formulas for area of a rectangle and surface area.  Contributed by Michael Garland.

Lesson Plan:   Boe_bot

Sample Drawing: boebot_base  (1.5Mbytes)

Lesson Plan: Parabola from Algebra to Calculus

This lesson develops two examples with a parabola. The first example explores graphing a parabola from an equation, finding the area bounded by the x axis, center of mass, and volume of a solid in revolution about a line parallel to the x-axis. Understanding a parabola in algebra can lead to success in Calculus and Calculus based science classes such as physics, engineering mechanics and dynamics. The second examples bounds the parabola by both the x and y axis, explores the centroid and volume in revolution.

Lesson Plan: Parabola_From_Algebra_to_Calculus

Sample Parts: Parabola_Solid_in_Revolution   

Sample Parts:Centroid_Solid_in_Revolution

Video:Parabola_in_Revolution.wmv (4.3Mbytes)

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Lesson Plan: Overview of Course & Technology Tools

This lesson provides an overview to the SolidWorks - STEM online course. The course supports teachers developing their 3D skills in SolidWorks while applying theoretical concepts in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum. Basic math, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus based exercises explore concepts in life science, chemistry, physics and engineering principles. 

Once you complete your lessons and the elearning tutorials, submit a lesson of your own to the SolidWorks-STEM community.  Download the SolidWorks-Lesson-Template.doc and email the completed lesson to SolidWorks STEM Coordinator, cmorse2@solidworks.com.

Lesson Plan:   SolidWorks_Lesson_Overview

Instructions_for_the_Solidworks_Stem_Course.

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