Career Technical Education

(UC/CSU 'D' Lab Science)

Students explore human medicine, bioinformatics, and research processes through hands-on projects, investigating body systems and health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and infectious diseases. They collaboratively analyze the fictional death of a person, examining lifestyle choices and treatments that could have extended life. The curriculum emphasizes biological concepts such as homeostasis, metabolism, inheritance, and disease defense, integrating engineering principles like design processes, feedback loops, and relationships between structure and function. Students also gain insight into biomedical careers while developing technical and transferable skills like clinical empathy, health promotion, and data analysis.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'D' Lab Science)

Students explore human body systems, focusing on processes, structures, and interactions that maintain homeostasis and health. Through real-world cases, they act as biomedical professionals to solve medical mysteries. Hands-on projects include designing experiments and investigating structures and functions. Students also engage in real-world scenarios, diagnosing and treating patients, ensuring safety on remote medical trips, and conducting research on development and aging.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'D' Lab Science) 

Students explore disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment by following the lives of a fictional family. They investigate interventions in immunology, surgery, genetics, pharmacology, medical devices, and diagnostics. The course emphasizes maintaining health and homeostasis, covering topics like infection prevention, DNA screening, cancer treatment, and organ failure. Activities include designing a prosthetic arm and other real-world applications, reinforcing prior knowledge while introducing new concepts. Throughout, the importance of lifestyle choices, scientific thinking, and engineering design in developing future medical interventions is highlighted.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'D' Lab Science) 

In this capstone course, students apply their knowledge to tackle 21st-century health challenges, designing innovative solutions in areas like clinical medicine, physiology, biomedical engineering, and public health. They work on open-ended problems and independent projects, often with mentors from universities or healthcare industries. Students present their work to professionals from the business and healthcare community, showcasing their solutions and skills.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'G’ Elective)

In Computer Science Essentials, students will use visual, block-based programming and seamlessly transition to text-based programming with languages such as Python to create apps and develop websites, and learn how to make computers work together to put their design into practice. They’ll apply computational thinking practices, build their vocabulary, and collaborate just as computing professionals do to create products that address topics and problems important to them..

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'G’ Elective)

Using Python® as a primary tool and incorporating multiple platforms and languages for computation, this course aims to develop computational thinking, generate excitement about career paths that utilize computing, and introduce professional tools that foster creativity and collaboration. Computer Science Principles helps students develop programming expertise and explore the workings of the Internet. Projects and problems include app development, visualization of data, cybersecurity, and simulation. PLTW is recognized by the College Board as an endorsed provider of curriculum and professional development for AP® Computer Science Principles (AP CSP). This endorsement affirms that all components of PLTW CSP’s offerings are aligned to the AP Curriculum Framework standards and the AP CSP assessment.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'G’ Elective)

Throughout the Computer Science A course experience, students cultivate their understanding of coding through analyzing, writing, and testing code as they explore concepts like modularity, variables, and control structures. Fundamental topics in this course include the design of solutions to problems, the use of data structures to organize large sets of data, the development and implementation of algorithms to process data and discover new information, the analysis of potential solutions, and the ethical and social implications of computing systems. The course emphasizes object-oriented programming and design using the Java programming language. PLTW is recognized by the College Board as an endorsed provider of curriculum and professional development for AP® Computer Science A (AP CSA). This endorsement affirms that all components of PLTW CSA’s offerings are aligned to the AP Curriculum Framework standards and the AP CSA assessment.

Course Outline

Course ID: 101680
(UC/CSU 'F' Elective)

This introductory Media Production course (1 of 3 in the pathway) satisfies the UC-F credit requirement and prepares students for Media 2. Students learn video production using DSLR cameras and Adobe Premiere Pro, with an introduction to Adobe After Effects. The course covers team production, video and audio equipment operation, and creative storytelling through all stages of filmmaking.

Students gain hands-on experience in lighting, sound editing, color grading, and industry-standard equipment, including DSLR manual settings for cinema use. The course involves teamwork, requiring some filming outside class, and may have material costs. It follows California State CTE Standards and the Adobe curriculum framework, qualifying for UC A-G (F) credit.

Course Outline

Course ID: 101681
(UC/CSU 'F' Elective)

Media 2 is the Concentrator course (2 of 3) in the Media Production Career Pathway, focusing on content creation. Students apply skills from Media 1 to produce short films, social media content, promo videos, and school projects. They select a production focus, build video reels and websites, and create content for clients with deadlines.

The course offers professional opportunities, internships, live broadcasting, and participation in STN competitions. Teamwork and filming outside class are required. Students must obtain an SD memory card and headphones, with potential material costs. Coursework follows California State CTE Standards and the Adobe curriculum framework.

Course Outline

Course ID: 101682
(UC/CSU 'F' Elective)

Media 3 is the Capstone course (3 of 3) in the Media Career Pathway, available to students in leadership roles. It extends Media 2 and may occur during the same period, allowing Media 3 students to lead and participate in Media 2 activities.

Students take on leadership tasks, plan outside class hours, hold meetings, and support the program while serving as positive role models. Skills in organization, time management, communication, and project management are essential. Leadership roles include Producer, Studio Director, Editor, Social Media Producer, Classroom Leader, Live Broadcasting, and more.

Course Outline

(UC/CSU 'G’ Elective)

(IED) is a high school engineering course in the PLTW Engineering Program. In IED, students explore engineering tools and apply a common approach to the solution of engineering problems, an engineering design process. Utilizing the activity-project-problem-based (APB) teaching and learning pedagogy, students progress from completing structured activities to solving open-ended projects and problems that require them to plan, document, communicate, and develop other professional skills. Through both individual and collaborative team activities, projects, and problems, students apply systems thinking and consider various aspects of engineering design including material selection, human-centered design, manufacturability, assemblability and sustainability. Students develop skills in technical representation and documentation especially through 3D computer modeling using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) application. As part of the design process, students produce precise 3D-printed engineering prototypes using an additive manufacturing process. Student-developed testing protocols drive decision-making and iterative design improvements.

(UC/CSU 'D' Laboratory Science)

(ES) is a high school-level specialization course in PLTW Engineering. In ES, students investigate and design solutions to solve real-world challenges related to clean drinking water, a stable food supply, and renewable energy. Students are introduced to environmental issues and use the engineering design process to research and design potential solutions. Utilizing the activity-, project-, problem-based (APB) teaching and learning pedagogy, students transition from completing structured activities to solving open-ended projects and problems that require them to develop planning, documentation, communication, and other professional skills. Through both individual and collaborative team activities, projects, and problems, students problem solve as they practice common design and scientific protocols such as project management, lab techniques, and peer review. Students develop skills in designing experiments, conducting research, executing technical skills, documenting design solutions according to accepted technical standards, and creating presentations to communicate solutions.

(UC/CSU 'G’ Elective)

PLTW Engineering Design and Development is a capstone course for students who are completing the Engineering pathway. It is an open-ended research course in which students work in teams to design and develop an original solution to a well-defined and justified open-ended problem. Teams draw on the knowledge, skills, and interests of each member, as they perform research to select, define, and justify a problem. Given this collaboration, team members leave the course with a broadened skillset and an appreciation for learning from their peers. After carefully defining the design requirements and creating multiple solution approaches, student teams select an approach, create, and test or model their solution prototype. As they progress through the problem-solving process, students work closely with experts and continually hone their organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, creative and problem-solving abilities, and their understanding of the integration of processes such as the design process, experimental design, and the software development process. At the conclusion of the course, teams present and defend their original solution to an outside panel.