Grades 4-8 Sample Courses


The following is a glimpse into the CTD curriculum, featuring just a few of our current or upcoming courses. CTD offers hundreds of courses each year!


You can search all courses by visiting CTD’s online Explore Courses Tool.


Nanotechnology: Where Atoms Become Lego Blocks (Grades 5-6)


Why can you bounce a basketball but not a bowling ball…why does metal conduct electricity but plastic does not? Using the principles of materials science, explore various structures of everyday materials and how those impact a material’s behavior. Discover how specific arrangements of atoms change the way materials look, feel, and behave. Learn how a special class of extremely small materials, nanomaterials, contains big possibilities for the future of energy and medical technology. During this course, students will:


Differentiate between different classes of materials and predict what type of characteristics they might have


Understand major concepts behind nanotechnology and how it is being used today


Apply the engineering design cycle to develop a new product based on materials-inspired components


CTD PATHWAY: This course is for students with a passion for the study of engineering, chemistry, and biology. It is great preparation for future study in nanotechnology and laboratory sciences.


Makerspace in Miniature (Grades 4-5)


How do we use scale to create working models? Before tiny houses were popular on HGTV©


, master craftsmen created scaled miniature rooms and


houses. What would you need to make a tiny, LED-lit mint tin bedroom, or incorporate a motorized miniscule pet into your shoebox dream home? Design and build complex miniature art and projects using a range of modeling and building strategies in this hands-on design, engineering, and electronics class. During this course, students will:


Apply the design and engineering process to original projects Employ proportions to understand and develop scale renderings Integrate basic electrical engineering concepts like circuitry into 3D models


CTD PATHWAY: This course is for students with a passion for building and designing, electronics, and math, preparing students for future study in engineering design, architecture, and electrical engineering.


Building the Future: Engineering & Design


(Grades 5-6) How is the expansive roof of a stadium supported…why don’t we see skyscrapers built out of wood? Investigate how different materials and structural shapes affect the design process and learn about the budgetary and aesthetic considerations that affect any project. Use everyday materials, creativity, and the principles of engineering to develop innovative solutions to a variety of engineering challenges. During this course, students will:


Identify the major principles and concepts used in large-scale civil/mechanical engineering


Understand the major considerations applied in materials engineering


Apply the engineering design process to collaboratively construct a weight-bearing bridge structure


CTD PATHWAY: This course is for students with a passion for problem solving, working with their hands, and understanding the “how?” behind physics. It is great preparation for future coursework in physics and engineering design.


Integrated Math: Sequences, Functions, Data Analysis, Correlations, and Modeling (Grades 5-7)


Where and when do we actually use algebra in the world, and how is it connected to the other types of math? Analyze and integrate mathematical methods taken from algebra, geometry, statistics, and probability to learn how to use math as a reasoning tool outside of the classroom. Apply quantitative thinking to real-world scenarios and engage in collaborative exploration of realistic problems with other math-minded classmates. During this course, students will:


Graph linear equations and inequalities, write equations of lines, find and use slope and y-intercept, and use linear equations to model real data


Write and solve linear sentences, describing real-world situations through formulas, tables, graphs, and equations


Apply mathematics to solve problems arising in everyday life


CTD PATHWAY: This course is for students interested in real-world math and problem-solving and lays the foundation for future coursework in modeling and data science.


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