Union Local Elementary School
**NEW starting the 2023 school year, launched by PLTW!
What is Launch?
Young learners are naturally wired for discovery. PLTW Launch is designed with activities that let them see what they can be and build skills to discover what they can do.
Students are immersed in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that build upon each other and relate to the real world. They experience integrated learning that blends computer science, engineering, biomedical science, and more. Throughout the modules, even the youngest learners apply their math and English Language Arts (ELA) skills, learn science to standards, and adopt skills that are foundational across disciplines.
At ULES we have adopted two different modules in our Specials classes taught by Christine Smith and Kelly Hercules. Starting this school year, students in grades 4 and 5 will be completing the following modules:
Waves and Properties of Light:
Students observe the amplitude and wavelength of waves in a simulation and describe their patterns. They learn that waves move energy from one place to another, which can cause objects to move. They learn that colors are determined by the wavelengths of light through an investigation using the primary colors of light. Then, students explore how light interacts with different materials that are transparent, translucent, and opaque. They use the design process to design a game that incorporates their knowledge and skills about light gained throughout the module.
Energy Exploration:
Students engage in explorations of energy-related phenomena. They make observations, pose questions, and make connections as they investigate energy transfers. Throughout the module, students explore connections to careers and to the necessity of energy in real-life as they visit multiple business owners through the Main Street interactive experience. To deepen their understanding of energy, students design an investigation to test what happens when marbles collide on a track. Each business owner presents a problem that needs to be solved. Students select a problem and use the design process to apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
The goal at Union Local is to keep adding modules at different grade levels until every student in grades K-12 has the opportunity to experience the excitement of the Project Lead the Way curriculum.