Grades 7-8
Full Systems Integration
What Students Build
Students combine multiple subsystems into cohesive devices. Projects require planning how electronics, mechanics, sensors, and code work together as an integrated system.
- Multi-axis robot arms with coordinated servo movements
- RC vehicles with obstacle detection and autonomous behaviors
- IoT monitoring stations with data logging and alerts
- Companion devices with multiple interaction modes and state machines
Skills Introduced
Systems Thinking
Designing how multiple subsystems interact and depend on each other
State Machines
Managing device modes and transitions through code
Data & Feedback
Using sensor data for closed-loop control and monitoring
Technical Documentation
Writing clear build reports with diagrams and analysis
Artifacts Produced
- Complex prototypes integrating 3+ subsystems
- System architecture diagrams showing component relationships
- Detailed build reports with iteration history
- Demonstration videos with technical explanations
What Growth Looks Like
By the end of this grade band, students can plan and execute multi-system projects independently. They debug across subsystems — tracing whether a problem is in wiring, code, mechanical alignment, or sensor calibration. They produce technical documentation that another builder could follow, and they understand how engineering decisions create trade-offs.